My first soap pics!

[gigisiguenza]

I decided to check on the soap since I was awake anyway, and it was completely cool, very solid, and popped right out of the plastic container. So I figured it might be okay to cut it. I will say that my choice of mold made for some interesting looking little bars LOL. I figured the first batch doesn't need to be pretty as the bars are unlikely to be used by anyone but me, so they can be all weird shaped n small. The next batch will be prettier and more normal sized for sure! Anyway, here's the pictures

1- Here it is when I checked on it-

2- Cut easily, like cold butter, with no squishiness at all

3- It looks solid all the way thru, though the container I chose created very odd sized bars LOL

4- Some bars have obvious gelling in the middle, but it doesn't appear to have made it all the way to the edges... is that normal? How would I improve on that? Could the plastic mold have been too thin, not providing enough insulation to keep it hot enough for gel to make it all the way through the loaf?

5- The bottom of the container and the loaf had a thin oily residue on them. You can see in the picture the sheen on the mold. Not sure what it is. I blotted it off the loaf before cutting. Any ideas?


I can't wait til I'm off Sunday to try again LOL.

 

[Susie]

With that thin of a mold, you really need to use heavy insulation to get full gel. But who cares if you are the only one using them?! My molds/soaps sometimes have moist residue, I don't sweat it, and just let it absorb or dry out-whatever it does, it goes away.

Congratulations!

If I were you, I would tweak EITHER your ingredient amounts(more lard, less CO or some such), OR the amount of superfat(8% vs 5% of this one) so that you can start having actual soaps for comparisons to figure out what you like best. Keep good notes so that you know what you did and what you think about it.

 

[navigator9]

Congratulations on your wonderful soap! Did you zap test it? It looks like it was hard enough to cut nice and cleanly, so I'm guessing there would be no zap, but it's good to experience the effect just to know what it feels like. Partial gel occurs when soap starts to gel, (it always starts from the center, and works outward), but didn't get hot enough to gel all the way to the edges. This is strictly an esthetic issue, it does not affect the quality of the soap. The smaller the mass, the less heat generated. Slab mold, because of the shallow depth of the soap, are difficult to get to gel. Small, individual molds are tough, too. Even silicone loaf molds can be difficult. When I bought my first silicone loaf, I thought that because silicone is "plastic", that it would hold in the heat and gel easily. That's not the case. Silicone loaf molds often need a nudge to gel all the way. This is why some people, including me, like to CPOP. But you can also put a cover on your mold and wrap it in a towel, to prevent heat from dissipating, and hopefully gel all the way. Some people put their molds on a radiator in winter, or on a heating pad. Or, you can go the other way and stick your mold in the fridge or freezer to prevent gel altogether. Or ignore the partial gel, and just enjoy your wonderful soap.....woo hoo!!!

 

[Seawolfe]

Nicely done! Those look lovely and creamy.

I personally kind of like the look of partial gel - especially on round soaps made in a cylinder. Its like you get a pattern for free! Plus, like ash, its a visual cue that your soaps are handmade with love

But if you dont like it just insulate a bit more, maybe put it a little warmer location. This is part of the learning curve - finding out what THAT recipe wants, and of course it might be different for a different recipe.

 

[not_ally]

finding out what THAT recipe wants, and of course it might be different for a different recipe.

That rung some bells, Sea. The darn soap often wants something other than what the maker wants

 

[Obsidian]

Congrats, it looks really nice You don't have to gel your soaps, if its difficult for you to get a full gel, try preventing it.

 

[Jstar]

They look great! Congrats!

Now you will begin the wait of 'wonder if I can try lathering a piece up?'

I do a quicki lather test at 2 days just cuz I can't stand it..I wanna see bubbles made by my own hands even if they aren't very big hahahaha

 

[Dana89]

Congrats and welcome to the addiction! Sounds like you did your homework before diving in. You will be surprised how much you will learn with each batch. Making soap can be like taming a wild animal, sometimes even if you do everything right it will go in a different direction than you want it to. Have fun and enjoy the process.

 

[FlybyStardancer]

Congrats! That looks awesome for a first batch!

 

[gigisiguenza]

Ty all I didn't zap test, way too nervous about touching my tongue to the soap lol. I'm gonna do another batch tomorrow - larger batch in a different mold, and see how that works before tweaking any aspects of the recipe itself