Gelled, Ungelled, Crumbles, partial gel.

[OnePlus]

Like most people I despise partially gelled soap. I have done CPOP and made ungelled soap.

Everything recipe I use with ungelled soap is crumbly around the corners when cutting.

Example

30%coconut
35%lard
35%olive
8%superfatting
35%water (percentage of total oils)

unmold after 12 hours and cut after 24.

Any reason this would still be crumbly? I may have to go back to CPOP.

 

[agriffin]

That is exactly whey I try to gel all of my soaps. Tired of the crumbly.

If I do one that is ungelled I let sit in the mold for about 48 hours and then cut.

 

[OnePlus]

do you find some recipies or soap blends lend themselves to being ungelled? Any advice for ensuring full gel and avoiding overheating or all the little defects that go along with it?

How long do you wait to unmold and cut gelled soaps?

 

[agriffin]

I usually stick all of my soap in the oven on 170 for about 10 minutes and keep an eye on it until gelled. Sometimes I have to turn the oven back on if it doesn't seem to be gelling.

I unmold all of my soap the next day. So 20-24 hours and cut right when I unmold.

 

[OnePlus]

This morning I made a batch and mixed it pretty hot. Put it in the oven at 160 for 15 mins and turned it off. I will check on it tomorrow morning. Do you notice full gel after only 10 minutes? How long does it take. I use the green WSP molds.

 

[OnePlus]

BUMP! Never got a good answer to my last question.

 

[agriffin]

My soap gels at different rates depending on the recipe and how hot I soap. Even fragrance oils can make it gel quickly (like florals).

So anywhere from 10 minutes to a couple of hours. I usually cut after it's cooled from gelling. 10-12 hours later.

 

[heartandsoap]

I gel all of my soaps, but I'm wondering, why are partial gels unacceptable. If neither way is wrong, shouldn't they be embraced...much like abstract art.

 

[soapbuddy]

I prefer not to gel and my soaps aren't crumbly. Maybe it's the recipe.

 

[c.a.p.]

I prefer not to gel and my soaps aren't crumbly. Maybe it's the recipe.

Ditto.

And one of my recipes is similar to OnePlus' receipt. And I don't gel.

Question: I always get confused with CPOP. Does it mean Cold Process/Oven Process or Crock Pot/Oven Process?

I only do CP (cold process).

 

[carebear]

CPOP - cold pour oven process
CPHP - crock pot hot process

(you wouldn't mix crock pot with oven as both are heat sources)

As for the OP, maybe give your soap an extra day or two before cutting. Ungelled takes longer to complete the saponification.

 

[OnePlus]

High water content in ungelled soap is easy to cut without crumbling and i find it acceptable.

I just wish that bubbles didn't ruin the texture of the surface in my gelled soap. I really do not heat it up that high. Just put it in a 140 degree oven with it off. That shouldn't over do it.

 

[carebear]

Just put it in a 140 degree oven with it off. That shouldn't over do it.

well, apparently it does

what kind of mold do you have?
and are you sure the temp is really 140F? do you have a thermometer in there?

High water content in ungelled soap is easy to cut without crumbling and i find it acceptable.

Then color me confused. Based on this:

Everything recipe I use with ungelled soap is crumbly around the corners when cutting.

I thought you were having trouble with ungelled soap being crumbly.

 

[OnePlus]

Ah, the one high water recipe of ungelled soap was easy to cut. So I take that back. High water soap is harder to keep from gelling tho.