Annoyed with Cutting my soap!

[Stinkydancer]

Hi everyone-

I hope you guys can help me out.

I'm having an issue with my soap getting little bumps after I cut it. They are usually the same color as the soap and appear in every CP batch I do after cutting.

I have tried soaping without oils that have stearic and still the same result. I have also tried soaping hotter, waiting longer to cut, etc.. The soap is perfect otherwise and always smooth in the mold and the sides and bottom are always smooth.

I use a handled wire cutter (have also tried a blade). It seemed I got a little less with the blade but they were still there. The wire cutter cuts more evenly than my free hand or blade with mitre box so I really don't want to get rid of it.

I just don't know what else I can do. I'm able to smooth them out after the fact with some water but you can still see spottiness. I tried to take a pic but was having a hard time showing the bumps.

If anyone has any advice- I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks!

 

[kharmon320]

It's going to be hard without a pic, but I'm wondering if it's not small air bubbles? I don't have a clue what else it would be. Sorry I couldn't be more help.

 

[Stinkydancer]

That's what I think they are too- but I can't figure out how to stop it.

I tested it to see if it was Stearic in the Stearic batches and it wasn't.

It's just super annoying! Thanks for the reply!

 

[dieSpinne]

When you pour your CP soap, is it still liquid or has it already reached thick trace by that point?

Also, do you "Thump" it like you would a cake to get the air bubbles to come up to the top?

 

[Stinkydancer]

I do thump.

It depends on what I'm doing- generally I pour thin unless I'm doing a top in which case I pour the first layer thin and take the top to thick trace.

The weird thing is when I first cut the soap- it seems smooth on the face of it and then a few hours into the cure- I notice the spots. I'm not sure exactly when they are appearing or how long it is taking though.

I also forgot to mention when I pour the soap into my 12 bar silicone mold and unmold from that- I never have the spots at all. Unfortunately- that mold won't work for every batch.

 

[judymoody]

Sounds like air bubbles but without a photo can't say for sure.

Have you checked your stick blender? I had one that developed a problem with the seal and another soaper suggested that might be the issue and that I consider replacing it. I switched to a different SB and they went away. It's also a less high-powered one so I think it whips up the soap less.

Also I find air bubbles much more noticeable if you use a wire cutter as opposed to a blade cutter.

 

[Fragola]

Air bubbles should be easy to spot using a magnifying glass.

You could be describing a case of grainy soap. I don't know exactly what it is, but people talk about it.

Is this what you are talking about ?

Quite difficult to catch on camera, the naughty creatures, but here they are:

Btw, from my experience, thumping doesn't get rid of the smaller air bubbles. Or maybe are my thumping skills inadequate ?

 

[Stinkydancer]

Yep that looks like them only not as bad as that one- yikes! It does seem to vary from batch to batch.
Rarely, I notice them on my hp batches.
Thanks for posting the pic- yep hard to photo for sure.

Judi- I didn't try using my SB at a lower speed- it's pretty new but powerful. I will give that a go as well. I didn't think about whipping air.

I have been making soap for a long time and before I had my wire cutter- I noticed spots here and there but didn't think anything of it.
But holy cow- do I completely stink at cutting soap free hand or even with a mitre box- but that is the beauty of handmade right? LOL
I may have to go back to that. I wanted a tank but now not so sure.

I can get rid of them sort of by spritzing with water and rubbing a little with a sponge but you can still see where they were and when I use the soap- I never feel anything grainy which is what I initially thought was going on until I soaped a stearic free batch.

Noone has ever complained about it at all but it bugs the heck out of me.

I could also be an inadequate thumper???:shock: :shock:

Thanks so much for your replies. I will figure this out eventually or just stick with my beloved HP- LOL! I just have had an itch lately to go back to CP. Aaah soap what a lovely addiction!

 

[Fragola]

Personally, I don't believe they are air bubbles. I watched them closely, I petted them, I licked them, I poked them with a needle.

I know what air bubbles are, I also get them a lot, and these seem like a different beast. I've got soap with many air bubbles and little bumps or with a lot of bumps and little air bubbles. But it could be possible that air bubbles play a certain role in bump creation.

As I said, I don't know what the bumps are and where they come from. However, I would almost say they look like fully gelled soap grains floating in a less than fully gelled mass.

Do you gel your soaps ? If I am right (and I could be wrong) temperature plays a big role in your problem. I know I have not noticed the bumps in HP, frozen soap, or whipped soap.

Unless you get a definitive answer, it's very easy to test my hypothesis. Next time when you do a batch, put aside a tiny quantity in the freezer and another one in the oven. If you don't have individual molds, improvise. Cut each piece in two and compare the results.

I don't know what is the correct temperature is for over processing, you need to research that and keep a tight temperature control. It probably helps if you don't discount the water too much.

Also, even if these are air bubbles, preventing gel could change the aesthetics involved (hopefully better looking).

 

[dOttY]

I too, have had this experience with a few batches. The thing I've noticed is that when I don't gel, this is when I tend to get these spots....

 

[Stinkydancer]

I mostly gel depending- the latest batches have all been gelled in the oven- CPOP.

I will test that Fragola thank you for the idea.

I do like ungelled soap as well but haven't not gelled in awhile but I don't remember the spots being bad then.

 

[panzerakc]

Do you cut each bar separately or all at once?

Is it possible, if you cut one at a time, that it's tiny bits of soap stuck on the cutter from the previous bar?

Anita

 

[reallyrita]

I never got "bumps" until I started to use my new tank. Now, I seem to get them on the sides of the cut soap where the wire went through. The tank has changed my soaping life so much. I was terrible at cutting, so I just live with the little imperfections. No one has complained or asked me about them yet, but they do bug me.

 

[Stinkydancer]

Do you cut each bar separately or all at once?

Is it possible, if you cut one at a time, that it's tiny bits of soap stuck on the cutter from the previous bar?

Anita

I was thinking that but I wipe down the wire before each cut.

I'm horrible at cutting soap as well without it so I may just have to live with them or waiting longer to cut- could possibly help.

 

[Fragola]

Another random thought, not sure if helpful.

I am not convinced that the wire cutter creates the bumps. Rather I am thinking that maybe using a knife, especially on softer soap - causes the blade to slide across the entire surface and level the bumps, essentially hiding all bumps beneath a smooth surface. Just a theory, didn't pay that much attention to knife cuts versus wire cuts.

 

[Stinkydancer]

The knife on soap that is too soap- leaves a drag at least on mine.

I solved this problem though- I bought a slab from Brambleberry that I have been wanting for some time.

I attached a pic so you can see- look closely at the star in the middle. It was perfectly smooth and made a few days prior- cut and there are the bumps. I have noticed it on other people's soaps too maybe someone can solve it some day.

If I clean it up- it's gone anyway- it never seems to run through the middle.



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