Tried to stop gel, doesn't seem to have worked...

[MoonBath]

Put my batch outside in the cold to try to stop gelling, but it seems to have partially gelled anyway. I'm only about 4 hours in. Any suggestions? Leave it in the cold, or insulate? Being new at this, I'm not sure what I should do.

 

[Tienne]

If it has started to gel, then let it go all the way. Insulate! Or put it in the oven at 75C. I'd rather have a full gel than a partial gel any day. If your soap has goat's milk in it though, then you can expect some discolouration, but to me a little tanning is still better than a partial gel.

 

[seven]

If it has started to gel, then let it go all the way. Insulate! Or put it in the oven at 75C. I'd rather have a full gel than a partial gel any day. If your soap has goat's milk in it though, then you can expect some discolouration, but to me a little tanning is still better than a partial gel.

ugh, partial is the one thing i HATE the most in soap making. it just makes the soap ugly

my last batch of OMH got a partial, and i was broken hearted the mold was too long to put in the freezer, so i just put it out in the open with a fan next to it. i did try to stop gel with the fan, but it obviously didn't work. perhaps the soap ended up getting confused, lol...

i'll just ditch the fan next time..

 

[Tienne]

ugh, partial is the one thing i HATE the most in soap making. it just makes the soap ugly

I couldn't agree more! Partial gels are my mortal enemy when I am soaping. They just seem so in-your-face spiteful! LOL

I rarely leave a (non-milk) soap to do it's own thing. If I do, I'm always paranoid after I have poured the soap and every five minutes I have to feel the mold to see if I can feel it's heating up. If there's even the slightest hint of heating, then in the oven it goes. I refuse to let a partial gel get the better of me! That's why I mostly CPOP. It takes a bit of the guessing game out of it. Thank heavens for CPOP! LOL

 

[judymoody]

I have tried to let it go. Most people who don't make soap either don't notice or they think it was done on purpose. "How'd you get that cool ring effect?" Just smile knowingly....

We are our own worst critics.

 

[TVivian]

If you really, really want to guarantee no gel. A slab mold that fits into the fridge is best. Even in the freezer with a loaf mold, you can't guarantee that the center won't begin gelling before the cold reaches in.

Side note: I'm sad that so many people avoid gel because I really love it.

 

[houseofwool]

I tried to avoid gel the other day with a milk soap by putting it on my enclosed porch, but ended up with a partial gel... Sigh. And that was with the temps in the teens, so, back to the freezer I go next time.

 

[Dennis]

I put my mold in the freezer before pouring up the soap. Back in the freezer after pouring then after 24hrs into the fridge for 3 days. Worked for me. Going to freezer only after pouring didn't work for me either.

 

[grayceworks]

If you really, really want to guarantee no gel. A slab mold that fits into the fridge is best. Even in the freezer with a loaf mold, you can't guarantee that the center won't begin gelling before the cold reaches in.

Side note: I'm sad that so many people avoid gel because I really love it.

I really love gelling too. And HP now also. All my first soaps gelled, and I love how they turned out. But I do like how my peppermint swirly soap turned out ungelled, and I want to do at least one milk recipe that stays light and creamy instead of getting darker. But I like the hardness and semi-translucency and sheen of gelled ones.

 

[judymoody]

I prefer gelled soap myself. I will only suppress gel if I am looking for a particular effect - like a very white soap or if I'm using delicate fragrances.

 

[JennH]

I've found when putting the soap in the fridge or freezer I have to put the soap on a cooling rack otherwise it starts to gel on the bottom.

Of course, this takes up a ton of space...

 

[MoonBath]

Well... the oven took it to full gel. I left it in for a bit, then wrapped it in a towel and left it in the oven, turned off, overnight. In the morning the oven was warm from the soap, and it was still really gooey and soft. It's slowly firming up now, I think.

 

[Tienne]

Nice save! Whew.

Just as soon as you're sure that the soap has fully gelled, you don't have to aid or hold on to the heat anymore. You can then just take it out of the oven (or un-insulate) and let it cool down and firm up straight away. It may take as little as an hour or two to achieve full gel, or it may take longer but I usually leave mine in the oven for maybe 5-10 minutes more after I think the soap has fully gelled just to make sure the corners have gelled as well. (All the while watching it like a hawk.) After that, you're good to go! After full gel has been achieved, your main concern shifts to worrying about overheating. (If it's not one thing, then it's another. LOL) You don't want the soap to remain hotter than it has to be, for longer than it has to be, or bad things can happen. Cracking, bubbling, alien brains, heaving, etc. (These things are the evil step-children of the partial gel. That is to say, they too are born of heat and their only purpose in life is likewise to ruin people's otherwise perfect soaps for no other reason than to spite you! LOL)

In short, you only need to keep the soap warm until it's gelled and then bingo! It's done! If you're lucky and depending on the recipe, then the soap will have cooled down enough during the night that you can unmold first thing in the morning, before you even get a cup of coffee because you're so impatient you simply can't wait to see how it turned out! That's another great thing about gelling and/or CPOP. The soap hardens up and is unmoldable much sooner than a non-gelled soap would be.

Now cut it, cut it, cut it!!!! Errr, I mean, I can't wait to find out how your soap turns out!

 

[MoonBath]

Cracking, bubbling, alien brains, heaving, etc. (These things are the evil step-children of the partial gel. That is to say, they too are born of heat and their only purpose in life is likewise to ruin people's otherwise perfect soaps for no other reason that to spite you! LOL)

What is heaving?

It's firming up, still too soft to cut, but able to be taken out of the mold. As soon as it started to gel I noticed that it seemed to be sweating on the top; the sweat appears to be oil. What did I do wrong? That was happening before I left it in the oven.

 

[Tienne]

Heaving is when the soap of starts to rise, like a bread would do. Not good. That can leave a horizontal crack inside the soap. That happens when the soap overheats. (Ask me how I know. )

Don't worry about the oil on top. (Yet) Just leave the soap alone then and see if it doesn't reabsorb. It usually does, unless it's oodles and oodles of oil. Some FO's are worse than others to do that and sometimes it just happens, probably from the heat, but then just leave the soap in the mold and let it rest a day or so and if it still hasn't absorbed, then you can carefully dab it off with a paper towel. Some soaps feel stickier or oilier than others on the outside after unmolding and after cutting too, but it usually reabsorbs after the soap has had a little time to rest.

 

[MoonBath]

Here it is. A bit soft to cut yet, but I couldn't stop myself. I had to see.

 

[MoonBath]

(Ask me how I know.

:shh:

 

[Tienne]

Woohoo! That came out great! Congratulations! How about the oily top? From the pic it looks like that isn't an issue anymore?

:shh:

Too late. I know some might consider that little soaping experience of mine a botch, but uhm... I just call it feedback! LOL

I couldn't stop myself. I had to see.

AHA!! And what have we here? The unmistakable signs and symptoms of a soap addict!! Welcome! Welcome to the dark side!

 

[judymoody]

It looks like cake!

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

It looks like cake!

Agree! Love it. Again, I need a USB scent adapter to be invented so I can smell it, too