Soap covering

[padubaloof]

Hello all,

I'm new to the forum and soap making alike. So far I have 4 batches under my belt and things have been going...okay I think. One thing I have noticed is that my larger primary molds, when cut, do not slice nice and evenly down the bar; instead the blade may meander slightly as the soap fractures. After the initial cuts, some slivers may break off. My thought is the soap has cooled too rapidly. It may be too that I have not been insulating the soap after pouring, instead just leaving them to air dry.

My question is this: How important is covering your primary mold to the final product? How much will the humidity (or lack of) affect the finished product? And lastly, if I am milling the soap afterwards, is the brittleness of any concern at all?

I'm looking forward to engaging soap conversation! I will be able to post pics/recipes soon, and thanks in advance for the help!

 

[green soap]

You might be waiting a little too long to cut your soap?

 

[Cherry Bomb]

It is not necessary to cover your soap. I prefer to cover my soap because I like my soap to go through gel phase. IMO, sometimes the issue you may be having is common in soap that has partially gelled. The center is solid and hard but the edges are crumbly. This does not mean that the soap is bad. If you want to avoid this issue then make sure that your soap completely goes through gel phase.

The other reason for crumbly soap is that it could be lye heavy. Wait a couple of days and do a zap test.

I am new at this myself so good luck to you!

 

[melstan775]

When I was hand cutting, I would get crooked bars. I think it's just the density of the soap and your leverage. The further down the soap, the less leverage you have as your arms become straighter. I still get crookedish cuts but better then they were, using a soap cutter with a guide.

 

[padubaloof]

Thanks for the insight! @cherry bomb: I do not believe the soap is NaOH heavy, but I am not sure about the gelling...I will cover my next batch so I can see a little bit better what you are talking about.

@green soap: I've been waiting about two weeks before cutting, is this too long?

 

[Cherry Bomb]

That may possibly be the culprit if you are waiting two weeks to cut. Again, I am not site because I cut mine after 24 to 48 hours I do not believe your soap isnNaOH heavy either. Just do a zap test after 48 hours and check. Here is a great explaination about gelling. Not everyone does it.

http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-b...e-beginners-guide-to-soapmaking-cold-process/

 

[christinak]

Hi padubaloof, nice to meet you Those are all good ideas everyone had. If you've zap tested and it's good you can rule lye-heavy out. If it's partial gel and you don't mind gelling....I would try to insulate. I put my mold in an eggo box or 12 pack pop box and cover with a towel. I only have 2 molds so I am in a hurry to remove them so I can make more so I only wait 12 - 18 hrs before cutting. Sometimes the soap is a tad sticky on the sides when I remove it but it's never soft to the touch. My blade slices right through without a hitch. I purchased a set of no-line molds...I can't remember the name of the material (it's like a cutting board) and it came with a cutting mold...it is AMAZING and I get 7 perfect bars everytime. They were very cheap, too...if I want to line the cutting mold I'd have 3 to work with and it only cost around $50 or so.

Anyhow, if I didn't have that cutting mold I probably wouldn't get nice cuts either, it's priceless and fast. I'd insulate and cut sooner if I were you.

 

[CaliChan]

Holy cow you wait to weeks??? I applaud you for patience
I waited a week to cut once and it was killing me lol

 

[padubaloof]

Hey thanks again for the replies. I have been zap testing, and yes the bars are good (and sometimes tasty lol!) @ christinak: I've been experimenting with many different molds--I found these great sandbox molds in the toy department at walmart for 97 cents...they are in the shapes of starfish and octopi. The octopi are hard to unmold, to date I have yet to be able to crack it out without breaking off a tentacle, or all of them! That being said, I am trying very hard not to purchase any molds and instead attempting to use only found/made materials. I've been using my bread loaf lined with a torn plastic bag for large bars needing to be cut, but maybe the cutting mold would be better? idk, anyway I do like your idea to use cardboard boxes for insulating.

@cherrybomb: thanks for the link, I will be sure to check it out thoroughly

 

[AndreaMakesSoap]

I typically cut my soap 1 or 2 days after making it. I gel my soap, and use some sodium lactate to help harden it (1 ounce in a 2 1/2 pound batch). If you're making a nice, hard soap (which it sounds like you are), it will fracture and sliver as you cut it if you wait too long before cutting. Also, cutting it earlier helps it cure faster as more of the soap is exposed to air

Good luck!
~Andrea