# Dehydrator and trace question



## Cannon_farms (Nov 17, 2009)

I have searched the archives but have not found the direct answer to my question. Is it a good or bad idea to use a dehydrator? I used one for a couple hours, not enough to do much but I cant tell it did much good.
I had a hard time getting a trace on my soap the other day and unfortunately I ran out of time to stir and got a light trace, this soap is very soft will it harden and just need more time? I did try the dehydrator on this but it made the bars really soft almost like really firm jello


----------



## Guest (Dec 19, 2009)

Pat, your soap should start to harden soon with or without a dehydrator.. if it does not then you may have gotten a measurement in the recipe wrong.. even the best soapers make errors and can't figure out why or what they did.. too much superfatting can do this too.
Barb


----------



## hsmomof4 (Oct 31, 2008)

The dehydrator probably got them too warm... Once out of the mold, you can't heat them back up like a dehydrator or oven would.


----------



## Tallabred (Jun 12, 2008)

I love using my dehydrator. I put my soaps in at 105 degrees for 6 hours. They are cut and placed back in at 90 degrees for 12-18 hours. They are then really ready to go. 

We have had nothing but rain - the dehydrator worked wonders on my bath bombs too!


----------



## Cannon_farms (Nov 17, 2009)

:/ the dehydrator I borrowed doesnt have a temp control I will plug it up and see what the degrees are.
It seems that there are mixed feelings on this. I did compare a batch i poured into different molds, same thickness and I could tell when I sliced off some that it wasnt as moist, but this is also the batch in question about the trace.


----------



## Tallabred (Jun 12, 2008)

My dh surprized me with a dehydrator from cabella's. I can fit a lot of soap in it and set the temp and time. My gm soap comes out very light where the oven temp darkened it and made it more like jello at first.


----------



## Kalne (Oct 25, 2007)

How large of a dehydrator do you have? Using the oven usually makes mine darker too so I only do that if I'm trying to cut the cure time. If I ever get a separate space to make soap I'm going to steal Vicki's idea of building a special closet to put the soap in.


----------



## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

I use a dehumidifer, it wicks water out of the air which of course hastens your soap drying. Like said above anything that heats up, the oven or a dehydrater needs to be used with the soap in it's mold still. Vicki


----------



## Tallabred (Jun 12, 2008)

Cabella's dehydrator is the size of a small refrigerator. It is on wheels so easily moved around. I can fit 200 bars of cut soap in it with no crowding. Works great for bath bombs too.


----------



## Kalne (Oct 25, 2007)

Oh wow....I didn't know there was such a thing. Interesting.


----------



## Tallabred (Jun 12, 2008)

My husband does look for interesting things for me when he is getting ready to leave for a 9 day hunting trip


----------

