Introduction: Soaking soybeans for 12 hours at a room temperature of 20-25°C is sufficient for them to fully absorb water, and extending the soaking time will not yield better results.
However, in the summer when temperatures are high, soaking them at room temperature for 12 hours may lead to excessive bacterial growth, which can negatively affect the flavor of the soy milk. Therefore, it is recommended to soak the beans in the refrigerator.
Soaking beans in the refrigerator at 4°C for 12 hours is roughly equivalent to soaking them at room temperature for 8 hours. If you find the 18-hour process troublesome, you can soak the beans in the refrigerator for 24 hours. This method achieves the best results while also being very convenient.