Gelling?

[Ganiggle]

Okay so I made my first batch of soap today (FUN!) and it's in the molds and everything. I didn't insulate it because I didn't want to make a mess of my towels... the molds I used are all for individual bars.

So my question is: What is gelling, and what exactly does it do to the soap? Why do some people try to promote it in their soaps by insulating it, and others try to prevent it? Will the soap not turn out right if it doesn't gel?

I poured my soap into the molds a few hours ago and checked on them a little while ago and they don't seem to have heated up at all. Is that bad?

 

[Dixie]

Your soap is fine. To gel or not to gel is simply a preference in how the soap looks and some say 'feel'.

If it gels you will notice a darkening in the center that works it's way to the edges and corners.

No big dieal if it gels or not except in the curing time.

 

[Ganiggle]

Oooh can I pick your brain some more?

How does it look different when you gel or not gel?

Does it cure faster if you gel? Or faster if you don't?

Thanks! Know what I love most about this forum? I always get an answer to my questions super fast!!!

 

[ChrissyB]

Some people choose to gel their soap, some choose not to. It all comes down to personal preference.
Once your soap is properly mixed and poured into it's moulds, it begins an exothermic reaction, meaning that it creates and gives off it's own heat.
Depending on the room temperature, what kind of moulds you are using, what temps you soaped at, your soap may gel all by itself, or it may not.
A lot of soapers that use milk in their soaps choose not to gel, the soap gets very very hot during gel stage and can burn the milk. Also, some fragrance oils tend to stay "truer" if they aren't gelled, they may have low flashpoints.
There definitely is a difference in soaps that have gelled and those that haven't, soap that gels will saponify faster, soap that doesn't gel will take an extra day or two for the full chemical reaction to take place. I have found that when using individual moulds I am more likely to not gel because of the large surface area of the soap as opposed to the volume of soap in the mould. Does that make sense?
Soap that gels also differs in colour, non gelled seems to maintain a creamy opaque colour, which some prefer.
Looking back on some soaps that I have made, I was always taught to gel, because that's what all the books said, it was only when I joined this forum that I learned that some soapers don't gel on purpose. I made a rose soap and kept my mould in the fridge, soaped cool, then put it back in the fridge to deliberately prevent gel, it's a lovely creamy pink soap with lovely bubbles, and it's really opaque and a lovely solid colour. I think in some ways I prefer non gelled, but I like the security of knowing that my soap has gelled (does that make sense?).
Do a search on "gel" and see what you get, lots of information, but the best bet is to do a couple of batches of both and see what you like better.

 

[Ganiggle]

Some people choose to gel their soap, some choose not to. It all comes down to personal preference.
Once your soap is properly mixed and poured into it's moulds, it begins an exothermic reaction, meaning that it creates and gives off it's own heat.
Depending on the room temperature, what kind of moulds you are using, what temps you soaped at, your soap may gel all by itself, or it may not.
A lot of soapers that use milk in their soaps choose not to gel, the soap gets very very hot during gel stage and can burn the milk. Also, some fragrance oils tend to stay "truer" if they aren't gelled, they may have low flashpoints.
There definitely is a difference in soaps that have gelled and those that haven't, soap that gels will saponify faster, soap that doesn't gel will take an extra day or two for the full chemical reaction to take place. I have found that when using individual moulds I am more likely to not gel because of the large surface area of the soap as opposed to the volume of soap in the mould. Does that make sense?
Soap that gels also differs in colour, non gelled seems to maintain a creamy opaque colour, which some prefer.
Looking back on some soaps that I have made, I was always taught to gel, because that's what all the books said, it was only when I joined this forum that I learned that some soapers don't gel on purpose. I made a rose soap and kept my mould in the fridge, soaped cool, then put it back in the fridge to deliberately prevent gel, it's a lovely creamy pink soap with lovely bubbles, and it's really opaque and a lovely solid colour. I think in some ways I prefer non gelled, but I like the security of knowing that my soap has gelled (does that make sense?).
Do a search on "gel" and see what you get, lots of information, but the best bet is to do a couple of batches of both and see what you like better.

Thanks for the information! Good idea! I think I may try some batches gelled and some ungelled to see which I prefer. I think I do prefer a more opaque soap but it sounds like gelling has its benefits too. When my wooden mold with lid gets here, it'll probably be easier for it to gel don't you think?

 

[Milla]

I did my first non-gel soap a few weeks ago. It was a buttermilk and honey soap and I didn't want it to burn. I ended up sticking it in the fridge to prevent gel. I would say that soap feels more sticky than my other soaps, but the color is like honey and I love that. When I gel my other milk soaps they seem harsher looking to me/less opaque.

 

[gekko62]

I did an experiment,put one little soap in the fridge,but gelled the rest,the cold one is more a solid colour,& has a smooth feeling like palm oil sorta. Feels the same as the rest now (almost 3wks) but havnt used it so cant tell if its different.
I posted somewhere else on here about something I read in another forum.Heat makes the soap molecules move faster,they're like,hurryhurry hurry,so they form non perfect chains whereas the colder soap is more orderly,gets the job done but in more time,so it's chains are better organised ie: smoother textured soap (Dont quote me on ANY of this!!! LOL) Just thought it interesting anyways. (OK I'll admit it,I'm a bit of a 'soap-science nut..lol)

 

[Jamn!]

How do you know when to put the soap into the fridge to stop the gelling? Do you do it right after it starts to trace or do you wait a while?

 

[gekko62]

Just pour into your mould when you normally would,then put it straight into the fridge. I left mine overnight,but I'm not sure how long it should be.
Im wondering if just cooling initially would do the trick,or whether the saponification would reheat it-dunno,so I'd err on the side of caution

 

[honor435]

there is a lot of past topics on this, if you do a search.
I personally like the look of gelled, dont do many non gelled.

 

[reallyrita]

I make some soaps gelled, and some I do not gel. I don't gel my milk based soaps as I prefer the lighter color I get when I slow down the saponification process. I don't gel the soaps that have a fragrance oil in them with a low flash point. You are right about the wooden molds. They will almost always gel, especially if they have a lid on. I have not been able to stop gel with my wooden molds even when I put them in the fridge and I don't like that look of partial gel. When I want the non-gelled soaps, I use silicone molds, milk cartons or my kelsie mold. The little MW molds go in the fridge too as I have a real hard time getting gel in those. I can't tell the difference in the feel of the soaps after the cure is up, but I leave my non-gelled soaps on the cure rack for about 2 weeks longer than the gelled ones. Also, the soaps that have been in the fridge are softer at first and may need to stay in the mold for 2 or 3 days at room temperature before unmolding. They are a little sticky sometimes as well. This goes away with exposure to air on the cure rack so I usually have a log or two sitting on the rack waiting to harden up before I slice it up. The gelled soaps I can unmold and cut as soon as they are completely cooled down...usually anywhere from 12 hours to 24 hours. I know that alot of soapers unmold and cut sooner than that....especially if they have taken a big water discount. I am a chicken about the water discount thing so I usually don't discount unless I have used the FO before and know that it behaves. A lot do, a lot don't.