Can I put my log mold out in the snow to prevent gel?

[AshleyR]

I'm about to make some goat milk soap, and I'm hoping to prevent gel. I use a 5 lb log mold, and I'll be soaping at room temp. with ice cold lye water (my goat milk is in the form of powder and I'll be mixing it with some of the oils and adding at trace).

Is it possible to prevent gel in a wooden log mold? I'm thinking of putting the whole thing out in the snow with some plastic wrap on top - but I'm wondering - is it okay to technically "freeze" the saponifying soap? Will the reaction still occur properly? It is about -24 C (or -11 F) outside. If I leave it out there long enough I'm thinking it might actually freeze.

I'd probably leave it out there for a few hours, and then bring it in and put it in my cool basement (or the fridge?) for the night.

Is this a bad idea?? I just don't want a partial gel!

 

[NMAriel]

Here's what I do. I have a different mold, but maybe this will help you. I use fresh goat milk, premeasured and frozen in freezer zip lock bags until I need them. In a stainless bowl I pour my dry lye ontop of the frozen gm and let it melt it completely until it's a lye mixture. It's usually around 100-110F.

I also use a wooden slab mold with white plastic bottom and side protectors, with a wooden lid. I pile on 4 wool blankets to insulate, and I NEVER get a gel. Hope this helps.

 

[AshleyR]

Here's what I do. I have a different mold, but maybe this will help you. I use fresh goat milk, premeasured and frozen in freezer zip lock bags until I need them. In a stainless bowl I pour my dry lye ontop of the frozen gm and let it melt it completely until it's a lye mixture. It's usually around 100-110F.

I also use a wooden slab mold with white plastic bottom and side protectors, with a wooden lid. I pile on 4 wool blankets to insulate, and I NEVER get a gel. Hope this helps.

Thanks for the tips!

I don't have fresh goats milk though, and the powder is already mixed into some of my oils. Just contemplating whether I should risk a partial gel, or just forget it and let it gel.... the ingredients are all ready to go....

Anyone else?

 

[Lindy]

Hey Ashley - I would let it gel - but that's just my opinion...

 

[NMAriel]

If it was me, I'd just do it and see what happeneds. That way you know for next time. I don't think it's going to be a failure. If it gels then next time do something different. If it doesn't then you know. Good luck and write an update....with photos...please..

 

[NMAriel]

It is about -24 C (or -11 F) outside.

By the way that doesn't just sound cold, but a "OMG...it's frecking COLD".. :shock:

 

[AshleyR]

It is about -24 C (or -11 F) outside.

By the way that doesn't just sound cold, but a "OMG...it's frecking COLD".. :shock:

LOL, I live in Northern, ON... it gets mighty freezing here! It will get colder than this in February probably.

To the PP's... I went ahead and made it, and put it outside on my deck. I had let the oils get to room temp in my chilly basement - and by the time I mixed it all together the solid oils were starting to get solid again... so... I'm pretty sure it's nice and cool (I also had my lye water outside for about an hour!). It didn't heat up at all when I mixed everything together.

Anyway, I'll leave it out on the deck for an hour or two and then bring it in. I think I might be safe!!! Of course I'll let you guys know how it goes and post a pic tomorrow!

 

[Healinya]

It is about -24 C (or -11 F) outside.

By the way that doesn't just sound cold, but a "OMG...it's frecking COLD".. :shock:

Agreed! 8) wow... 11 below zero.. I'm in FL and I had *frost* on my window yesterday morning, and I thought that was frecking cold.

 

[NMAriel]

[/quote]Agreed! 8) wow... 11 below zero.. I'm in FL and I had *frost* on my window yesterday morning, and I thought that was frecking cold.[/quote]




Oh my I remember that. Frost on the windows in Central and South Fl. I thought it was a REAL winter.....lol. My mom emailed me saying that dad went to get wood for the fireplace. They hadn't used it in years....lol. I like NM, we get 4 seasons here. Pretty cool for a Floridian who used the calendar to see what season it was..LOLOLOLOL.

