Adventures in embeds and gelling ... *sigh*

[chicklet]

I have been wanting to make some soap with embeds for weeks and weeks - ever since I started looking at all the soap porn in the photo gallery. Seeing the picture of Lynnz's gorgeous purple ball soap that was posted here a week or so ago pushed me over the edge. I just had to try it. Well, the actual making of the soap went really well. I got the white soap to just the right trace - thick enough to hold the balls but not too thick that I had to rush. I made the balls a few days ago and had kept them in a ziploc plastic container so they were still soft. I had not gelled the balls. I put all my soaps in the freezer and/or fridge cause that's the way I learned and its worked well for me (and I'm developing so much patience waiting to slice!). Okay, back to the balls. I decided that I might need to gel this batch, thinking that maybe that would ensure that the balls didn't fall out later or something. So I put it in the oven. I have to say that I do like being able to slice the soap sooner and I like the look better than I thought I would - but!! (You knew there was a but, didn't you?) when I made the second slice, purple soap came oozing out. Looked just like grape jelly! Not all the balls in that slice oozed. Weird. So I stopped and let it sit a while longer. The ball that had oozed - the soap left in it firmed up quickly when exposed to the air. So, I waited several minutes and made another slice. More oozing. I left it for 3 hours and sliced again - oozing. This went on forever (much like the telling of this tale!). I finally sliced the rest and packed as much of the oozy soap back in as best I could.

So ...was it the gelling that was the problem? Would the balls have fallen out if I didn't gel?

 

[Hausfrau007]

Wow, this post couldn't have been more timely. I was inspired by the EXACT same ball soap!! It's the reason I'm infusing my OO with alkanet right now.

I'm really curious about the oozing... Could it be that ungelled soaps don't like to be heated after saponification??

I HAD planned not to gel either portion of the two step process to preserve the yummier look of the soap but I'm also aware that the balls might pop out. It's a risk I'm willing to take and I'm willing to correct it with a follow up batch if the balls fall out.

Can you post pictures?

 

[Lindy]

You do know we need pics right?

 

[chicklet]

I'm more of a novice at posting pics than I am making soap If this pic is too big please let me know.

Didn't notice the Grand Canyon air bubble hole til I took the pic. The ball in the middle is the one that leaked grape jelly.

 

[Lindy]

I think you need to let the soap become soap (fully saponified) before making the balls. That way they have the ability to retain their shape. Of course I could be wrong and hopefully Lynnz will pop by and expand...

 

[judymoody]

I think maybe you cut too soon. yes, soap that is in gel is soft and translucent and oozy. If you wait until it is completely cool, it shouldn't ooze. What temperature was your oven and how long was it in there? If it was over 170 or so, it might have overheated.

 

[Lynnz]

Not sure what caused the balls to ooze like they did were they fragranced at all? As for non gelling and balls yes it can work very well as long as the balls you use are fairly fresh as the ones you used in this soap were otherwise they will drag through the soap and top ones will fall out, it is of course a matter of being patient and giving the soap a few days before cutting (such a big ask for me). I was a serious non gell soaper for quite a number of years and went through hellish ashing issues through the wintertime here and decided to begin gelling. I live in queensland and have only ever gelled in the oven once and it overheated and my soap ended up full of tiny bubbles!!!!!. I now gell all my soaps those with balls included with no problems either but being in a warm climate all I mostly need to do to get gell is leave the soap on the bench covered with a towel. Soap looks great by the way

 

[Lynnz]

I only put soap in the oven once they were little teddy soaps that were ashing and I was generous with the heat to ensure they gelled................well they darn near baked LOL and the soap was full of tiny bubbles like blisters.......................that was the one and only attemp at gelling via the oven

 

[chicklet]

Thanks so much for the replies. I had the oven on 170 F, put the soap in for an hour, turned the stove off, and let the soap stay in the oven overnight. It was probably close to midnight when I turned the oven off and around 9 the next morning when I first tried to cut the soap. It was still a little warm, but every attempt I made throughout the day still resulted in grape jelly oozing out. The balls did not have fragrance added to them. The white soap did have lavender in it. I'm thinking now that it was too much heat and even though the soap around the balls cooled as the day went on, some of the balls had overheated. I think I'll try gelling without the oven and waiting longer before I cut the bars. I may also try a batch without gelling so I can compare.

