When curing CP soap goes flaky in the middle

misfities · Mar 4, 2015

I think I've had a big revelation. See, last night I made a batch of soap I was very pleased with. Made it around 9pm and unmolded it around 7am. I was surprised that it was still lukewarm after having been seran-wrapped in the mold all night. Anyway, I cut the bars and found that the middle was still a little gooey. Just a little bit. Then as they've sat around drying today, I noticed that the rest of the bars firmed up nice and smooth but there's a big, dry circle where the gooey center didn't heal in the same fashion as the rest of the bar.

Those of you with knowledge and/or this same experience... is it because I unwrapped and cut my bars too soon? IS there a good rule of thumb to follow to avoid this?

I don't know if you can see from my picture, but here it is. This is a lard/coconut soap with nettle leaf flakes.

cmzaha · Mar 4, 2015

I looks like a partial gel. Was this cut from the center of the soap log? You actually cut pretty soon if the soap was still warm. It looks to me that the rest of the soap did not gel. I am a little confused since your subject states flaky in the middle and you mention it is gooey, these would be two different scenarios, or it could have somewhat flaked due to cutting to soon, which is really not flaking but dragging the wet soap

Confused_Penguin · Mar 4, 2015

If it has a round circle in the middle of the bar that means your soap did not gel all the way. If you want your soaps to fully gel it helps insulate by wrapping it around a few towels. If you do not want your soaps to gel, you can stick it in the freezer and leave it untouched for 24 hours.

Also by the time you have cut too early. You should wait around 24 hours before cutting your soap. If you know that it still luke warm, if you know it is still gooey on the inside, that's a clear indication to leave it alone for a few hours, maybe even a day. As it cures the circle might lighten up a bit but only time will tell.

Dorymae · Mar 4, 2015

Yup the gooey was not quite done cooling off and solidifying. I've seen the same thing when I cut too soon (or am too impatient!). You will be able to clean up the bars without a problem after they cure.

misfities · Mar 4, 2015

To answer the first responder, it was gooey when i cut it into slices. Then as it dried, the gooey center dried visibly different from the rest of the bar. I think I've learned that I need to give it much more time to cure since this way I have done it has permanently warped the center. Is it normal to throw it in the freezer? I don't know what works for everyone else.

claryza · Mar 4, 2015

You put it in the freezer if you want to ungel soaps. When you leave it outside and insulate it, you gelled the soap ^^

misfities · Mar 4, 2015

claryza said:
You put it in the freezer if you want to ungel soaps. When you leave it outside and insulate it, you gelled the soap ^^

Sorry, I don't exactly comprehend that. to un-gel means to cure it? and to gel it means to keep it goey on the inside for longer amount of time?

When curing CP soap goes flaky in the middle

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