 

[topcat]

Come visit me!!! It got to 113f degrees here yesterday :shock: Today is a nice cool 83

Tanya

 

[IanT]

Come visit me!!! It got to 113f degrees here yesterday :shock: Today is a nice cool 83

Tanya

ill be on the next plane!! lol...FL is too cold for me right now!!

 

[Jody]

ill be on the next plane!! lol...FL is too cold for me right now!!

Florida's too cold but I see you're from NY as well. NY will be right up there with Ashley's cold or close.

 

[kwahlne]

I tried preventing gel in a log mold once. I put the log mold in the refrigerator and i got partial gel... :cry: Of course, my refrigerator is not as cold as your weather!! Now I only use slab molds if I don't want gel.

Not sure how temperatures that cold will do! Try it and report back! I'd love to know how it worked out.

 

[beelady]

I'm very confused and hope you all will forgive a newbie question. Why would you want to prevent the soap from gelling? I assume you're talking about the semi-translucent state the soap naturally goes through after you've gotten it in the molds but before it's cured enough to cut?

I keep reading references on the forum about soapers manipulating gel in various ways and am now dying of curiosity!

 

[AshleyR]

Hey everyone!

Okay, so I just unmolded my soap (about 24 hours later).

The GOOD:

It didn't gel at all! Woo hoo! It's a nice creamy white.

It smells AWESOME (just very lightly scented with lavender sage FO, and some ground sage). It even smells a bit "creamy".... if that makes sense.

The BAD:

I'm not sure if it's too soon to cut ungelled soap after 24 hrs (?), but it appears so. I tried to cut it in and was still pretty soft. Softer than any CP soaps I've made with the exact same recipe.

It was also kinda crumbly. I used a LOT of goat milk powder in it though. 3 oz for a 3.5 lb batch (of oils). Maybe too much? I'm not sure, but I read somewhere that someone else used 1 oz of goat milk powder per oz of oils. Anyway - I'm thinking the amount of powder + the fact that it was still kinda soft and sticky - might be what made it crumbly. It's not dry/crumbly, it's more sticky/crumbly. I think once it hardens a bit more it won't be such a problem.

I GOT ZAPPED! I did the tongue test and felt the 9V battery zap. I'm thinking it's just not ready yet. It is a decent sized batch and it was poured pretty deep into a log mold. I think it just needs more time.... am I right?

I hope it's okay! It smells and looks wonderful.

I don't really have a lot of experience with RTCP and I've never NOT gelled my soaps.... so I'm not really sure what to expect. Will giving it a few more days to dry help? How long does it typically take non-gelled soap to "finish"?

:shock: [/b]

 

[MikeInPdx]

I'm very confused and hope you all will forgive a newbie question. Why would you want to prevent the soap from gelling? I assume you're talking about the semi-translucent state the soap naturally goes through after you've gotten it in the molds but before it's cured enough to cut?

I keep reading references on the forum about soapers manipulating gel in various ways and am now dying of curiosity!

There are a number of reasons why people don't gell....sometimes they prefer the appearance of ungelled soap....the colors are more delicate. They may also prefer that the fragrance doesn't morph as much, as I do in my eucalyptus EO soap....it's much stronger and truer ungelled. Another reason is that milk soaps and soaps heavy in honey tend to overheat and get stinky...prevent gel prevents this problem.

I know a lady....a professional....who puts her molds in the freezer, so Ashley, your idea should work great!

 

[Lindy]

Hey Ashley I find that my ungelled soap takes WAY longer to set up and cure....my facial soap which is CP with water & lye discounts is still soft - it's fine - just not cured enough yet.. I let my Bastille gel and it is a really pretty cream colour so I've decided to let everything gel and probably encourage it now. My Orca soaps didn't gel and I wish they had the black would have been darker...

So that is just my 2 cents.....