newbie problem--overheating

Had my first overheating situation today. based on the photos i found on this forum the cracking down the middle represents overheating. I did cover and insulate my soap (which i always do unless it's a milk or beer soap)

Any thoughts on why and how to avoid? Do you need my recipe to answer?

Thanks in advance for your help.

There are a whole bunch of things that can increase the likelihood of your soap overheating, such as:

- High water
- High coconut oil
- Wooden molds
- Mixing lye solution + oils at a high temperature
- Insulating
- The temperature inside your house
- The addition of sugars, milks and beers

I never bother insulating my mold and have no trouble achieving gel, even with a pretty steep water discount and working at a low-temperature. You may not need to as well.

Let people know your recipe in full and process/approximate temperatures and timings etc. That will help us to be specific

"... There are a whole bunch of things that can increase the likelihood of your soap overheating, such as:..."

And don't forget the biggest reason -- soap gremlins.

Seriously, Toxikon has listed the most common issues for overheating, but The Gent is right -- your recipe and method would help pin things down.

DeeAnna said:

"... There are a whole bunch of things that can increase the likelihood of your soap overheating, such as:..."

And don't forget the biggest reason -- soap gremlins.

Seriously, Toxicon has listed the most common issues for overheating, but The Gent is right -- your recipe and method would help pin things down.

Click to expand...

LOL - can't forget those little nasty buggers! :mrgreen:

Certain fragrance oils can also overheat. I just had a batch go south due to overheating which was due to the size mold and fragrance. I say mold size because I had .5lb left and poured in a small mold. It was the 6lb batch that overheated. Now it is going in the crock-pot.

recipe

The Efficacious Gentleman said:

Let people know your recipe in full and process/approximate temperatures and timings etc. That will help us to be specific

Click to expand...

9.6 oz coconut oil
6.4 oz palm oil
15.04 oz olive oil
0.64 oz cocoa butter
4.5 oz lye (NaOH)
10.45 oz distilled water

green mica colorant (dissolved in olive oil)
1.4 oz Brambleberry Anjou Pear fragrance (I've use this before--it behave really well)
2 tsp sodium lactate

Lye water at about 130 degrees
Oils about 110 degrees

jbedaded said:

9.6 oz coconut oil
6.4 oz palm oil
15.04 oz olive oil
0.64 oz cocoa butter
4.5 oz lye (NaOH)
10.45 oz distilled water

green mica colorant (dissolved in olive oil)
1.4 oz Brambleberry Anjou Pear fragrance (I've use this before--it behave really well)
2 tsp sodium lactate

Lye water at about 130 degrees
Oils about 110 degrees

Click to expand...

Gremlins

Thx

dillsandwitch said:

Gremlins

Click to expand...

Thanks to all who replied. Just unmolded the soap and it's fine, except for a slightly disfigured top, which can easily be planed off.

I think it just got too hot due to the starting temps in conjunction with the insulation.


IrishLass

toxikon said:

There are a whole bunch of things that can increase the likelihood of your soap overheating, such as:

- High water
- High coconut oil
- Wooden molds
- Mixing lye solution + oils at a high temperature
- Insulating
- The temperature inside your house
- The addition of sugars, milks and beers

I never bother insulating my mold and have no trouble achieving gel, even with a pretty steep water discount and working at a low-temperature. You may not need to as well.

Click to expand...

What temperature and water discount do you use Toxikon? I just assumed my soap wasn't gelling because of low temp (70F) and 33% lye concentration.

sevenebulas said:

What temperature and water discount do you use Toxikon? I just assumed my soap wasn't gelling because of low temp (70F) and 33% lye concentration.

Click to expand...

I think it does have something to do with the temperature that you start mixing at but also the temperature in the room you cure your soap in. I recently had to change my method because I got new molds and I had a very difficult time in the middle of winter getting my batter to get to temp and then to gel all the way through. I found I had to insulate and use a heat mat to get it to work. I tired all different lye concentrations to no avail.

penelopejane said:

I think it does have something to do with the temperature that you start mixing at but also the temperature in the room you cure your soap in. I recently had to change my method because I got new molds and I had a very difficult time in the middle of winter getting my batter to get to temp and then to gel all the way through. I found I had to insulate and use a heat mat to get it to work. I tired all different lye concentrations to no avail.

Click to expand...

I've just switched from a small pine hobby mold to a bigger poplar mold and with all my other variables changing too I haven't figured out whether it insulates less or more. I soap in an unheated basement room and it gets low 60s in there in winter. Fun times ahead

sevenebulas said:

I've just switched from a small pine hobby mold to a bigger poplar mold and with all my other variables changing too I haven't figured out whether it insulates less or more. I soap in an unheated basement room and it gets low 60s in there in winter. Fun times ahead

Click to expand...

I used to is a silicone mold in a cardboard box and CPOP in a oven preheated to 100* then tuned off when I put the soap in and leave u disturbed for 12-18 hrs. It worked perfectly every time.

Then I switched to a thick silicon mold in a wooden box with a lid that didn't fit in the oven. I also had to move everything to the guest room that got to <50*F at night in winter. I had a shocking number of fails until I got a process that replicated my old method.

I ended up using an electric blanket and preheating it on high (which gets to about 85*F) I soap at around 100*F, wrap the mold in towels and put it on the elec blanket and put the blanket over the box and covered the whole thing with a doona. I leave it like that for 1 hr then take the exec blanket from over the top, but leave it under the mold, cover with the doona and turn the elec blanket down to low (about 65*F). I can cut it 18-24 hrs later.

The idea is not to heat the soap but to provide a little cocoon for it to do its own thing. I use this method for all my soap including milk and honey soaps.

This new system works for me. In summer it will get to 100*F here outside so I may have to modify it then.