So frustrated - OMH woes

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tryanything

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For my second attempt at CP OMH soap I decided to stick the mold in the freezer before and after my pour. And I still ended up with a tunnel of oozing oils in the middle. Gah! I'm about ready to quit. I jokingly said I'd stick to HP'ing OMH from now on but I really prefer the look of CP. And others seem to do it successfully. What am I doing wrong? Below is my recipe and method.

2.5 lb recipe
50% olive oil
20% lard
20% coconut oil
10% castor oil
100% goats milk (frozen in cubes and melted with lye).
5% SF
2 oz NG OMH FO

This time I put the wooden log mold in the freezer for about an hour while I was melting the oils and doing other stuff. I didn't do the lye solution until after the oils had melted and cooled and then added it to the oil once the goats milk was melted. Added my FO and ground oats, poured in my cold mold and immediately popped it back in the freezer for an hour. Then moved it to the fridge overnight. Unmolded next morning and other than a light partial gel I thought I had success. However when I cut, about an inch in form the sides I found the oozing tunnel. Now the cut up soap is sitting in the crock pot waiting to be shredded...again. :cry:
 
I'm not sure if this will help, but most of the time I make Goat Milk soap I pour into individual molds and just leave out on the counter. I have a 10" silicone mold that I just put in the fridge, this prevents partial gel. I also soap milk soaps at room temp and usually use the 50% method using water & aloe for half the liquid mixed with the lye. You can use 100% goat milk and pour into individual molds, and this works too.
 
I would also consider lowering the amount of FO. Perhaps try 0.6 ounces of FO ppo, which would be 1.5 ounces, versus the 0.8 ounces ppo you are using now. THere are a few FO's I've used that are ridiculously overheating at higher amounts but are manageable at the lower end of the general range (which I consider to to be 0.5-0.6 ppo for an FO that can be used at 5%).
 
i cant prove this, but by my reasoning, if you immediatley put your soap in the freezer, i would think it wouldnt just cool the soap, it would slow or stop the microscopic process of making soap. Then when you let it thaw, the lye would then be deactivated, and the soaping process would not begin. Thus you are left with pockets of ooz. The only time i have experienced that ooz, is when i soaped too hot, and put it in a wooden mold and the oils separated. But, then again there are much wiser people on this forum than I, so listen to them, i am just trying to help. Good luck with the next batch. :)
 
I don't use a wooden mold, but I know that wood does insulate pretty well - so a wooden log mold may retain the heat generated by the saponification reaction in your soap even thought it's in the freezer. And 1 hour in the freezer probably isn't long enough ....... the first 6 hours are when you're most likely to run into problems from over-heating. I use an acrylic mold, and generally keep any milk soap in the freezer for 4-6 hours, before moving it into the fridge for a few hours.

If you try again, perhaps try either using a slab mold (where the layer of soap is thinner, and therefore cools more) or individual molds.


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I had issues when I did OMH as well (got mine from Village Craft & Candle here in Canada). It all went fine while I was making it, after I poured in in the mold I nearly instantly got separation! About an inch or so of oils on top with a solid mass in the bottom of the mold (also wooden) I ended up HPing it because I had NO idea what I had done wrong..it was my third or fourth batch of soap. I ended up having to stick blend it until my blender nearly died, but I got the oils worked back in and it ended up being one of my best soaps ever! I haven't been brave enough to try it again..but wanted to let you know you're not alone!
 
Thanks all for the words of advice an encouragement. Attempt #3 is in the mold. I soaped much cooler but not quite room temp (90 deg) and used my BB 12 cavity mold. We'll see how this batch goes.
ImageUploadedBySoap Making1383625415.926690.jpg


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I admire your persistence, tryanything! Many people would have given up - but instead it looks like you might be enjoying your OMH soap in a month or two!


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i cant prove this, but by my reasoning, if you immediatley put your soap in the freezer, i would think it wouldnt just cool the soap, it would slow or stop the microscopic process of making soap. Then when you let it thaw, the lye would then be deactivated, and the soaping process would not begin. Thus you are left with pockets of ooz. The only time i have experienced that ooz, is when i soaped too hot, and put it in a wooden mold and the oils separated. But, then again there are much wiser people on this forum than I, so listen to them, i am just trying to help. Good luck with the next batch. :)

I put almost all my 5lb batches in the freezer immediatly to stop gel. Only difference is with saponification is slower the process will continue for 72 hrs at which time the soap will be an acceptable ph. Oozing and tunnels are usually caused by overheating not freezing.
 
I made OMH this weekend. I freeze my milk and add my lye very slowly to the slush and honey while it's in an ice bath. It takes at least 30 minutes to add the lye to the Gm and honey. I keep an eye on the temp and make it come down to at least 75 degrees before I add more. I aim for no higher than 85 degrees when I combine the oil and lye and I put it in the fridge for at least 18 hours. Good luck and keep trying its worth the wait.


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ImageUploadedBySoap Making1383649641.075459.jpg
 
I have never had OMH soap overheat and tunnel. Of course, I have yet to make it with OMH FO. Instead, mine will often smell like sour milk. At least you can rebatch tunnelling! There's nothing you can do to save baby spit up soap.:sick: And that smell doesnt' fade, either!

OP, I don't see honey listed on your ingredients? I make OMH using canned condensed milk. I use 1/2 water and 1/2 milk. I put the milk and the honey in the oils before I add the lye, and that works for me.
 
I've used the BB square mold for goat milk, you might need to wait an extra day or two before you unmold, that is the only thing about some silicone, the thicker the silicone the longer I wait.
 
Dixiedragon, yeah I forgot to list the additives: 2 tbs each honey and ground oatmeal added at trace.

So far it's looking good. Can't tell if it gelled or not. It's a little darker then when I poured but not drastically so like gelled soap usually is. But overall, I think I finally have a successful batch! Yay! I'll post unmolded pics later.


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