When unmolding...what do you do?

[mjmccauley]

I am wondering what you do when you unmold your soap? Do you let it sit and wait a day to cut it or do you cut right away? I have read articles about people just letting their soap sit out after unmolding for a day or so. Is there any benefit to doing so? I have just been cutting it as soon as it is out of the mold and placing it on my shelves to cure.

Thanks

 

[7053joanne]

I cover mine up for 24 hours. Pull it out of the mold and cut it up assuming it is one of my harder bar recipes. For those that are a little on the softer side I will leave them in the mold for a few extra days so I don't end up making a huge mess of them (I tend to leave finger imprints if I'm not careful).

:wink:

 

[bassgirl]

I generally unmold and cut after 24 hours. It's always been hard enough to cut by then.

 

[TheGardener]

I unmold after 24 hours then let my soap sit for 48-72 hours before cutting. If I don't, the soap is too soft and I end up with soap gobs on my cutter and fingerprints in the soap.

 

[reallyrita]

For me, it is a case by case decision. Since I am still inexperienced and always trying out new things, I can never be sure whether or not I can even unmold after 24 hours, never mind cut. My soaps in wooden molds tend to be ready to cut as soon as I unmold, often sooner than 24 hours. With the silicon molds, I just have to let them sit awhile before cutting... Sometimes as much as 3 days!!

 

[digit]

I'm with ReallyRita. I have let a loaf sit for a week or so before cutting. It probably has a lot to do with your recipe (how quickly does it firm up), water discount, and how dry the environment is.

Being fairly new, I do not take big water discounts, which may explain why mine are still cuttable after a week. I do have bars from the first of the year that are quite firm now. Like concrete firm.

Digit

 

[mandolyn]

For me, it is a case by case decision. Since I am still inexperienced and always trying out new things, I can never be sure whether or not I can even unmold after 24 hours, never mind cut. My soaps in wooden molds tend to be ready to cut as soon as I unmold, often sooner than 24 hours. With the silicon molds, I just have to let them sit awhile before cutting... Sometimes as much as 3 days!!

Same here. It depends on the recipe, which FO I used, & a few other variables. I have one FO that I can NOT take a water discount on, so it sits for a while before I cut it.

Some of my recipes are water discounted enough that I can unmold & cut within 8 hrs.

If it's a salt bar, it gets unmolded & then cut as soon as it's cool enough to handle.

 

[IrishLass]

What Rita and Mandolyn said- it's a case by case decision based on the recipe, and also the lye solution used. I use a 33% lye solution, so mine are ready to unmold and cut as soon as 12 hours after pour, even sometimes less than 12 hours for some formulas.

IrishLass

 

[Deda]

I use divided slabs, the soap just sits until I need the mold, usually a day.

When I do use a log mold I try to cut ASAP, it's easier to clean up and bevel.

 

[beachgurl]

I agree with Rita and Digit ... it depends on the recipe .. if it's soft .. no biggie .. wait 2 or 3 days .. but i have a recipe that gets hard in as a rock in about 16 hours .. too hard to use the wire cutter so I unmold after 12 hours let it get a little air .. then cut it ... it truly depends on your recipe and what you prefer.

 

[AshleyR]

Most of the time I unmold and cut my soaps about 12 hours later! They are usually a little too wet to be cutting though (I've been noticing), so I'll probably start waiting longer.

It really does depend on the recipe. I made a batch of 85% lard soap the other day (attempted a "grandmas old fashioned" kind of soap) and it was ready to cut in 2.5 hours! If I had let it sit any longer it would have been rock hard!

 

[mjmccauley]

Thank you so much for the info. I guess it is a case by case basis. I am just happy to know that I don't have to cut it ASAP if I don't feel it necessary.