Tiny bubbles and turning white

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Luckyone80

Luckyone80

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This is the 2nd batch of soap I've made and the 2nd batch where the tops have a tiny bubble like appearance and turning white. What am I doing wrong? I sprays the tops with 9% alcohol to prevent ash from forming, is that what is causing it?
 
CPOP this batch. I was told by someone else that I "cooked" it too long and it overheated. I watched a Youtube vid where a lady set her oven on 170 degrees, popped the soap in and turned it every 5-10 min for an hour until it gelled and then turned the oven off and left the soap in there overnight. So I did the same thing and of course mine didn't turn out like hers.
 
Usually CP soap will reach full gel without help, unless you are soaping very cool or have a very "slow moving" recipe. You may want to try just covering your soap after you pour it and wrapping it with a towel for a few hours to overnight.

If you want to be sure of gel using CPOP, turn your oven on to 170F, as soon as it reaches temperature pop your soap in and turn the oven off. Don't open the oven again, don't turn the soap, just leave it in there overnight.

Silicone molds and CPOP sometimes don't play well together and can make your soap bubble.
 
I think it's from CPOPing. I've only CPOP'd a few times and had the same thing happen and worse. However, if you didin't CPOP both batches I'm not sure what happend on the other one.
 
new12soap said:
Silicone molds and CPOP sometimes don't play well together and can make your soap bubble.
Click to expand...


Agree with this statement. I use only unfinished, non-glued wooden molds when i CPOP. The description of the little bubbles matches exactly to why silicone molds are not recomended for CPOP.
 
No I didn't use the same mold or recipe as the lady in the video. I used a cardboard mold and a recipe I made up and ran through a soap calc. I've been told that the soap overheated which caused the bubbles and that I used too much water, which I used the default 38%. I unmolded the soap yesterday to check it out and it has an oily feeling, like when cheddar cheese sets out at room temp too long and turns dark and oily.

Recipe used:

33.6 oz Olive Oil
14.4 oz Coconut Oil
18.24 oz Water
6.83 oz Lye
 
Luckyone80 said:
No I didn't use the same mold or recipe as the lady in the video. I used a cardboard mold and a recipe I made up and ran through a soap calc. I've been told that the soap overheated which caused the bubbles and that I used too much water, which I used the default 38%. I unmolded the soap yesterday to check it out and it has an oily feeling, like when cheddar cheese sets out at room temp too long and turns dark and oily.

Recipe used:

33.6 oz Olive Oil
14.4 oz Coconut Oil
18.24 oz Water
6.83 oz Lye
Click to expand...

Let me clarify, I don't claim to be an expert on anything. That includes soaping. But here's some food for thought.

Your water levels look fine. SoapCalc gives your water the basic 38% level. While i usually soap lower than that, I've made a ton of soap at the 38% level without getting bubbles.

Overheating can do some crazy things, cracking, mushrooming, holes, separation. I've never had it just make little bubbles in my soap, yet I can't say I"ve had that many soaps overheat.

You've got a lot of OO in the recipe. When I make my Castille soap, 100% OO, it comes out of the mold feeling a little greasy. It cures out wonderfully. Was there actually Oil sitting on top of your loaf when you took it out?

Lastly, and this is just an observation, cardboard is produced using a lot of different chemicals, some do include silicone. Soap can be a sensitive little animal and CPOP can accentuate that sensitivity. Have you CPOP'd any other soaps in a cardboard mold that didn't react in this manner?

You know as an afterthought, one more idea. You could also be getting air bubbles from a SB, if not done right. A person can just mix an air bubble into the batter. That will certainly cause little bubbles on top of a loaf.

Just some thoughts.
 
Last edited:
JustBeachy said:
Let me clarify, I don't claim to be an expert on anything. That includes soaping. But here's some food for thought.

Your water levels look fine. SoapCalc gives your water the basic 38% level. While i usually soap lower than that, I've made a ton of soap at the 38% level without getting bubbles.

Overheating can do some crazy things, cracking, mushrooming, holes, separation. I've never had it just make little bubbles in my soap, yet I can't say I"ve had that many soaps overheat.

You've got a lot of OO in the recipe. When I make my Castille soap, 100% OO, it comes out of the mold feeling a little greasy. It cures out wonderfully. Was there actually Oil sitting on top of your loaf when you took it out?

Lastly, and this is just an observation, cardboard is produced using a lot of different chemicals, some do include silicone. Soap can be a sensitive little animal and CPOP can accentuate that sensitivity. Have you CPOP'd any other soaps in a cardboard mold that didn't react in this manner?

You know as an afterthought, one more idea. You could also be getting air bubbles from a SB, if not done right. A person can just mix an air bubble into the batter. That will certainly cause little bubbles on top of a loaf.

Just some thoughts.
Click to expand...

I also sprayed the top of it with 91% alcohol, just a quick spritz down the middle, don't know if that did anything or not.

No oil sitting on top or anything but deff oily feeling, the freezer paper was completely saturated on both ends of the mold, meaning the oil soaked both ends of the paper.

This is only my 2nd batch of soap and I did notice both times that when I SB that I get bubbles. I put the SB in the mixture and tilt at an angle so no air is trapped and I try not to lift it out of the mixture at all but both times I have ended up with bubbles. They are gone (or seems to be) by the time I pour into the mold but maybe not?
 
your stick blender may have a bad seal in it and be incorporating air into your batter, if you see bubbles that is pretty much certainly what is happening.

but as for your soap, between the bubbles on top and the rubbery texture, I am pretty sure you overcooked it.

next time either don't put it in the oven at all, or turn the oven off as soon as you put it in.
 
