Anyone know what's up with this?

Soapmaking Forum

Help Support Soapmaking Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

kwahlne

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 3, 2008
Messages
603
Reaction score
8
Location
South Riding, VA
Chocolate raspberry soap just unmolded after remaining in the mold for 36 hours. What's up with the dark ring around the outer edge? Not really liking the white flecks either (not lye), but I'm really wondering about the dark edge. Will it go away?

DSCN0204.jpg


DSCN0206.jpg
 
Did you put chocolate or cocoa powder in it? If so looks like it migrated to the outside of the loaf.
 
Perhaps it is just the soap on the outer edge that has began to cure.

Mine looks like that sometimes right after I cut it, it eventually ends up the same color all over.
 
ilovedoxies said:
Perhaps it is just the soap on the outer edge that has began to cure.

Mine looks like that sometimes right after I cut it, it eventually ends up the same color all over.

This also happened to me with a chocolate soap I made a few months ago. Looked like yours when I first cut it, but eventually it all turned the same dark colour.
 
I don't know how you got that edge thing, but when you figger it out - tell me!
It's beautiful!
 
Oooooo... it's ALREADY going away! It's almost gone and it's only been what, an hour and a half? I think you're right... just needs to air out.

Hehe! Sorry Deb...
 
Dalziel said:
love that swirl, what tech did you use?

Thank you! That would be a swirl-in-the-mold. Poured one color in, poured the second color in, and then gently pulled it up and around with the spoon.
 
I had something similar happen once. As it cured, the soaps turned the color of the outer "rim". I'll see if I can find the pics. BTW, great swirls!

Digit
 
If you used real dark chocolate then it's probably blooming. Your second picture looks like a bloom, but then I re-read your post and saw that you used powder so all of the info below is a moot point. I don't know the makeup of the poweder, so i don't know the cocoa butter content which would make the below answer apply. So it may apply to some degree. I left my answer as is just as a FYI for learning. Just in case you do use real dark chocolate next time.

If temperature exceeds 75°F, some of the cocoa butter may appear on the surface, causing the chocolate to develop a whitish cast, known as "bloom."

Blooming of chocolate products is the most common problem you will encounter. There are two forms of "bloom": fat bloom and sugar bloom.

* Fat bloom is the visible accumulation of large cocoa butter crystals on the chocolate surface. It may feel silky, looks whitish grey and dull and is often accompanied by numerous minute cracks that dull the appearance of the chocolate. However, when touched with a warm hand or finger it goes away, due to melting of the cocoa butter. But it will come back due to the chocolate not being tempered at the correct temp in the first place. the only thing to do is to remelt it and temper it correctly.
* Sugar bloom is a crystallization of sugar that is often caused by high humidity and the formation of condensate ("sweating") when cold product is brought into a warm area. The moisture evaporates leaving the sugar crystal behind. When touched it feels like sugar and it does not disapear due to your warm touch. Once again it must be re-done to make it look good.
 
Gorgimoose swirls!! :D

I had a batch with chocolate do that, then the interior got darker like the outer edge.
 
I'm with Deda. I love the dark edge. Too bad it's not staying that way. It's gorgeous.

The swirls are awesome!!!!!! I have tried to swirl once so far but it didn't really turn out well. I will definately keep trying though.

I have been meaning to make soap all week but too busy with the season and all the family around. Hopefully in the next day or two I can get at it.
 
Back
Top