Submitted by:
Penny
From The Heart
CROCK POT SOAPMAKING ©2001 (Penny Tallent)
All of you by now will have had some experience in
making soap using the
cold process method....the oils are heated until melted but
no additional
heat is added while making soap. This method requires that
your soap cure
several weeks before being used. During this curing process
the soap becomes
less and less caustic and is useable after that time period.
Many people use
this method to make soap. Recently people have been
introducing various
methods of creating soap that can be used the very next day
using a hot
process method. Using this method the soap is made in the
same manner as cold
process soap but it continues to be cooked to speed up the
chemical reaction
that creates soap. This produces soap that can be used
immediatly and can be
allowed to cured several days to a week only to produce an
even harder bar.
Even though the soap is made almost in the same way that
you make cold
process soap there are some differences. They include how
your fragrance
oils, colorants and other ingredients are added. There is
also a difference
in how the soap is molded. All these differences will be
pointed out in
separate sections.
CROCK POT SOAP EQUIPMENT
If you've been making cold process soap then you have
most of the
equipment needed. The items used are listed below. For a
more detailed
description of them please see the beginning soapmaking
class booklet or
check out a soapmaking book such as The Soapmakers
Companion.
Equipment to be used:
Scale
Plastic
pitchers
spoons
Hand
blender
soap
mold
Gloves
Pot (to melt
soap) Freezer
paper
Plastic wrap
The other piece of equipment that you will need is a
crock pot. These
come in various sizes and it's recommended to get a larger
sized one (some
hold 3-5 quarts). Also check your crock pot for any cracks
or chip since the
lye will react with any exposed surfaces.
Ingredients to be used:
Gather together all the ingredients that you use to make
a regular batch
of cold process soap. You can use the exact same
ingredients. The only
difference is some will be added at different times.
CROCK POT SOAPMAKING INSTRUCTIONS
Making crock pot soap is done a little bit differently
then cold process
soap. Below are the step by step instructions for this
method of soapmaking.
Tips for adding fragrance, coloring and other ingredients
will be given after
the directions.
1. Measure out any solid oils or butters that you are using
and melt them in
a pot. Once they are melted pour them into the crockpot and
add any liquid
oils. The oils do not have to be heated to any particular
temperature since
you are going to cook the soap...but all solid oils/butters
need to be
completely melted. Turn the crock pot on low.
2. Mix the lye with the water and set aside for several
moments to allow the
fumes to pass. The lye does not need to cool down in order
to be mixed with
the oils.
3. Pour the lye water mixture slowly into the oils and
continue to mix until
the soap has comes to trace. You can mix by hand or use a
hand blender to do
this. Be careful that the blender does not rest on the
bottom of the crockpot
since the heat can melt the blender (since most are made of
plastic). THE
SOAP MIXTURE SHOULD NOT FILL THE CROCK POT. FILL THE CROCK
POT ONLY ½ FULL
FOR YOUR FIRST ATTEMPT AT MAKING A PARTICULAR BATCH UNTIL
YOU KNOW WHETHER
THE SOAP WILL EXPAND AND OVERFLOW THE CROCK.
4. You will need to decide whether or not you are adding any
coloring at this
time. See the colorant section for more details.
5. The crockpot should already be set on low but if not then
turn it on at
this time. Cover the crockpot and allow the soap to cook for
½ hour. At that
time stir the soap well. You will notice that it is starting
to change color
and consistency. It may look like it has puffed up a little
and when you stir
it some steam will escape. The soap will go through a stage
in which is looks
like cooking cream of wheat. There will be tiny white
looking granules
beginning to form. It still will need to cook longer. Stir
it again
especially if it is rising in the crock. If it has separated
and has a layer
of liquid (whether oils or watery in appearance) simply stir
the liquid back
in. Cover again and continue to cook.
6. Allow the soap to cook another ½ hour. Keep
checking and stirring the
soap. You are looking for it to becoming completely
translucent and look like
Vaseline. Stir every 10 minutes or so. You may need to stir
more often
especially if the soap is expanding and rising up in the
crockpot. Once it
looks like thick vaseline you can start testing it to see if
it is completely
saponified.
TESTING YOUR COOKED SOAP
There are several ways to check your soap.
1. Take a tiny amount of soap out of the crockpot (approx
1/4 to ½ teaspoon)
and allow to cool down. The soap should become opaque when
it cools and
should have no oily or slippery feeling to it. It should not
appears watery
or have a small amount of liquid that forms around it while
it is cooling.
2. Rub some between your fingers to check the texture. It
should almost feel
kind of waxy. You should be able to roll the piece into a
ball with out it
flaking/breaking apart.
3. You can check it with pH strips or meter. Wet the ball of
soap and work up
a bit of lather. Apply the ph strip to the soap where the
lather is and
compare it to the color chart that came with your strips.
You are looking for
whatever color indicates a neutral ph.
4. Or the other method is to use the tongue test. Touch a
small amount of
soap to your tongue or if you have soap residue on your
finger touch that to
your tongue. Your not tasting it but rather feeling for a
buzzing or tingling
sensation. If you feel nothing then the soap is cooked. If
you feel any type
of tingling then the soap still needs to cook a little while
more. Cover it
back up and continue to cook another 10- 15 minutes. Stir
and retest your
soap after that.
