How long to insulate soap slabs

[dkleinert1]

I made four batches of soap yesterday for the first time in 7 years. Each batch is poured into a wooden soap mold with a plastic liner. Each batch is 12 lbs. Each batch makes 44 bars.

I stack the molds one on top of each other with a plexiglass sheet between them and a blanket.

Now it has been 19 hours. Is that long enough? I made a cold process (80 degrees) superfatted soap for each of the batches. I feel insecure because it has been too long since I made soap.....I used to leave them covered for 24 hours. Is that still the way to go?

I remember that the lower in the stack, as I removed the blanket and plexiglass from each layer, the hotter they were and so I used to remove the blankets at 24 hours and stack them like an "X" without the blankets and plexiglass sheet so they could cool down for another 24 hours before I removed the slab from the mold and cut them into bars.
Any suggestions would be so helpful.
Thanks everyone!!

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I have 3 wooden molds and I've never stacked them. They have wooden tops, so I put 4-ply Mylar on top of the soap after pouring, then the lid. I don't always insulate. Once that's done, I leave them overnight. The soap is almost always cool the next day. I unmold on drying racks for a day then cut into bars the following day.

I'm a little concerned to read that you soaped at 80°F. That seems a little too cool to me. I can't help but wonder if you are making goat milk soap? or some other soap known to be a "heater". ??? Since I don't know where you are or your level of soaping experience or your recipe/formula, I feel like I'm flying blind (sigh). I do that a lot! XD

HTH (Hope That Helps)

 

[Susie]

Just go ahead and uncover them and cut at 24 hours. If you have partial gel, you can always CPOP after the fact.

 

[shunt2011]

I would just uncover them and check them. I make 6-8 loafs at a time and frequently stack them 3-4 high (they all have wooden lids) and then lay a towel or two over the top. I've not had any problems with it. I soap pretty cool. Oils just warm and RT lye. I do check them a time or two just to make sure everything is good. No cracking or other things have ever gone wrong. Been doing it for years now.

 

[navigator9]

If you're concerned about complete gel, it's hard to say, because so many things affect gel, like your recipe, the temp you soap at, and the volume of your mold. In a slab mold, if the layer is thin, it can be difficult to get it to gel, but if it's deep, the mass is greater, and it should gel more easily. As suggested above, I would peek, and see if it looks like it has gelled all the way into the corners.

But more important...how did it feel to soap after seven years!!!??? Woo hoo!

 

[toxikon]

Welcome back to the hobby! As navigator said, there are many factors at play when it comes to gelling. I personally never cover/insulate my freshly poured soaps and they never have trouble gelling - that's due to my recipe, added sugar, house temperature and wooden mold.