Gel problems

[penelopejane]

I have really good notes for each of my soaps for the making stage and then nothing! I've just created a new column on my soap diary excel sheet. Thank you for the reminder.

I know I have been inconsistently applying every method but now I have a list of what to do for gel and non gel. Hopefully I will do better next time. [emoji2]

 

[dixiedragon]

You asked the purpose of gelling.

I am a geller. I like it because I like to be able to un mold the next day. It also has the benefit of making colors bolder/more vivid. If you are making confetti soap - meaning you shred some older soap and mix it with fresh soap batter - gelling the batch is helpful b/c it will melt the old soap a bit so it bonds better.

To avoid the spot in the middle, you need to either a) let to gel completely or b) stop gelling from beginning at all.

To get your soap to gel completely, soap warmer - I like my oils and my lye to be about 110. This not super precise. Wrap your soap in a towel, or even place the mold in a warmed oven. (Turn the oven off after you place the soap in it.) You will see a dark spot start in the middle that will gradually spread. You want to reach the entire log of soap, edge to edge, corner to corner.

To not gel at all - soap cooler. Is your mold a multi-log mold? My mold holds 4 logs. If I don't want to gel, I do not make 2 logs of soap side by side - I will use chambers 1 and 3, and leave chambers 2 and 4 empty. If you are making something like honey soap that really wants to gel, using individual molds can help because the heat can't build, like it builds in a log of soap.

The fragrances you are using may be a factor. Some fragrances (both FOs and EOs) are well-behaved, and some of them just want to overheat your soap.

 

[dixiedragon]

EG,
So are you saying that each recipe has it's own gel point? But is it consistent for that recipe time and time again? (If I use the same mold and do the same things?)

Yes. You'll find that by trial and error. There are factors - how much water, how much stick blending. But generally, the same recipe should perform the same every time.

Barring one HUGE HUGE factor - FRAGRANCE. Some fragrances very well behaved - and some are not. Good vendors will give you good notes on this, plus they'll have customer reviews. Generally, your spicey fragrances (anything with cinnamon or clove notes) and your florals are the most notorious problem children.

But if you make a batch of soap and you use a familiar recipe and a familiar FO and you follow your same process, it should turn out pretty much the same every time. Or even a familiar recipe, same process and a new FO that has a good reputation as being well-behaved.

 

[penelopejane]

I am really looking forward to the day that I can produce two similar looking soaps using the exact same ingredients and the exact same method! A pipe dream at the moment.