Once the soap is cooked you can now add your coloring,
fragrance and any
additives. See each section for tips on adding each of
these items.
The soap will have the consistency of mashed potatoes. It
will not pour
smoothly like cold process soap does. Line your molds (if
using a box or
other square mold) with waxed paper to make removing the
soap easier. If
using a shaped or designed mold you may want to apply a very
thin coat of
vaseline to get them to release a little easier. Scoop the
soap into the mold
and tap down on the table to get it to go into the corners.
Cover with more
waxed paper. Press and smooth out the top as best as you
can. BE CAREFUL THE
SOAP IS VERY HOT STILL AND CAN BURN YOU!
Set the soap aside and allow to cool down. You do not need
to insulate the
soap since it is already cooked. Once it has completely
cooled down you can
remove it from the mold and cut into bars. The rougher edges
can be trimmed
to expose the smoother surface underneath it. The bars can
be set aside and
allowed to cure for a week or so to allow them to harden up
even more to help
extend the life of the soap. But, you do not have to do
this. YOUR SOAP IS
USABLE RIGHT AWAY SINCE IT IS COOKED!!
TIPS FOR USING COLORANTS:
You can use the same types of colorants in crockpot soap
as you do in
cold process soap. These include pigments, micas, herbs and
spices.
With crock pot soap you can add your coloring either at
trace (before you
started cooking the soap) or after the soap is done cooking.
For some of the
colorants, such as micas and pigments, the heat will cause
them to change
colors and they sometimes can only be added at the end of
the cooking. Herb
infused oils can also change color with the heat so you may
have to test
them. Spices, such as cinnamon, tumeric, etc can easily be
added before
cooking. Here are some of the colorants that I've used and
the results that
I've had.
Ultramarine Blue: fades when added before cooking, can
sometimes turn
grayish.....better to add after cooking
Yellow Oxide: can fade a little when added before cooking.
Make the soap a
little darker then what you want.
Ultramarine Violet: lightens and becomes grayish looking
when added before
cooking....better to add after cooking
Chromium Green Oxide: lightens a little when added before
cooking
When adding colorant after cooking the soap make sure
that you mix it
very well with 1/2 to 1oz of water. Make sure that there are
no lumps present
since it can sometimes be difficult to blend the color it
well. Add the
colorants right after cooking and stir well until they are
properly combined.
Mica should be added after cooking since some of them
are not heat stable
and will fade or change color in the soap if added before
cooking. They can
also be affected by the lye so you may need to do a test
batch.
If using herbs/spices for color they can be added
directly to the soap.
They do not need to be mixed with water or oil. Simply add
them in dry and
stir well to make sure that they are evenly
distributed.
FRAGRANCE OILS:
The fragrance or essential oil that you use with your
soap must have a
fairly high flashpoint ( about 175 and up). The flashpoint
indicates at what
temperature that particular scent will burn off at and none
will remain in
your soap. Many times the fragrance oil manufacturer will
know the flashpoint
on the scents they carry so you can ask them for this
information.
You can use about ½ the amount of fragrance oil
for your cooked soap then
when you make cold process soap. The reason being that the
fragrance is not
affected by the lye or the saponification process. So if
your 4 lb batch of
cold process soap took 2 oz of fragrance oil to scent the
crockpot soap will
take about 1 oz.
To add your fragrance first allow the cooked soap to
cook down for about
10 minutes or so. You can check the temp to make sure that
it has come down
below 200 F with a thermometer. You want the temp below the
flashpoint of
your fragrance oil or it will burn off leaving you with
little or no scent.
Stir the soap well to release any built up steam and help it
cool off faster.
Add the fragrance oil and stir well to make sure the oils
is completely
mixed in.
You should be only using soap safe fragrance oils. You
can also use
fragrance oils that are only made to be used in melt and
pour soaps since the
soap will not seize up like cold process soap will. This
method is also great
to use with those fragrance oils that cause problems in your
cold process
soap.
ADDITIVES:
You can add many of the items that you would normally
add to cold process
soap. The only difference is many are added once the soap is
cooked. This
includes most herbs, spices, milk products, honey, oatmeal,
etc.
A few tips on adding other ingredients:
Honey: add after the soap is cooked. It can burn if added at
trace.
Ground or whole oats: add after the soap is done; the
oatmeal will cook if
added too
soon
Milk (liquid): add after cooking when temps have cooled or
the sugars will
start to carmelize; cut back on some of the water since you
are replacing it
with the milk
Milk (powder): make a paste by mixing it with water and add
after cooking
Herbs: can be added before or after cooking;
Lavender buds and many other flower petals will turn
brown;
calendula petals will retain their color even through
the cooking process
Glycerin shreds: add after cooking once the soap has cooled.
They will melt a
bit because of the temperature of the soap
Shreds/chunks of soap: add after cooking so they will retain
their shape and
the colors won't mix together
Silk: add to lye water right after the lye has been mixed
into the water.
Wait until the silk has dissolved before mixing into
oils.
Coffee grounds: Add near the end of the cooking.
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