Luckyone80 said:
I also sprayed the top of it with 91% alcohol, just a quick spritz down the middle, don't know if that did anything or not.

No oil sitting on top or anything but deff oily feeling, the freezer paper was completely saturated on both ends of the mold, meaning the oil soaked both ends of the paper.

This is only my 2nd batch of soap and I did notice both times that when I SB that I get bubbles. I put the SB in the mixture and tilt at an angle so no air is trapped and I try not to lift it out of the mixture at all but both times I have ended up with bubbles. They are gone (or seems to be) by the time I pour into the mold but maybe not?
Click to expand...

Try to zap test the soap. If you're not getting a zap, I would say let it cure for a bit and see how it turns out. Again, this is only my opinion, but it could be a combination of things. The stick blender, possibility of over heating. Just part of the learning curve. Are you tamping your batter in the mold? By this I mean gently dropping the mold on the countertop during the pour phase. If I have a trace that gets away from me, I'll pour, drop the mold, pour, drop the mold. Of course I'm using homemade red oak molds, so you need to be a little careful with a cardboard mold. Don't drop it hard enough to splash soap batter all over you. haha

There are as many opinions on the "best" process of curing soap as there are people making soap. Gel or no gel, cp or cpop, pop it in the fridge. To be honest, I've tried **** near every idea I've ever heard or read about. While I've seen some differences, they were never that drastic. I've heard lots of people say that CPOP will always leave air bubbles, that it fades the colors/scents. I've heard lots of people say CPOP is the only way to go and it brightens the colors. I either just wrap my soap, or I CPOP everytime. CPOP has never caused air bubbles in my soaps, always seems to produce a less waxy look to my colors and I like the outcome.

The thing is, that's my experience and opinion. I would suggest you try some of the different methods, with the same recipe and see which one you like best. As for the SB bubbles, I tend to SB to emulsion, then i alternate between a little SB and some hand stir. And SB on the low setting. Unless your trying to make a "soap that floats", there's no need to whip it to death. Hope this helps.
 
JustBeachy said:
Try to zap test the soap. If you're not getting a zap, I would say let it cure for a bit and see how it turns out. Again, this is only my opinion, but it could be a combination of things. The stick blender, possibility of over heating. Just part of the learning curve. Are you tamping your batter in the mold? By this I mean gently dropping the mold on the countertop during the pour phase. If I have a trace that gets away from me, I'll pour, drop the mold, pour, drop the mold. Of course I'm using homemade red oak molds, so you need to be a little careful with a cardboard mold. Don't drop it hard enough to splash soap batter all over you. haha

There are as many opinions on the "best" process of curing soap as there are people making soap. Gel or no gel, cp or cpop, pop it in the fridge. To be honest, I've tried **** near every idea I've ever heard or read about. While I've seen some differences, they were never that drastic. I've heard lots of people say that CPOP will always leave air bubbles, that it fades the colors/scents. I've heard lots of people say CPOP is the only way to go and it brightens the colors. I either just wrap my soap, or I CPOP everytime. CPOP has never caused air bubbles in my soaps, always seems to produce a less waxy look to my colors and I like the outcome.

The thing is, that's my experience and opinion. I would suggest you try some of the different methods, with the same recipe and see which one you like best. As for the SB bubbles, I tend to SB to emulsion, then i alternate between a little SB and some hand stir. And SB on the low setting. Unless your trying to make a "soap that floats", there's no need to whip it to death. Hope this helps.
Click to expand...

I cut the whole loaf tonight, I did the zap test and no zap.
I always tamp the mold to get bubbles out, there aren't bubbles in the middle of the soap, just on the very top. I'm pretty sure it just got too hot. It wasn't that oily when I cut it like it was yesterday - mostly just oily on the ends of the loaf.

I took some trimmings and added a little water to it and balled them up in my hand and washed my hands with it and it made really nice bubbles.
I think it will be ok, I don't plan to sell it, was just making for the hay of it to see if I could.
 
new12soap said:
your stick blender may have a bad seal in it and be incorporating air into your batter, if you see bubbles that is pretty much certainly what is happening.

but as for your soap, between the bubbles on top and the rubbery texture, I am pretty sure you overcooked it.

next time either don't put it in the oven at all, or turn the oven off as soon as you put it in.
Click to expand...

The blender is brand new, only been used twice so I'm gonna chalk it up to user error.

The soap isn't rubbery, just oily but I cut up the whole loaf tonight and it wasn't as oily as it was yesterday. I agree, I believe I overcooked it.
 
Ahh I finally figured out how to upload pics without using Photobucket. Here was the soap yesterday.

10710803_10204279982416049_3242398220507043331_n.jpg


1461731_10204279982536052_1566429698121510301_n.jpg


1654151_10204279982776058_743007334748992553_n.jpg
 
Those look pretty good actually :)

And yep, that top looks like an overheating from CPOP..I had one do that one time, one of my first CPOP in fact..I just embraced it..it gave it homemade charm imo :D:
 
Thank you! I will try just wrapping the mold in towels and if that doesn't work then just preheating the oven and turning it off before I put the soap in.
 
i usually soap pretty cool (rt), and i found that sometimes the top of the soap has a bad case of ash + it's crumbly (more worse than Lucky's). wrapping the mold in towels prevented this thing as the heat is distributed more evenly. no more crumbly-white-y top :D
 

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