Teach Soap

I got a new tray mold with the inserts and wanted to do a fall mix and conquer the swirl for the first time. I did canola, coconut and olive oil. Everything was fine and it was a super light trace. Then I added the Fall Harvest fragrance from Sweet Cakes and almost instantly it went brown and thick! so I still divided out three parts and added tons of color and did the swirl. Its been about 12 hours and I peeked at it and its seems to be "sweating". The coloring will be ok. But wondering if its is because I double checked the description of the fragrance and its says a hint of vanilla... Heres the description.

Fall Harvest™ Fragrance

This scent captures the wonderful smell of an apple orchard in the fall -- crisp red and green apple notes combine with almond and cinnamon in the top, leading to a powerful, fresh midsection of hawthorn and carnation. Notes of vanilla and hay in the bottom of the blend complete the impression of a cool October day spent picking Granny Smiths and Winesaps.

NOTE: This is not your garden-variety spiced apple -- much more complex and interesting than that . . .

Thanks for you help with this.

How hot were your oils and lye water? Carnation in a blend usually has a clove note, which (depending on %) can accelerate trace. Vanilla at more then 2% in a blend will discolor. If the soap has already gelled, uncover any insulation and leave it be. The sweating might disappear in a day or two.

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

My oils and lye were 110*.

How do I know if they have already "gelled"?

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

Thanks for the article. So... after the soap is poured into the mold, I understand you are supposed to wrap it in a towel for about 24hours. Is that correct?

Should I only keep them wrapped up until after the gel stage?

After that we can take it out of the mold and store it for 4-6 weeks. How should we store them. Can I put them in a cardboard box and put them in a closet?

If you are planning for the soap to gel, yes, insulate it with towels or a blanket. 24 hrs. should be fine. By that time the soap should have gelled and cooled off. Once cooled off, you can cut it. Soap needs air for the water to dissipate, so leave it in an open box so a it can circulate. You closet should be fine.

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

Soap does not need to gel in order for it to become soap. Some people prefer not to gel, so the colors stay lighter and fragrances morph less. It'a a matter of personal preference. Ash is a strange beast. Some people get it, some people don't. I live in the desert where there is no humidity and I also use beeswax. I haven't seen ash in a very long time. So humidity, chosen oils and whether you gel or not could have something to do with it.

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

What do you do in order to gel?

What do you do in order to not gel?

Is the color and fragrance the only difference in gelling? Does hardness or longevity of the bar change?

What do you do in order to gel?
You either insulate, use the oven or the crockpot.
What do you do in order to not gel?
You soap cool, don't insulate and put the soap in the fridge or the freezer; up to overnight.
Is the color and fragrance the only difference in gelling? Does hardness or longevity of the bar change?
After a full cure, there is no difference between gelled and ungelled.

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

OMG!! There is soooo much to learn!

I just made another batch of the same soap, except this time (still trying to get rid of the Canola oil) I did Canola, Coconut, and Palm (added palm and excluded Olive) and this time it didn't pick up the orange liquid colorant in the slightest bit and the burgandy oxide isnt nearly as dark. So there is less color and they're not as stark. The previous batch seemed to be a little oily so I changed it up this time. I'm gonna keep the lid on and see if I get ash again. I feel like each batch will always do its own thing and there are no costants. I'm sure thats no true, I just still have sooo much to learn. At least its fun!

Thanks again Soapbuddy. I hope I'm not driving you crazy

No problem. Glad to help.

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