Diane's Naturally Handcrafted Soap - Natural handmade soap for sensitive skin

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An Australian supplier of Olive Oil Soap

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Hot Soap and Rebatch (1)

DBHP - The Enclosed Double Boiler System

Originally developed in October/November of 1999
By Diane Buckley
Aka "Gooney Bird" and "Jolly Green Giant"
soaps@ihug.com.au

Method

Get 2 containers - stainless steel or enamel or a combination of these. One larger than the other so that the smaller will fit inside the larger.
This is your double boiler set up.
You will find things around the house you can use probably without initially buying anything new.
Ideally both should have lids fitting loosely in place to stop water getting in and steam escaping. In practice it is not so easy to find a set up where one pot fits fully inside another.
In that case, use the pots but when cooking the soap put a few old towels over the top of the outer pot in place of its lid if it doesn't fit.

Make CP soap to trace in the smaller container. This method does not work all that well on amounts of soap under a kg (2.2 pounds). If you do use this method with a smaller amount then cover the soap and check it earlier as it may be cooked sooner.
Meanwhile fill the larger with water that will reach as high up on the inner pot as you can to cover the level of the soap. Bring the water to the boil and then just have it ticking over...a very very slight rolling boil.

Place something on the bottom of the larger one to prevent the bottom of the smaller being in direct contact with the heat - cake cooling racks are ideal.
Often the set up you have relies on the smaller pots arms resting on the sides of the larger pot. If that is the case, then don't worry about the rack in the water pot as obviously the inner pot wont be touching the bottom of the outer pot.

Put the smaller container with traced soap in it, with the lid on, inside the larger making sure that the water is up to the level of the soap (ideally).
I find that if I use soap that has been mixed at around the 100-110 degrees F then I don't have boil overs.

Cover the two pots with the outer pot lid if possible or else some old towels.
This keeps the steam and heat in and makes it less likely that you will have to replace water.
Make sure that the water is still boiling along.
This outer covering is all that is different to the "regular" double boiler system.
Each method has its advocates.

Leave it cooking for 1 hour. Stir it around gently.
Re cover and cook for about another 20 mins.
Check that it is sort of mayonnaise sort of consistancy with a very, very vague translucent look to it. It is sort of "slippery" on the stirring spoon a bit.
It is cooked.
If I am doing all olive oil soap I cook for nearer to 2 hours.

Take it out, stir it to cool it a bit so the fragrances aren't killed by the heat which will be anything up to 190 degrees F.
Colour and fragrance and mold it.

If you have to do several different colours or fragrances then just put the one lot out at a time in a separate bowl and work on that.
Leave the rest in the hot water to keep hot til you get to it.

I don't get into discussion as to what the soap looks like at any particular stage - e.g. vaseline, mashed potatoes etc etc.
You can look for your self and decide what to call it! It just doesn't matter.

If you follow these instructions it will work and the soap will be cooked.