Here's my next embedding adventure in the making:

LOL - the dark spot you see is just a shadow, but look at the numbers imprinted on the column! Luckily it's only an ink transfer so I can rub it off.

 

[Lindy]

Not sure what caused the balls to ooze like they did were they fragranced at all? As for non gelling and balls yes it can work very well as long as the balls you use are fairly fresh as the ones you used in this soap were otherwise they will drag through the soap and top ones will fall out, it is of course a matter of being patient and giving the soap a few days before cutting (such a big ask for me). I was a serious non gell soaper for quite a number of years and went through hellish ashing issues through the wintertime here and decided to begin gelling. I live in queensland and have only ever gelled in the oven once and it overheated and my soap ended up full of tiny bubbles!!!!!. I now gell all my soaps those with balls included with no problems either but being in a warm climate all I mostly need to do to get gell is leave the soap on the bench covered with a towel. Soap looks great by the way

Lynnz you are actually allowing the soap you use for balls become soap though right? rather than thick soap batter yes?

 

[Lynnz]

Lynnz you are actually allowing the soap you use for balls become soap though right? rather than thick soap batter yes?[/quote]

Ummmm how would one roll thick soap batter into balls??????????

 

[Lindy]

....SNIP I got the white soap to just the right trace - thick enough to hold the balls but not too thick that I had to rush. I made the balls a few days ago and had kept them in a ziploc plastic container so they were still soft. I had not gelled the balls. SNIP.......

So could this be the problem then Lynnz?

 

[Hausfrau007]

Yo has any of you checked out Lynnz's blog? Oh my good lord is that woman ever talented! Not only with the soaps and candles, which deserve awards as it is, but the tidy way her blog is structured. I just love it. Very inspiring.

 

[Lindy]

Lyn is amazing! Totally talented and a really nice person to boot....

 

[chicklet]

Her soap pictures have provided me with endless hours of entertainment and stress relief. I'm not sure why, but when I look at her soap I just go "ahhhh....." and then I feel all relaxed. They're pure works of art.

 

[chicklet]

Update: I salvaged what I could of my purple ball soap. A few bars were fine as they were, others had the oozing balls on the edge so I cut them off and made hose bars smaller.

Some of the bars had oozing balls in the center so I rebatched them (my first attempt):

So I thought I would try embeds one more time. I think I'm ready to admit defeat. These yellow ball bars turned out okay, no yellow jelly oozing out anywhere, but they have streaks in them - some worse than others (see the one on the right?).

They look better now than they did when I first cut them, but I don't think all the streaks are going away. Oh well, it was fun and its usable soap.

 

[silvercb67]

I think they look great! I want to try this soon as well. Scary stuff! lol

 

[Hausfrau007]

I like the orange slushy layer on the bottom a lot (what did you use for colour?), but I do think the ball part could look better -- and what do you think the streaky stuff is?? I think you should have one more whirl at it at the very least. I know you have the tenacity not to give up after two tries, lol.

Did you gel the thing? I'm planning not to.... (wait for pictures between Xmas and New Years when I shall attack this project).

Yo, the rebatching looks amazing.

 

[2lilboots]

It is that daggone titanium dioxide it streaks again!

 

[chicklet]

Hausfrau you are such an enabler!! Lol - yeah, I really do need to try again. 3rd time is charm?

I did use TD so I bet that's what the streaks are! Thanks, 2lil - now tell me the secret to using TD.

The yellow color is from annato seed infused oil. I made the balls a couple of days earlier but did not gel them. I did gel it after it was all put together so that's why the bottom yellow looks different than the balls. I do need to try an ungelled batch and see what happens.

I'm happy with the rebatch - used a crockpot with a liner. I'm sorry to say I have another failed mess to rebatch - I made a batch of honey yogurt soap that is all blotchy brown in places and the inside of the bars look sort of like partial gel but much worse. My first batch was perfect, but unscented. I used fragrance oil with this batch so I think that's the culprit. Oh well - I'm learning so much!!