Too hot or not hot enough??

[SudsyKat]

Hi, all!

You know, when I first started making soap, I made every kind you can think of - and lots of intricate complicated formulas. I made them all in empty milk cartons and every batch came out perfect. Seriously. Since I've started using nice molds (everything from HDPE to nice wood molds), I've had so many problems. It takes a lot more experimenting and figuring and carefully watching. Sigh.

That's neither here nor there. My real question here is about a recent batch I made. It had oils on top that didn't seem to soak in, but I can't decide if it overheated or didn't gel properly. Here's the scoop.

I used more liquid than I normally do (I used a 27% lye concentration, whereas I usually do about 33%). So, the soap is softer (I'm assuming this is why). But I"m wondering if this could also have contributed to the oils problem - like maybe there was too much liquid in the recipe and it didn't "cook" properly. I once made another slab mold recipe where the oils ended up on top, but that was an HDPE mold and I"m pretty sure that one didn't heat up enough. I guess. I don't have much luck with slab molds, it seems. I'm determined to figure it out though.

However, this time I put it in a wooden slab mold with a lid and wrapped in a towel. And I felt the towel and I could feel the warmth, as much as several hours later (like 6 or 7). So that makes me think it overheated. And I used an FO I haven't used before (Nag Champa from Peak).

So, what do you think? Did I overheat or was it the opposite problem? Here's the recipe (some of it from memory, since I'm not at home):

Palm Oil (25%) 574g
Coconut Oil, 76 deg (25%) 574g
Olive Oil (30%) 689g
Castor Oil (10%) 230g
Shea Butter (10%) 230g
Lye (315 g)
(7% superfat) (33% lye concentration)
851.785 g LIQUID (TOTAL), divided into:
Approximately 680 g boiled down beer (was originally twice that amount before boiling. Waited until it cooled a lot before using)
171 g. distilled water (to mix w/lye)
87.88 grams Nag Champa FO (Peak)

 

[judymoody]

Sounds like overheating. The sugar content of the beer could be a contributing factor.

I used that Nag Champa once in a test bar and didn't have problems but it was a teeny tiny soap so unlikely to overheat.

You can rebatch. Given the quantity of soap you made, it would be a shame to throw it away.

ETA: you are allowed to peek at your soap and see what's happening. Removing the lid for a second is not going to stop gel in its tracks. And it would give you the opportunity to deal with overheating as it is happening and not after the fact. Just a thought.

 

[SudsyKat]

Thanks, Judy. Good points. I hadn't factored in the sugar in the beer. And I was thinking the same thing - about looking at the soap to see if it's gelling. I think next time I'll keep a close eye on the temps! With every new thing I introduce (new mold, different material, different batch size), it creates new challenges for me. Sigh - what a labor of love!

I wasn't sure whether to throw it out or not. It wasn't a horrible amount of oil on top, so I thought perhaps it could be salvaged. It didn't soak in after several days, so I went ahead and took it out of the mold, soaked up the oil, and cut it. It's curing now. I wonder if my 7% superfat could be enough to save this batch??

 

[sandman_max]

Ok - let's say I peek... and I see gel. A big gooey blob of gel. Or no gel at all. Or powdery white stuff. About 6 hours after I pour, which is when I usually want to peek. What do I do? What else might I see? Oh, right, I saw cracks once. I remember that means Really-Too-Hot. But the rest? I don't supposed there's anything that can be done if it's too cool. And I know I can take some towels/blankets/heating-pad (no, not really) off if it seems to hot, but how do I know how much too hot and much covering to take off and should I put it back on later? I'd especially like to know how to recognize Everything-is-Just-Fine-Now-Put-the-Lid-Back-On-and-Leave-Me-Alone. Oh - temps in my house in the winter - 65-68 during the day and 59 at night. Maybe I do need the heating pad for the soap?

 

[Soapy Gurl]

SudsyKat - I have never soaped with beer before. But I use a wooden log mold and CPOP, my mold is still warm at 12 hours later. It is only slightly warm, but still warm. I don't unmold until about 18 hours after pouring. Your recipe looks good though, I like the blend you use. Do the zap test! It might be fine.

 

[sandman_max]

CPOP?

 

[carebear]

cold pour oven process. cold pour allows you to do your swirlies, and get the smooth top, but then you stick the filled mold into a preheated oven. speeds along the saponification.

eta - and yes, you still need to cure it 4 weeks.