Lots of air bubbles in cp soap

[Bubli]

Something new happened to me today with a soap batch that has me stumped and flustered. Did everything right. I can not think of anything that may have caused this excessive (and man, do I ever mean excessive? YES, M'AM I DO!) amount of air bubbles. I do not use a blender I always whisk and stir. I am thinking it may be the blue , 12 shampoo bar bramble berry silicone mold. Second time using anything but wood mold and freezer paper, the last time I used this mold with same recipe this didn't happen. K, here's how it went down....I used beeswax 2%, babassu, coconut (babassu and coconut together totals no more than 18%), caster, olive, palm, pinch of silk fiber dissolved in lye water, 1Tbsp sugar and 1.5 tsp. salt. Super fat at 5% and my water is 30% of oil weight. Everything was perfect on soap calc. No fragrance or color....totally naked soap! I combined the oils at 120*F and the lye at 118*F because of the beeswax, which I have done many times with no issue (in wood mold). Traced fast, thick and heated up pretty good. When I pored in moulds the batter was like pancake batter and NO air bubbles what so ever. So I pop the mold in the preheated over of 170(just to assure a gel because of the individual molds), turn it off and leave it. Maybe 20 minutes later its fully gelled like I want but loaded with bubbles all over top and sides and bottom! What is the deal? I read that silicone doesn't allow for breathing, and could cause this. That seems plausible. But why sometimes and not others? And now that I think about it, the only difference in the last time I used this mold was the weather. Today was kind of cool and storming, last time it was very hot and humid. But that can't affect your soap can it? Heck people..... I don't know I'm grasping at straws here! HELP! Look at my soap, it looks like its got chicken pocks! Has this happened to anyone? I know the soap is fine to use,in less than 24 hrs it passes zap test and the strip test is between 9-10 ( I can't ever read those things right, I always get that non-existent shade). It is hard as I wanted and I cut into one, the inside is fine, hardly even the tiniest bubble. The soap feels awesome and silky, so good....but those darn bubbles! eeeek! I just don't get it

 

[Obsidian]

Its from the mold, it happens frequently when you CPOP with silicone molds. If you prevent gel, you will get nice smooth bars.

 

[Bubli]

Phew, thanks. I have been beating myself up trying to figure out if I screwed up. Every time I go over it all it comes up right. Thanks.

 

[shunt2011]

I agree, its caused by CPOP. I gel my soaps without CPOP and never get bubbles like that. The couple times I tried CPOP I got those same kind of bubbles or total separation. Never tried it again. Your soap should be just fine otherwise.

 

[Bubli]

Thanks. It helps knowing it's not just me. I don't sell my soap so I'm not worried about losing anything on funky looking bars....cuz shoot, if it isn't going to eat me alive, I'll use it one way or another. Just depressing,but now I know. Thanks guys.

 

[Roselyne]

Hi, I know it's an old thread, but I wish is seen it earlier.
I was trying to do a thin slab, worth a wooden grain design to use as a rim foe a round soap, but after being in the turned off oven for 2 hours, the surface which was beautifully smooth is now riddled with bubble and looked very oily and lumpy. Will try it anyway and see..

 

[penelopejane]

Your oven should be no more than 100-110*F for CPOP. If your oven doesn’t go that low turn it off and test the temp with a laser thermometer. Wrap your soap and put it in the turned off oven. You are not cooking the soap. You are gently providing a warm emvironment for the soap to do it’s thing.

Some silicone molds continue to produce silicone rash every time after they’ve been overheated once.

 

[Roselyne]

That's is so, my oven was on 75* celcius, about 158*F!!
It was way too thick, couldn't cut it in slices, had to bin it, I'm so disheartened.. ah well at least my recipe seemed to be slow moving enough for swirls, so yey.
Thanks for the tips Penelopejane, I'll do a very thin slab on freezer paper or the like..

 

[penelopejane]

That's is so, my oven was on 75* celcius, about 158*F!!
It was way too thick, couldn't cut it in slices, had to bin it, I'm so disheartened.. ah well at least my recipe seemed to be slow moving enough for swirls, so yey��.
Thanks for the tips Penelopejane, I'll do a very thin slab on freezer paper or the like..

No need to do a very thin slab. That might defeat the purpose of keeping it in a nice cozy environment.

Use your individual molds, put then in a cardboard box that’s just about the size of the mold, wrap it in a towel or blanket. Or just cover it with plastic wrap and then wrap it in a towel. Put it in the oven preheated to 100-110*C, turn it off and leave it overnight or for 12 hours untouched, no peaking.

 

[Roselyne]

Hard to resist peaking , just wondering, soap that would have been cooked in the oven as high as I did, is it still ok to use, it feels very oily..

 

[Kittish]

Hard to resist peaking ��, just wondering, soap that would have been cooked in the oven as high as I did, is it still ok to use, it feels very oily..

As long as it's not zappy, should be okay to use. My first batch I did something similar with, had it in a too warm oven for hours. It went a bit rubbery and looked kind of weird, but it's great soap now.

 

[penelopejane]

Hard to resist peaking ��, just wondering, soap that would have been cooked in the oven as high as I did, is it still ok to use, it feels very oily..

The reason I stick religiously to really low temps is because I cooked a batch once and it smelt awful -like play dough gone moody - forever and I had to ditch it.
Overheating can cause soap to be brittle or oily. If that happens leave it for a few weeks and see how it turns out. It won’t hurt you it just might not be a great bar. Wait and see.

 

[Roselyne]

That's great news, I also made another soap with Guiness and activated charcoal, didn't get the bubble but had them in plastic cups for molds and soap is still very oily after 3 days! Overcooked that one for sure, in the oven overnight at 150*F and never thought of the sugar in the beer :???:

 

[earlene]

Hi, I know it's an old thread, but I wish is seen it earlier.
I was trying to do a thin slab, worth a wooden grain design to use as a rim foe a round soap, but after being in the turned off oven for 2 hours, the surface which was beautifully smooth is now riddled with bubble and looked very oily and lumpy. Will try it anyway and see..

No need to do a very thin slab. That might defeat the purpose of keeping it in a nice cozy environment.

Use your individual molds, put then in a cardboard box that’s just about the size of the mold, wrap it in a towel or blanket. Or just cover it with plastic wrap and then wrap it in a towel. Put it in the oven preheated to 100-110*C, turn it off and leave it overnight or for 12 hours untouched, no peaking.

Roselyne is doing a thin slab because this is for a rimmed round soap. I have never tried one myself, but this video shows and explains how to do the thin layer for the rim, including the importance of working with the thin slab while it is still warm so it won't break.

[ame]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqiBO9dDaDM[/ame]

 

[penelopejane]

Oops I didn’t read the post property!

 

[Roselyne]

No worries, I'll do a thin slab for rim for rimmed round soap on a piece of freezer paper, might keep it thin enough, won't cook it (this time)and try again..
Thank you all for your tips and advice.