Teach Soap

So I have always just insulated my soaps and gelled them or depending on the recipe or FO they've gelled without me insulating them. Recently, I purchased BB's new column mold and made some soap and didn't even have to insulate it because the mold itself insulated so well. Anyway, after unmolding and cutting the very bottom of the soap didn't gell. I use a combination of rose clay and sea clay to color this soap and I LOVED my last bar that was not gelled. Normally I love the colors of my gelled soap but this one was just so much prettier not gelled. The next time I make a batch of this soap I would like to stop it from gelling. I have read some people put theirs in the fridge, some in the freezer, and all leave them in there at different time lengths. I want to know the best way to stop gel. Thanks! I would post pics but I am on my phone.

If I use fo's or ingredients that overheat & I don't want my soap to gel, I put it in the freezer for overnight.

If I use ingredients that don't overheat, I just pop it in the fridge for 24-48 hours.

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Genny

And after being in the fridge for 48 hours it had saponifed properly and hasn't gotten to cold or anything?

They saponify just fine for being in the fridge or freezer.

They will be softer at first though. So after I take them out of the fridge I have to let them sit out in the mold for another 24 hours or so. Then after I unmold if they're still too soft, I just let them sit out in the air for half a day or so before I cut them.

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Genny

I prefer not to gel. Depending on all the ingredients used, the soap goes in the fridge or the freezer. I let the frozen soap come to room temp before I cut it.

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

How long should it stay in the freezer? I made a batch yesterday and it went in the freezer at about 2pm. It is still there. Nothing that overheats. Recipe was

Olive Oil 60%
Coconut Oil 30%
Sunflower Oil 10%

33% Lye Solution

1 pound batch
FO is tried and true and doesn't over heat.

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Haven

If I'm using ingredients that don't overheat, then I just keep it in the freezer for 4 hours or so. If I'm using overheating ingredients, then I keep it in the freezer for about 24 hours.

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Genny

I took it out of the freezer but it's still in the mold. So now what? How long should I wait to unmold and cut? I normally gel or if I knew I was using something that would overheat then I would put it in the freezer but this is the first time I think I have stopped the gel process so I am confused.

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Haven

If it's nice and solid, then I unmold then. But I let it sit for another day or so to dry before cutting.

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Genny

Ok. Thanks for your help.

Alright, I took it out of the freezer and took the top off. Now there is a layer of liquid on the top. I don't know what it is. I can't tell if it is water or FO (but I have never had this FO seperate on me before and I've made several batches with it). What should I do? Help!

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Haven

You covered it? That I've never done before. I'm going to assume that it's moisture from freezing something warm. It might still have gelled a bit since you covered it. I'd dump the water off & put a fan on it to help it dry off.

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Genny

It's an oil. It has a yellowish tint to it. I swiped my finger across the top and it is oily and doesn't zap. I don't know which one it could be.

Here's my recipe. Maybe ya'll can spot something wrong with it.

Total Oil Weight 500g
Water as % of oil weight 28.233 %
Super fat 8%
Lye Concentration 33%
Water : Lye Ratio 2.03:1
1 oz of FO

Water 142 g
Lye 69g

Coconut Oil, 76 deg 33% 150g
Olive oil 55% 275g
Sunflower Oil 12% 60g

I mixed my lye water and oils when they were both at 104 degrees. I reached a light trace, added FO, stick blended for a moment to incorporate FO. Split the batch in 2 and colored one. By then the batters were at a thicker trace. I poured into the mold and swirled away. Covered it with the top to the mold and stuck it in the freezer. I left it in there until just a bit ago so it was in the freezer about 20 hours. It was fine when I took it out of the freezer and then after sitting on the counter for a couple of hours, it has this layer of oil. It did not zap when I stuck my finger with the oil on it to my tongue. Any ideas? Should I let it sit in the mold for a couple of days to see if the oil will absorb back in? I have never rebatched and I don't really want to have to rebatch this one cause this is the prettiest swirl I've achieved yet (and I've been doing this for a few years now). I really appreciate everyone's help. This is new for me. Never had this happen.

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Haven

I'd just let it sit for another day or so and see if the oil soaks back in.
That happens once in a while to me with soaps that I don't stick in the freezer.

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Genny

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

Ok. Thanks for everything.


Edit: Well it's been a couple of hours and it seems to be soaking back in. Weird. I guess it is going to be fine. I am going to wait until tomorrow to unmold just in case but I am very happy.

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Haven