Can someone call Superman

[Mrs. Bubble]

I need his help unmoulding my soap. I made CP soap with 65% olive oil. I had these cute little plastic food containers, sprayed them with Pam & put the soap in at probably at least a medium trace. It gelled overnight. Now 2.5 days later I completely mutilated one determined to get it out of the mould ( after an hour in freezer) and the bottom was still kind of gooey but it was formed and fairly hard for the most part. Two questions - am I unmoulding too early? And can a soap stay in the mould too long?
Maybe a better question is - how do I know when to take it out of the mould?

Thanks guys!

 

[pamielynn]

The vegetable spray probably saponified right along with your soap batter. You can only leave it too long if you want to cut it into smaller bars - it will get too hard eventually. Try putting the molds back into the freezer, but for a longer time.

Normally, you'd take it out after 24 hours or so. Make sure it's firm enough that you can't push your finger into it. I would suggest trying to line your molds with freezer paper next time - makes it way easier to get the soap out.

 

[Lotus]

I do not know if I have your answer. But I do know one thing from experience. If you put your soap in the freezer, definitely let it sit at room temperature for at least a few hours before unmolding. The freezer can really fool you into thinking your soap is set and ready to come out, when it is not.

Assuming you did this, if it's still gooey, I would guess it could still go longer before unmolding. I, pretty recently, used a plastic food container for one of my batches of soap. Just on the side. The rest was in a full sized mold. But, I found that if it's ready to come out, you should be able to hold it upside down, and just gently pull the sides of the container outward a little. If it's ready, it should slide out, sort of like orange juice concentrate. : )

Also, I'm curious why you put it in the freezer at all, if you let it gel? Do you mind telling me?

 

[houseofwool]

I would leave it in the freezer overnight. If they don't pop out themselves, then run a bit of hot water over the outside of the mold. Repeat until they come out. If you can't line with freezer paper, use mineral oil instead of pam, it doesn't saponify and things pop right out.

 

[Candybee]

If the soap is still soft and sticky it will help to wait to unmold it. With the problem you are describing I would wait a week. If its still sticky and soft wait some more. If you used a full water and high olive oil I am not surprised its still soft.

 

[Kleine Teufel]

Keep it in the freezer longer and try to remove immediately after removing it from the freezer.

Lotus, you use the freezer to help unmold the soap.

 

[Lotus]

Keep it in the freezer longer and try to remove immediately after removing it from the freezer.

Lotus, you use the freezer to help unmold the soap.

Oh! Thanks. Mine never needed help. Good to know for future reference. : )

 

[Bicycle808]

I think it's more relaxing to be Lazyman than it prolly would be trying to be Superman. I let my CP set up for at least 24hours, then I leave it in the freezer for at least 12hours. Comes right out of the mold when I go that route. Work smarter, not harder. Be more clever, not more strong.

 

[CaptKirk]

Not sure if this will help, but I have never had any luck with the freezer and unmolding my soaps. I use PVC pipe to make most of my bars and i pop them in the oven @170 deg for 10 mins and they slide right out..

 

[Bicycle808]

Not sure if this will help, but I have never had any luck with the freezer and unmolding my soaps. I use PVC pipe to make most of my bars and i pop them in the oven @170 deg for 10 mins and they slide right out..

ha. I use 2' long lengths of 3"pvc. Good to know that the heat works as well....

 

[cursivearts]

Also, if you are using a small plastic tupperware type thing and you don't want to use freezer paper because it's too bulky, try press'n'seal. I have used that several times when I first started soaping and was making small batches or when I had to rebatch and didn't want to glob it in a loaf mold and so globbed it in a lined baking dish.

 

[Mrs. Bubble]

Thanks for the ideas everyone! I am afraid it just isnt ready yet but back into the freezer it goes. I did not even think about the Pam getting eaten up too. Duh. Mineral oil it is or freezer paper. Thanks for the help! I heart soap.

 

[cursivearts]

CaptKirk how long have you let your soap set up before you try that? I have only made one round soap so far, and for me it was just a matter of waiting three or four days to be able to shove it out the other end (the freezer method didn't work for me). Now I've got another round soap in PVC I made last night. That's the only downside to PVC soap. I am impatient and they are a pain in the rear to get out....

 

[CaptKirk]

CaptKirk how long have you let your soap set up before you try that? I have only made one round soap so far, and for me it was just a matter of waiting three or four days to be able to shove it out the other end (the freezer method didn't work for me). Now I've got another round soap in PVC I made last night. That's the only downside to PVC soap. I am impatient and they are a pain in the rear to get out....

I let it set up for 24 hours then into the oven it goes. I check it every 5 mins to see but it usually takes 10 mins.

It heats the pvc and the soap is only slightly warm. It does take some pushing but it comes out. I only have one pvc pipe and am usually waiting for the soap to set so I can try another batch lol so I don't want to wait days

 

[Bicycle808]

Around here, the Home Depot sells pvc in 2foot lengths for a few bucks each. I had 4 of em, but one shattered recently... messed up some of my bars. Gotta get a new one...

If I make sure I let it freeze solid, it comes out very quickly/easily. Except for that one time that it broke. BITD, I used to try to rush it... total nightmare. Give it 24 to set up, 12 to freeze solid, and within 36hours of soaping, you'll have a perfectly cylindrical log of soap... ready for milling. (I cut when it's still frozen)