Teach Soap

I made a recipe last night in my 2 lb. loaf mold. I used a double butter recipe from BB using cocoa butter and shea butter as my double butters, and I used heavy whipping cream as an additive. I superfated at 3%. I discounted 1 oz. of water for 1 oz. of cream. I added my lye water solution to my oils at 100 degrees, then I added my 1 oz. of cream to light trace. Everything went smoothly. I placed my mold in the freezer overnight and took it out this morning. I let it thaw out on the counter. It was pretty sticky and wet from thawing so I could not unmold it. I placed a fan on it and got it to dry some so I could try to unmold it again. It looks great, but is still sticky and I can see that it went through partial gel phase in the center of the soap.

So, do you think I should just let it go through gel phase (insulate or keep uncovered) since I am using cream as an additive after trace? Or do you think I should try again with the freezer technique?

I used BB Mango FO and Papaya Coconut FO. Both at a medium strength. I have used these FO's before and never noticed anything except some discoloration which works out fine with the colors I selected to use.

Thanks in advance.

It seems like you did everything you could to prevent gel, so if wants to gel - just let it. Since it managed a partial gel even in the freezer, it probably won't need much encouragement if you just leave it out on the counter. Just cover it, but you probably don't need any insulation.

Despite the advice often given on the internet - I gel all my milk soaps - never had a problem with them overheating, and they don't darken, either.

Thank you for the info! I am going to try the recipe again tonight, not cover it, and let it go through gel phase and see what happens.

By the way, do you cover your milk soaps or leave them uncovered to get them to go through gel phase?

I cover and insulate with 2 blankets. I slip my hand under the blankets after a couple of hours, to see how hot it is against the moulds. I have never had a milk soap overheat on me - probably because I freeze the milk into an ice cube tray before mixing the lye solution. Even my soap with full milk and honey works fine this way.

Thanks again for your help! I am going to try goat milk soap tomorrow using goats milk powder and making a slurry adding this after light trace too.

Last night I made another batch of soap using cream as an additive, and this time I covered it and let it go through gel phase. I checked it a few times to see how hot it got, and it wasn't too bad at all. I soaped at 90 to 100 degrees. It looks pretty good today even though I haven't unmolded it yet. I will let it sit for 24 hours or longer and try.

I do not think your loaf gelled in the freezer. I also do not think the chemical reaction can be restarted properly, if at all, once you have stopped it by removing it from the freezer.

Uh, maybe use powdered goats milk instead of real milk so you don't have to ice everything down?

Why don't you want it to gel? A little gel you get a better loaf than no gel so long as it doesn't volcano on you, which has never happened to me is all I'm sayin'. It gells much easier & flares hotter in the summertime rather than winter. Put some plastic cling wrap over the log and wrap in 2 polyester blankets and let it gel slightly then unwrap everything and put it in a cool room under a fan to cool down naturally. U'll have a better loaf. If u must use honey then just be sure to pour it in mold immediately after trace has occurred or your sap temp will get too hot, it will maybe volcano on you bc u used too much honey?why, & then u will have a bad time.

Why is it that people add honey again? I did it once, honey & powdered goats milk, and didn't really notice much of a difference. Just a pain in my butt. I guess i will try it again soon tho since i still have powdered goats milk i need to use up.

I would go a minimum of 5% superfat. 3% doesn't leave much room for any minor errors. My soaps go in the fridge or the freezer up to overnight. I wait til they come to room temp before cutting. You need to wear gloves when cutting, as it can take up to 3 days for the soap to saponify.

_________________
Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

I defer to Soapbuddy's superior experience. But I like to let it gel- only be sure not to let it gel hotter than the lowest flash point of any EO u r using, in order to preserve the EOs, obviously. Bc they evaporate after a certain temp that's why they call them aromatic. SB is prolly doing that bc she is using FO and they volcano easier than the EOs I use.

If you mix it in the morning you can watch the gel process by removing the 2 fleece blankets you wrap them in every hour and hitting the top of the loaf, lined w/ cling wrap, w/ your laser temperature gauge. You should mix lye & oils around 106 then after pouring it will cool down to about 98, but once it gels and you see the ring the loaf temp will increase to 115-125 & THEN take the cling wrap off, remove the blankets, and put the loafs underneath a strong fan in a nice cool air-conditioned room to stop the gell simply by letting it cool a little bit, w/o doing anything drastic to halt the saponification process, like putting it in the freezer. I don't think the sap process ever restarts properly after one takes it out of the freezer, but of course Soapbuddy knows way better than me.

When it gels like that it ii turning from a liquid into a solid. Somehow it reminds me of the furnace-like temperatures of an active & properly managed compost pile. One of these days I've got to try that- Soapbuddy, how many minutes do you wait in between pouring into the mold & putting it in the freezer?

Today I removed the loaf from the thermal blankets at only 105. I merely wanted to establish that sap had begun by observing a temp increase from 98 to 105, before removing from blankets to go under fan, on top of bookshelf. Altho I didn't remove the cling wrap yet- ill leave that one for another hour or two while i watch the gel temps to get maybe a little hotter if it wants like to 110 before i remove it (the cling wrap- very important stuff).

hi johnnyusa,

first post and rookie soaper here. i volunteered to be the soap supplier for a small business that lost its current supplier. i didnt realize what i was getting myself into

anyway, are you saying to look for the gel phase in the middle of the mold, then remove plastic wrap and cool? or should i wait for the edges to gel as well, then take plastic wrap off and cool?

i use a large 70 lb block mold and sometimes have trouble getting the corners to gel, without over-heating and getting crack at top and possibly losing EO efficacy.

thanks!

Lee

I now agree w/ SB that the soap loaf comes out better if you don't let it gel. Altho i do not go to the extreme of putting my loafs in a freezer like she does to prevent gelling. Of course, I have never tried it, primarily bc i do not have a fridge that I can fit my mold in. I prevent gelling by putting loaf under a ceiling fan on high, A/C on high, and not making solid soap during hottest part of summer.
If you want to gel, don't worry about making sure the edges gel. Just make sure you can observe, w/ laser temp gauge, about a 5 degree increase in loaf temperature from when you added plastic wrap to top of mold, in the center part of loaf anywhere along the length, before you remove the plastic wrap and blanket you used to facilitate the gelling. If you forget about it n don't hover and let gel temp get too hot you can really detract a lot from quality-i did that once and it was very upsetting so be careful if u must gel. But I think the soap crystallizes better and soap pores are smoother if you don't let it gell. Hope that helps.
When you don't let it gel the ring in the middle of each bar occurs over the 3-6 weeks while it cures. When you first cut the loaf there will be no ring, such as would occur immediately if you let it gel, but the nice ring in the center will gradually appear in time as it cures.
Good luck with your business. A 70 lbs mold you say- how do you pour it? Where did you get that mold?

My biggest mold is 20 pounds as I can't lift anything heavier. I prefer my 10 lb. molds and do multiple pours. I find with the partial gel ring that over time it disappears.
I use Waring Big Stick from a restaurant supply. This one. http://www.webstaurantstore.com/waring- ... WSB40.html

_________________
Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

I use a pot whipper to mix, it is a drill attachment specifically made for mixing soap.

the large mold i can cut logs from right from the mold so i dont have to pick up the whole thing at once.

i have 13.5" loafs and then cut bars from that.

i am learning every time i make a new batch !

thanks!

Lee

_________________
Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

probably would with smaller batches but i keep it submerged below the surface and no bubbles...