Teach Soap

I have read Susan Cavitch's first book and several other soap books years ago. That said I don't have any books that talk about gel phase. Could someone give me the short and sweet definition of it and how effects curing time? Also I use a wooden mold with a carboard lid that holds roughly 20 lbs. I put a beach towel folded on top too. Is that large enough to gel without insultation, or should I put it in the oven like I have seen on posts? Thanks.

Gel begins by the soap getting daker in the middle and slowly spreads to the corners. The soap gets temporarilly softer. As it cools, it gets harder and possibly lighter, depending on recipe and fragrance chosen.

You can insulate with towels or blankets to reach gel, or you can speed up gel in the oven. Turn the oven to 170. Put the soap in a oven safe mold in there. Turn the oven off. When it completely gels, you can either leave it in ther overnight, or take it out and wait to cool. When cool, slice.

My belief is that all CP soaps need a cure time for 4 to 6 weeks. The soap will continue to loose water and will get milder over time. Peoperly cured soap also lasts longer in the shower.

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

Well, the cardboard cover and towel actually do act as insulation, so to answer that question: yes.
Gel phase is when your soap gets hot and looks transparent, it starts in the center and moves outward (if all goes well) sometimes I get partial gel, when it starts in the center and then doesn't go all the way to the sides. Nothing's wrong with the soap, it just doesn't all look uniform.
Gelled soap takes 4 to 6 weeks to cure, curing just lets the water evaporate out of the soap, leaving a hard bar that lasts longer in the shower. If your soap gels, you can use it in the next week, but there's no point because it will melt faster.
If you don't gel your soap (put it in the fridge or freezer after pouring) then it will take about 6 weeks to cure. The benefit here is lighter colors and your scents won't morph as much.
I easily go both ways. It's a personal preference thing. Lately I've been doing CP/OP (oven process) but that's mostly because I've gotten behind on orders and been super busy with my day job.

Hope this has helped, a least a little.

Best of luck,
Brandy