How to tell when you can unmold your soap?

[It's Kit]

I finally did it! I made my first batch of soap. It is a very small little loaf, but I totally did it! But now the question is, how do I know when I can unmold it? In one of my groups, I had a person tell me to start checking at the 18 hour mark due to the higher levels of hard oils in it. I checked at 18 hours and 22 hours. The soap is still pretty soft. Like soft enough I left an indent in the side from my finger nail while pulling the mold away from the soap. I put the recipe that I used in this post. I have seen so many different time frames online that I have no clue other than 18 hours to 2 weeks. I did not put it in my oven. My house is sitting at around 72-74 degrees. Lye water and oils were both at 93.4°. I guess I'm just not sure how soft or hard the bar should be when I take it out of the mold I guess. The mini loaf mold is a rather rigid silicone. The excess batter was put into a very flexible heart mold and I have been able to remove those although they still are on the soft side

 

[lsg]

If your soap dents when you push it with a finger, it is too soon to take it from the mold. Time in the mold varies according to the ingredients.

 

[It's Kit]

If your soap dents when you push it with a finger, it is too soon to take it from the mold. Time in the mold varies according to the ingredients.

I probably too it out a bit too soon then! Lol.. what can happen if you unmold the soap too soon?

 

[lsg]

Your soap looks good. If it was firm enough to cut, then you are good to go. The cut bars will allow air too flow around the bars, allowing it to firm up.

 

[It's Kit]

Your soap looks good. If it was firm enough to cut, then you are good to go. The cut bars will allow air too flow around the bars, allowing it to firm up.

Thank you for your help! I am super excited to try it out next month and give the extras away to my friends and family. I am making another batch tonight that doesn't have lard because some of my siblings are Muslim. I will definitely let this batch sit a bit longer before I cut it and remember to put my gloves on. I cut this one without gloves and I realized afterwards I properly should have worn them. I'm so use to working with soda ash with bare hands to I forget gloves are really important.

 

[AliOop]

Your soap turned out very pretty! I agree with @lsg that you apparently unmolded at the right time, since the cuts look clean, with no drag marks. Great work making a small tester batch to start!

 

[dibbles]

Beautiful soap! A fingernail can make a mark on any soap when it's fresh. To check for readiness to unmold, press on the top lightly with your finger. It should feel like cheddar cheese - firm enough to not leave a dent, but with a bit of 'give'. Then gently pull away the silicone - if that sticks, leave it a bit longer before unmolding. You will get a feel for it after you've unmolded a couple of batches.

 

[TheGecko]

The time that it takes before your soap is ready to unmold is dependent on a number of factors...the types of oils you used, your Lye Concentration, whether you gel or not, ambient temperature, the weather, your additives, and so on an so forth. But the general rule of thumb is that it should feel like a medium cheddar cheese. I live in the Pacific Northwest...most of the time I can unmold at around 18 hours, but during the winter when temps drop to the 40s and the rains come, it can be a goof 48 hours before I can unmold.

Don't forget to allow your soap to cure for a good six weeks before you start using it or giving it away.

 

[Zing]

Great looking soap and congratulations! Welcome to the forum. Ditto on the above. I'll add that I like to add sodium lactate which can shorten time in the mold. I also gel. I unmold at 24 hours.

 

[dmcgee5034]

Nice soap and congrats - so exciting! I usually wait 1-2 days and use the same indicators everyone else noted. Can’t wait to see what else you make.

 

[CreativeWeirdo]

Honestly, it all depends on your recipe. Harder soap recipes will be ready faster than softer recipes. I find if it's starting to pull away from the side of the mold on it's own {like a millimeter) you're good to go! I find this specially helpful with cavity molds, but also useful with loaves.