I have made a lot of soap batches and had no problem unmolding the soaps. This time, I used a lard recipe with 5% superfat along with other oils (coconut and palm and castor) and after two days and putting the molds in the freezer I cannot unmold them from plastic molds without cracking the molds and messing up the shape of the soaps. Any ideas on why the soaps won't pop out of the molds? I sprayed with alcohol before pouring.
Can't unmold soap
- Thread starter marie743
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Dahila
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You spray with alcohol before curing? I spray 99 alcohol after I pour to prevent ash, You suppose to spray with grease not alcohol, to unmold easier. Maybe someone will give an idea how to unmold it.
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Marie, are these individual molds or loaf molds? If they are log or loaf molds, you might try running a knife all around the sides of the mold to lossen and then try to slip a thin metal spatula underneath to lossen the bottom. You may have some ragged soap, but fresh soap is easy to repair.
I would just wait a couple more days, are these the same molds that you have used in the past? You could always try the freezer for a longer time too. The soap will shrink as it loses water, and you should have better luck then.
I used plastic molds for the first time and one mold that I have used before with no problems. How do you spray with grease? You mean like the can sprays you use in cooking? My soap turned out very sticky for some reason. I used 34% water ratio. Does anyone think this is why the soaps would not unmold?
And you could try the freeze for 2 hours, then dip into very hot water trick. But if you are using those fancy plastic molds, then you may have issues.
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I use petroleum jelly to grease up my difficult molds.
navigator9
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When using individual plastic molds, like Milky Way molds, it's hard to get them to gel, you can't put them in the oven, and their individual mass isn't great enough to generate enough heat to get them to gel. So if they haven't gelled, just wait longer for the saponification process to really finish. Then put in the freezer for a good long while, overnight even. When you take them out, be careful, the plastic mold will be brittle, turn it upside down on your kitchen counter and gently press with your thumbs, and hopefully they will pop out. A little sodium lactate in your recipe may help. Good luck!
Marie- sodium lactate is an additive with several uses, one of which is to harden soap for easier unmolding. I use it at 2.75% to 3% in my soap.
When I use plastic Milkyway-type molds, I lightly grease them with mineral oil (using an artist paint-brush to apply). After my soap has set up about a day after pouring, I pop my mold in the freezer for at least 24 hours, then I take it out, flip it over, and hold it under my faucet and run some lukewarm water over it for about 15 seconds or so, and they pop right out.
IrishLass
When I use plastic Milkyway-type molds, I lightly grease them with mineral oil (using an artist paint-brush to apply). After my soap has set up about a day after pouring, I pop my mold in the freezer for at least 24 hours, then I take it out, flip it over, and hold it under my faucet and run some lukewarm water over it for about 15 seconds or so, and they pop right out.
IrishLass
3% of oils. Most often a % refers to the oil amount as the total size varies with a water discount
Sorry about that, Marie- I use a 60% solution of sodium lactate at a rate of 2.75% to 3% ppo.
IrishLass
IrishLass
PPO means "per pound of oils". Here is a thread from the Introduction section that lists all the acronyms we use:
http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=3789
IrishLass
http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=3789
IrishLass
Obsidian
Well-Known Member
I *used* to have a plastic mold that I really liked. I always greased it with a bit of vaseline before pouring but the last time I didn't. Nothing would get that soap out of the mold, I ended up cutting it off since it was thin plastic.
I would try freezing for a few hours, hopefully that will harden it enough so you can pop it out. Make sure you let it completely thaw before cutting.
I would try freezing for a few hours, hopefully that will harden it enough so you can pop it out. Make sure you let it completely thaw before cutting.
plastic milky way type molds I always spray with pam put in the freezer for a little while and they pop right out. If you push on the plastic while it is still quite frozen it can crack over time.
Very possibly. I saw a video where a soaper used beeswax in the example and the liner was stuck to the soap. She then showed another recipe, sans wax and the liner peeled off with no issues at all.
Out of interest, why did you include the wax?
girlishcharm2004
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Are you talking about the Canadian girl named "Ariane"?
"Cutting my bigger batch of cold process soap" (2:20)
Couldn't get the link to work.
