CP soap came out gel like

[Raha]

Dear Soap Makers
I hope you are all well!

I have been making soap using OO, CO and PO. Don't have problems with my recipe but the soaps are coming out like jelly! There are also some of them coming out with streaks or white spots. So I believe there is something wrong with my soap making.

Am I insulating is too much? Not enough?

Did I not trace long enough?

Is there something wrong with the quality of my oils? The PO is from a new company and at room temp. it's viscose--which is atypical of the POs I use.

Please help as I have already lost almost 100 bars of soap
Raha

 

[Bubbles Galore]

My palm oil is always solid at room temperature. Is it possible that it's not pure palm oil? What about the olive oil? Could it be tainted with Canola? Has this only started happening since you purchased the palm oil from the new company?

 

[carebear]

How do you know that you aren't having trouble with the recipe? Please post it with the exact amounts of EVERYTHING. How are you soaping - CP or HP? If CP, does your soap gel in the mold?

What do you mean your Palm Oil is viscous? It will get soft in warmer temps, and melt if it gets warm enough. Is it No Stir palm? Or regular palm oil?

 

[Raha]

Dear Carebear,
Thanks for your response!
I know the recipe is good because I have been using it for months and the soaps come out great. The thing that has changed is location and where I bought my oils.
I noticed when I got my palm oil--in room temperature it's liquid--the melting point is a lot lower than the palm oil I usually use--which stayed solid even during the summer in Jordan!
Yes, the soap is like jelly when I take it out of the mold.
Thanks again,
Raha

 

[Raha]

Dear Bubbles Galore,
This has only happened since I started making soap with the supplies from this company. And yes, the PO does not stay solid at room temp. (abnormal from my experience with PO). Having said this--the first two batches I made with this PO came out fine. It's only been the last two--that's why I believe it has more to do with environmental things?
What happens if you keep the soap insulated for over 24 hours?
Is it possible to over heat your insulation by putting too many blankets?
or perhaps the problem is because my mold goes in a box--b/c it leaks oils--and then I insulate it--so, there is a gap of a couple of inches--between the mold and the blankets.
Thank you for your thoughts,
Raha

 

[Raha]

P.S. This is CP soap.

 

[carebear]

Please post it with the exact amounts of EVERYTHING. How are you soaping

If CP, does your soap gel in the mold?

also,

are you, perhaps, confusing palm oil and palm KERNEL oil? palm oil has a melt point of about 35 C, and palm kernel oil has a melt point of 24 C

 

[Raha]

Dear Carebear,
http://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/Pr ... uctID=3988
is the PO i currently got and use. the PO i use in Jordan is--i'm pretty sure PO and not PKO.

 

[Raha]

It seems like the PO I got has a melthing point of 24C...that's odd, right?

 

[carebear]

hmmm. odd, indeed. since that's the MP for palm KERNEL oil, I'd be contacting the supplier.

there is a world of difference between palm oil and palm kernel oil.

 

[AZ Soaper]

If it is jelly like it sounds like it is still in the gel stage. I usually insulate for 12 hours and then unwrap. I live in Arizona but I do soap indoors in the AC.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

Dear Bubbles Galore,
This has only happened since I started making soap with the supplies from this company. And yes, the PO does not stay solid at room temp. (abnormal from my experience with PO). Having said this--the first two batches I made with this PO came out fine. It's only been the last two--that's why I believe it has more to do with environmental things?
What happens if you keep the soap insulated for over 24 hours?
Is it possible to over heat your insulation by putting too many blankets?
or perhaps the problem is because my mold goes in a box--b/c it leaks oils--and then I insulate it--so, there is a gap of a couple of inches--between the mold and the blankets.
Thank you for your thoughts,
Raha

If the soap overheated, then it might crack, ooze and do all sorts of strange things but not remain as a gel. I dunno Raha. It's a strange problem. What about your scales? Do you think they might need the batteries replacing? Maybe test the scales.

 

[TomS]

I live in Texas and my palm oil stays in a viscous state throughout the (long) summer months. We have multiple climate zones in our house and my oils are in a room that we keep at about 78-80F. What could be happening is that the stearic acid in the palm oil is settling to the bottom. You really need to give it a good stir every time you use it. You may find that subsequent bars come out much harder when you get to the bottom of the palm oil bucket. My guess is that you did get palm oil from WSP (a very good and reputable supplier) and perhaps you were previously using palm kernel oil. This makes sense since the melting point of palm is 76F compared to 102F for palm kernel.

 

[SmellyKat]

If it is jelly like it sounds like it is still in the gel stage. I usually insulate for 12 hours and then unwrap. I live in Arizona but I do soap indoors in the AC.

Lisa, I am from AZ also. SE corner of AZ. Whereabouts are you located?

Kathie

 

[Raha]

Dear AZ soaper,
Do you think I am insulating my soaps for too long. Usually they stay in for 24 hours (sometimes more).
Today, out of my 4 soap logs--one came out jelly, they all had lye spots on the ends and tops of the logs and to me, it's more a problem with 'how' i'm insulating the mold!
Pehaps I'm not doing a great job of insulating on top? i put wax paper and cardboard and at least 3-4 fleece blankets.
Just when I thought I was getting things down pat. *sigh*
Thanks for your advice,
Raha

 

[Raha]

Dear TomS,
I'm pretty sure that my PO from Jordan is PO and not PKO. But you 'do' have a point so I'll check what I'm using in Jordan--which works great! btw.
I'll also try stirring my PO and I hope that'll help. On the aforementioned link I sent it did say that the PO oil had a melting point of 24 C which doesn't seem right. Also, I'm sure they're a good company but their OO was not so great either. I know what good OO is--I use OO from Jordan--the land of olive trees.
Thank you for your input!
Grateful,
Raha

 

[Raha]

P.S. to AZ Soaper,
Can you describe this "gel stage" in more detail?
Grateful,
Raha

 

[Chris-2010]

The 'gel' state doesn't really exist once the soap temperature cools.

Could be soft soap from unsaturated oils, or from too much residual oil in the soap.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

Here are some photos of soap in various stages of gel.

Soap starting to gel.

Soap gel in a more advanced state.

Then it gradually goes back to opaque as it cools.

This is in full gel. Silly me moved it and it crinkled up. :wink: