i made a batch with my regular recipe, then i put it in the oven t force gel at 170*, i know it wasnt mis-measuring cuz i double checked. anyways, right as the soap was reaching gel along the outer corners, this clear oil began to come up the sides of the mold and then pool on top of the soap. this was supposed to be a layered soap so i took the soap out of the oven and added the second layer, over the oils. i am hoping that they reabsorb and it will be ok. i did use 2 new FOs. both of them cake scented. so you think the FO would make the oils do that? any other ideas why it would do it?
this is a first for me... weird separation?
- Thread starter krissy
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That sounds like my recent pumpkin soap batch I did. I'm not sure it was just the FO or FO + heat...but it did just that. It was still a bit oily when I cut. But it seems to be fine now. I'm not sure what happended with mine.
soapbuddy
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I would leave it be for now. There's a chance it might absorb back in. Do you think it might have overheated?
i dont think it overheated, it had barely reached gel along the sides, and the process i did wasn't anything i havent been doing regularly for a while. the only new thing was the FO's. i put it in the fridge after i did the top layer just incase it was getting too hot. i really hope it comes out well since it was a special request from my DD.
jamaicasoap
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im new here and was going to ask the about this same occurance. I have had it happened to me twice. Once with a batch of pure tallow soap, and second with a batch of coconut soap.
I saw this happen after trace occurred. I added the lye mix and heated the soap for about 15 minutes at 150 deg F. Then (since i don't have a crock pot) I tried to hot process it at 180 deg F for 20 minutes. Well right about the 30 minute mark during heating, my stovetop elements are all wack and it heated to about 190 deg F. It was at this time that the split happened. What looked like heavy trace split into two distinct layers with light on top and heavy curd looking stuff on bottom. I took out some of the top stuff to see if it was just melted short carbon chain or unsaturated soap that had a low melting point. But it was oil as it did not solidify and was not water soluble.
Anyway i cooled the batches and mixed them until they turned back into one layer. This worked fine with the tallow, but for the coconut it turned into a brick of dry rice looking particles. Both made good bricks of soap but the coconut is kind of crumbly.
My hypothesis is its either the temp is too high and some soap splits or reverts apart back into oil and dissolved sodium, or too much water has evaporated out causing loss of emulsion, or short chain soap has melted causing a split....or hmm too much to think about.
I think im just going to stop at trace and pour and not try to hot process without a crock pot.
I saw this happen after trace occurred. I added the lye mix and heated the soap for about 15 minutes at 150 deg F. Then (since i don't have a crock pot) I tried to hot process it at 180 deg F for 20 minutes. Well right about the 30 minute mark during heating, my stovetop elements are all wack and it heated to about 190 deg F. It was at this time that the split happened. What looked like heavy trace split into two distinct layers with light on top and heavy curd looking stuff on bottom. I took out some of the top stuff to see if it was just melted short carbon chain or unsaturated soap that had a low melting point. But it was oil as it did not solidify and was not water soluble.
Anyway i cooled the batches and mixed them until they turned back into one layer. This worked fine with the tallow, but for the coconut it turned into a brick of dry rice looking particles. Both made good bricks of soap but the coconut is kind of crumbly.
My hypothesis is its either the temp is too high and some soap splits or reverts apart back into oil and dissolved sodium, or too much water has evaporated out causing loss of emulsion, or short chain soap has melted causing a split....or hmm too much to think about.
I think im just going to stop at trace and pour and not try to hot process without a crock pot.
so this morning the oil tat still showed in the corners after i put on the second layer has reabsorbed. i cant unmold yet since the top was whipped and isnt hard yet but my fingers are crossed for this batch to be ok!
I made a goat's milk soap (with nothing else, no colorants, no fragrance, etc) and it looks like oil has puddled a bit on the top. I made the soap loaf a week ago, it's already been sliced and is curing. Still, some of the soap has an oily coating just on the top. I'm hoping that as it cures, the oil will be absorbed back into the soap....
Instead of mixing my goat's milk with my lye, instead I only mixed 1/2 of my water to dissolve my lye and then I added the other 1/2 of my liquid as condensed goat's milk at trace. I did this because I didn't want my loaf to turn orange LOL Previously I tried dissolving the lye in goat's milk in an ice water bath but it turned orange! So I scrapped that method.
Does anyone think that the oil puddling on the top of the loaf is the result of me adding the evaporated goat's milk at trace?
Instead of mixing my goat's milk with my lye, instead I only mixed 1/2 of my water to dissolve my lye and then I added the other 1/2 of my liquid as condensed goat's milk at trace. I did this because I didn't want my loaf to turn orange LOL Previously I tried dissolving the lye in goat's milk in an ice water bath but it turned orange! So I scrapped that method.
Does anyone think that the oil puddling on the top of the loaf is the result of me adding the evaporated goat's milk at trace?
i do all of my GM soaps like that, and i dont get the oil thing, so i dont think it was that...
i unmolded my soap and from the bottom, i can tell i got partial gel. i am hopong that since my fragrance was cake and one of them had vanilla in it, that it will darken up and not be noticeable.
i unmolded my soap and from the bottom, i can tell i got partial gel. i am hopong that since my fragrance was cake and one of them had vanilla in it, that it will darken up and not be noticeable.
Krissy - this should probably go into another thread, but do you have problems with your soap turning orange? Even though I added the GM at trace, it still has an orange tint. Maybe it was from the gelling? I read somewhere that you're not supposed to let a GM soap gel.
no, i get creamy white soap every time i make GM soap if i dont color it.... i even put it in my oven and force gel. no orangeness...
the bottom of this soap was forced gel and is a GM soap. i add the GM at trace...
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the bottom of this soap was forced gel and is a GM soap. i add the GM at trace...
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soapbuddy
Well-Known Member
Congrats!krissy said:
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