Room Temperature Soaping

[aprilhwth]

A seasoned soaper told me she combines her lye solution and oils once they are at room temperature and her soaps do not gel. She leaves them out, uncovered, not in the freezer. I made a soap with Olive oil, coconut oil, palm oil and cherry kernel oil at an 8% superfat (for a shampoo bar). The first time I put it in the fridge for a short time. Then left it out overnight. The next day there was some oil on top... not too much. Then, about an hour later it started gelling.

The next time I just left it out, it didnt' not have oil on top. I thought it wasn't going to gel, but then all of a sudden it started gelling.

Both times, I soaped at room temperature.

Any clues as to what is happening. She (the seasoned soaper) doesn't know what is going on. Perhaps my "room temperature" is too warm??? We keep our house around 72 degrees.

 

[melstan775]

I get gel at room temperature. Heat is an automatic reaction of lye and oil. I think season soaped is yanking your chain or does gel and doesn't say so. If you don't want gel freeze your soaps for a few hours then move them to the fridge over night.

 

[soapguy]

I'm just curious, why don't you gel? I know I get disappointed when my soaps don't gel.

 

[Relle]

It's just personal preference, it changes the appearance of the soap - gelling gives a translucent look and non gelling gives a creamier look. Some say the colours are brighter with gelling, but mine are just as bright without.

 

[three_little_fishes]

So, how long could you leave a soap in the freezer? I'd love to try not gelling, but I can only make at night right before bed (when I don't have kids all over the place). Staying up a few more hours isn't really an option since our day begins at 5am.

 

[soapguy]

It's just personal preference, it changes the appearance of the soap - gelling gives a translucent look and non gelling gives a creamier look. Some say the colours are brighter with gelling, but mine are just as bright without.

I prefer gel, but I don't want to see a partial gel. The other benefit I feel there is to gel formation is a quicker saponification process. Today was one of those days when my soap refused to gel. It started to overheat and I wanted to prevent cracks due to heat venting. In the process of keeping it cool I had to give up trying to get it to gel. I just left it uncovered and hoped for the best. It did turn into a nice soap.

 

[Relle]

You don't need to put it in the freezer. Just put it in the frig overnight and when you get up, take it out and let it sit all day. Depending on your recipe you might be able to unmould that night or leave it until the following morning and see if its firmed up enough to unmould then. Non gelling soaps are softer and take a while to harden.

 

[Mommysoaper]

I put mine in the fridge as well if I don't want gel. maybe the seasoned soaper has a different mold than you? I have wooden and silicone molds and my wooden molds definitely insulate better and I have a bit tougher time preventing gel in the wooden mold than the silicone. Not sure though, just throwing it out there as a possibility.

 

[kazmi]

I'm not a seasoned soaper so take my experience for what it's worth. My first attempt to avoid gell I kept my mold in the freezer until I was ready to fill it. Then I put it back in the freezer once filled for about an hour. Then I moved the soap to the fridge over nite. Next day no gell but it did take a couple of hours for the soap to feel firm enough to unmold. The next time I went straight to the fridge - no freezer. Same mold, same recipe (except for different FO), same amount of soap. Fridge-only method I got a very slight partial gel. BUT I only left it in the fridge for about 8 hrs. Results may have been different if I had left it over night. Fridge-only soap took about 2 days to be able to unmold. BTW I soap at room temp and my mold is silicone.

 

[melstan775]

I usually perfer the freezer because hot stuff cools quickly and helps prevent gel. Like kazmi I got partial gel when I put soap in the fridge. I like the freezer, but of course it's a matter of preference.

 

[bodhi]

I prefer gel, but I don't want to see a partial gel. The other benefit I feel there is to gel formation is a quicker saponification process. Today was one of those days when my soap refused to gel. It started to overheat and I wanted to prevent cracks due to heat venting. In the process of keeping it cool I had to give up trying to get it to gel. I just left it uncovered and hoped for the best. It did turn into a nice soap.

sorry your soap didnt turn out as hoped. how does a soap overheat without gelling?

 

[squeakycleanuk]

Maybe she does use different moulds to yours. I have only made 3 batches so far but I'm pretty sure none of them have gelled or even partially gelled, they are even coloured and creamy looking. I didn't put them in the fridge or freezer, just poured and left uncovered on the worktop with no insulation just at room temp. I think its because I am using single celled silicone moulds, so the heat escapes quickly.

 

[dagmar88]

I usually perfer the freezer because hot stuff cools quickly and helps prevent gel. Like kazmi I got partial gel when I put soap in the fridge. I like the freezer, but of course it's a matter of preference.

Same here.

 

[dagmar88]

Maybe she does use different moulds to yours. I have only made 3 batches so far but I'm pretty sure none of them have gelled or even partially gelled, they are even coloured and creamy looking. I didn't put them in the fridge or freezer, just poured and left uncovered on the worktop with no insulation just at room temp. I think its because I am using single celled silicone moulds, so the heat escapes quickly.

I started with milk cartons as molds and they gelled without any help with rtcp.

 

[makemineirish]

I'm just curious, why don't you gel? I know I get disappointed when my soaps don't gel.

A pro/con comparison:
[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHD7aC4t75w&sns=em[/ame]