Third cold process batch

[ackosel]

I just finished batch number three in my 4" mold. It's orange/lavender, using 100% goat milk, 36% goat tallow and EOs. I stick blended a lot less than my first batches and it came to trace in a much slower amount of time, though it did firm up fast when I separated it for essential oil/coloring.

The orange EO is the only color I used, and I added a little orange peel powder to the orange half. I tried an in-the-pot swirl, but the white set up a lot faster than the orange and sank to the bottom. I tried to pull some up with a spoon after I poured it, but I may have just mixed it together. I can see some swirling maybe (I hope) through the mold. It'll be fun to see what it looks like after I cut it. How long should I wait to cut it?

I'm trying not to let it gel. My oils were around 100° when I mixed the 85ish degree lye solution. The milk/lye solution did get up to 100 degrees, so I may have a scorched batch on my hands. As soon as I got it in the mold I put plastic wrap on it and set it outside in the 35 degree (F) weather. How do people check for gelling? My infrared thermometer said the surface temperature was around 80 degrees when I put it out, and 78 degrees half an hour later. But would surface temp tell me what's happening inside the loaf?

Edited for spelling and grammar. Twice.

 

[not_ally]

I think you'll be fine at those temps (if you want to go lower you can put it in the freezer for a bit.) When soap gels it literally gets a translucent look as it's happening, before the gel phase is done and it goes back to being opaque. Here's a video on gelling, you can see what the gelling phase looks like at 1:15.

 

[ackosel]

I think you'll be fine at those temps (if you want to go lower you can put it in the freezer for a bit.) When soap gels it literally gets a translucent look as it's happening, before the gel phase is done and it goes back to being opaque. Here's a video on gelling, you can see what the gelling phase looks like at 1:15.

Thank you. That's a very helpful video. I need to find some distraction to keep myself busy while I wait to cut it. Guess I'll go clean the bathroom.

 

[ackosel]

I just finished batch number three in my 4" mold. It's orange/lavender, using 100% goat milk, 36% goat tallow and EOs. I stick blended a lot less than my first batches and it came to trace in a much slower amount of time, though it did firm up fast when I separated it for essential oil/coloring.

The orange EO is the only color I used, and I added a little orange peel powder to the orange half. I tried an in-the-pot swirl, but the white set up a lot faster than the orange and sank to the bottom. I tried to pull some up with a spoon after I poured it, but I may have just mixed it together. I can see some swirling maybe (I hope) through the mold. It'll be fun to see what it looks like after I cut it. How long should I wait to cut it?

I'm trying not to let it gel. My oils were around 100° when I mixed the 85ish degree lye solution. The milk/lye solution did get up to 100 degrees, so I may have a scorched batch on my hands. As soon as I got it in the mold I put plastic wrap on it and set it outside in the 35 degree (F) weather. How do people check for gelling? My infrared thermometer said the surface temperature was around 80 degrees when I put it out, and 78 degrees half an hour later. But would surface temp tell me what's happening inside the loaf?

Edited for spelling and grammar. Twice.

Well, the inside of the loaf turned out better than I thought! I think I cut it too soon because I'm impatient. Should have cleaned another bathroom first... It's a little crumbly around the edges of the cuts. Overall I'm pleased as punch with how it turned out so far. And now I have an empty mold to fill again!

 

[Savage Daughter]

I think you'll be fine at those temps (if you want to go lower you can put it in the freezer for a bit.) When soap gels it literally gets a translucent look as it's happening, before the gel phase is done and it goes back to being opaque. Here's a video on gelling, you can see what the gelling phase looks like at 1:15.

I am watching this & saying 'COVER IT BACK UP! GET SOME BLANKETS ON IT WOMAN! like I'm watching a football game....'cept I don't watch football LOL

I did not know that soap which is gelled absorbs less water when it's being used, which means gelled soap would last longer, theoretically. I obviously have not purchased Kevin Dunn's book yet! Providing of course that you don't leave it in your bathtub full of water for an extended period of time. This also explains another aspect as to why my own customers, private & otherwise, often tell me my soap lasts so much longer than others they buy locally, which keeps them coming back for more.

Always something new to learn, no matter how much we already know And now I can pass this knowledge on to my customers, whether private or stores which carry my products. Awesome share, thank you!