Partial gel

[mjt123]

I made 100% 76 deg coconut oil soap and mixed the oil and lye at 125 deg.
As it started to gel the top of the soap started to crack, although it didn't really look like a crack it was more like a sink. The problem is the soap didnt fully gel so the finished soap had that tell tale circle in the middle.

To avoid this do you think I should insulate the soap to try and force a full gel or should I put it in the freezer to avoid gel. I'm wondering if I insulate it may overheat to much.

I understand coconut oil needs to mixed at higher temperatures but do you think I could go a bit lower than 125?

 

[cmzaha]

Not sure where you read you had to soap coconut oil soap warmer. I soap 90% of mine at room temp or cooler depending on my fo. Coconut oil soap tends to heat up more than some oils so I would definately soap it cooler. Most coconut oil is 72 degree oil which means it melts at 72 degrees fahreinheit and 92 degree will melt at 92 degrees, so there is absolutely no need to have it so hot. If it starts to crack on top you really do need to stop the gelling since it is overheating in the center and can volcano or start an internal volcano, which will leave an ugly seperated cavern in the center, if left insulated. If yours was not cracking you should have been able to leave it insulated until it fully gelled. Since it actually liquifies it can look like it is sinking a bit. Not all fo's or recipes work the same so it just takes time to learn how your recipe will react. Sugars, liquid amounts, oils, fo's, eo's additives all come into play how a batch of soap will act.
Since you know how this one acted you could try another at the same temp and insulate, you did not mention insulating this batch, to see how it acts. Setting your mold on a heating pad on low will also help along a gel. I personally prefer not to gel so mine go in the freezer