Troubleshooting: Firm on top, gooey on the sides?

[WeaversPort]

I just unmolded a soap loaf. It was in the mold roughly 40 hours and was firm but not overly hard. But when I pulled it out of the silicone liner it was slightly sticky and gooey in places.

It was a "mixed media" loaf, cold process with glycerine soap embeds. Would the embeds have caused this effect?

The cold process recipe was:
Castor oil - 5%
Coconut oil - 15%
Avocado oil - 20%
Lard - 60%

Titanium Dioxide 1/4 tsp, fragrance 10g, RoE 0.5g, and EDTA 2g

 

[Millie]

Do you have another photo? I just see the silicone liner in that one. I havent used a liner like that so I don't know if that is just a normal thing. Is the goo in random spots or just the sides?

 

[WeaversPort]

Do you have another photo? I just see the silicone liner in that one. I havent used a liner like that so I don't know if that is just a normal thing. Is the goo in random spots or just the sides?

I can do another photo. The liner is new, so the spots are the smear of soap left as I pulled it out. The smears seem to primarily be on the sides and some where I cut the pieces.

It's a little dark in the house so I'll try to get some good lighting.

 

[WeaversPort]

OK, here are some pictures. I apologize for the poor quality I tried to brighten it to make it easier to see.

P.S. Please ignore my testers in the background.

 

[Millie]

My best guess is that it could have used an extra day in the mold, but I'll leave that assessment for someone who has used silicone liners. I think the'll look lovely after firming up and a little planing. They look wonderfully creamy on my screen

 

[Soapprentice]

Yeah, it happened to me... an extra day would help or an hour in the freezer.. I use majorly soft oils though.

 

[bumbleklutz]

I feel your pain. :headbanging:

I find that my soaps using silicone liners tend to come out that way as well. Firm on top, but still soft and sticky in the center and on the sides and bottom where it touched the silicone. I think that the silicone liners don't let as much water evaporate while the soap is gelling/firming up as opposed to freezer paper. My higher water soaps (26%-28% lye concentration) are particularly bad about being sticky.

Sodium lactate helps somewhat, and using a higher lye concentration (less water) helps as well. The only other suggestion that has helped me; is to unmold once the soap it is firm enough and let the entire loaf sit for a couple of days before cutting.

I really hate the smearing that occurs when you cut the bars, especially if you've put a lot of effort into an intricate design. I always end up planning my smeared bars, but that can become time consuming, and it gets old really fast.

 

[artemis]

Maybe the fault of the FO? I had a batch recently that did that. It's twin, with a different FO was fine, but this one took days to come out of the mold. And I wasn't even using a silicone mold.

 

[Susie]

It needed more time to harden. Next time, if the sides dent in a bit BEFORE you take it out of the mold, pop it into the freezer for a couple of hours, then unmold and cut.

 

[WeaversPort]

Maybe the fault of the FO? I had a batch recently that did that. It's twin, with a different FO was fine, but this one took days to come out of the mold. And I wasn't even using a silicone mold.

Maybe? I don't know. It's the first time I've used this combination of vanilla and yuzu. I'm still getting the hang of fragrances in general.

It needed more time to harden. Next time, if the sides dent in a bit BEFORE you take it out of the mold, pop it into the freezer for a couple of hours, then unmold and cut.

Thank you!! It has been hot lately, so knowing to check the sides as well helps!


Thank you everyone. I'll keep breathing and not panic..

 

[Seawolfe]

I have a theory that molds with paper liners can "breathe" and tend to set up a little easier, while silicone doesn't and takes more time. Completely unsubstantiated except by my own experiences, but I do find unmolding my wood + freezer paper lined soaps easier. That and not soaping with full water

 

[dixiedragon]

That's normal with silicone. If I am being patient I try to wait a few days to un-mold. Another trick is to gently warm in the oven.

 

[NsMar42111]

High lard is on the soft side
until it has a few days when done CP also, which didn't help any. All normal!

 

[WeaversPort]

This all really helps! I think I'll prepare for a 72 hour mold time here on out, especially since it's only getting hotter here :cry:

 

[Susie]

This all really helps! I think I'll prepare for a 72 hour mold time here on out, especially since it's only getting hotter here :cry:

Unless you have individual molds, that is not a good idea. Cutting a 72 hour soap that gelled can be very difficult, as it gets hard as a rock, and can fracture where you don't want it to. You need to judge each batch of soap on its own.

 

[WeaversPort]

Unless you have individual molds, that is not a good idea. Cutting a 72 hour soap that gelled can be very difficult, as it gets hard as a rock, and can fracture where you don't want it to. You need to judge each batch of soap on its own.

Eep! I definitely don't want cracking... Thank you for the warning!