Air in soap

[brookstonesoaps]

I'm having trouble with the 25 lb blocks of soap cracking on top causing a loss of usable bars. I'm assuming the cracking is caused from air bubbles. Can anyone explain this and offer a cure? Thanks. This is my first post.

 

[Saponista]

Sounds more like overheating to me.

 

[brookstonesoaps]

Overheating?

 

[lpstephy85]

What kind of soap is it? In order to help we need more information (recipe, soap type, etc.).

 

[Dorymae]

Overheating?

Yup overheating. Not that you heated the soap but that the saponification process caused too much heat. This commonly happens if you have any sugary substance in your soap like honey, sugars, or milks. It can also happen if you have a high percentage of coconut oil, or if you CPOP your soap.

The way to avoid it depends on how you treated it in the first place. IE., it you oven processed it then don't. If you insulated it then don't. If you did nothing, then put it in the fridge or freezer.

 

[DeeAnna]

Also need the type of mold in which you're seeing this problem. The geometry also affects the rate of heating.

 

[brookstonesoaps]

It's a goats milk recipe with

 

[coffeetime]

Are you of the Brookstone Soaps I'm finding online? If so, I'm guessing you have been making this recipe for awhile?

So what elements have changed since the last time you made it? Or has every single batch of this recipe reacted this way?

 

[brookstonesoaps]

17% almond oil, 3.45% castor oil, 20.7 coconut oil, 44.8% Olive oil & 13% palm kernel.

 

[brookstonesoaps]

17% almond oil, 3.45% castor oil, 20.7 coconut oil, 44.8% Olive oil & 13% palm kernel.

I tend to have this problem with nearly all recipes.

 

[brookstonesoaps]

I tend to have this problem with nearly ally recipes.

 

[brookstonesoaps]

The cracking did not occur when we used the 10lb molds. It began when we changed to the larger block mold.

 

[coffeetime]

Those percentages only add up to 98.95. Are you pouring as one big block of 25lbs in a wooden mold? Do you insulate? That recipe isn't a super heater.

 

[coffeetime]

It's overheating due to the thermal mass you've got in a huge volume of soap. You would have to keep everything cool. I'd go back to the ten pound molds personally.

 

[boyago]

I think it's more likely heat and or the geometry of the mold. Since you weren't having this problem before check out the surface area to volume of the mold your were using to the new ones. Also the cracks are showing up after the soaps' initial set it could be loss of volume to evaporation. If the molds are build with dents for dividing the soap the surface area will be greater on the dents side and cause uneven evaporation and bend or crack the soap. If it's because of heat from a greater volume causing the core of the soap to remain much warmer longer I would guess you could try cooling the curing soap to slow the reactions down but I'm not sure this would help. A second thought if your soap is not overheating and the cracking is due to the temperature difference you might have better luck going the other way and insulating so all the soap has a better chance of staying about the same temp. Sorry, the polar opposite ideas but that where I would start thinking.

 

[Susie]

Did y'all happen to notice what FDA says about making medical claims pertaining to your soap before you put the webiste up?

"Sensitive Skin Bar – Good for Eczema and Psoriasis due to its moisturizing qualities (Our daughter’s “skin saving soap”). Ingredients are Avocado Oil, rich in vitamins A. D. & E as well as amino acids and protein. It is wonderfully moisturizing and excellent for anyone with extremely sensitive skin. Almond Oil is great for dry, inflamed, or irritated skin. Almond oil also contains vitamins and minerals. JoJoba Oil is used for it’s conditioning properities. Jojoba has some anti-inflammatory properities and has great moisturizing potential. Shea Butter also known as the African Karite butter, is expressed from the pits of the fruit of the African Butter tree which grows in Central Africa. It adds moisture and nourishes the skin...."

http://brookstonesoaps.com/all-products/bar-soap/sensitive-skin-bar/

 

[brookstonesoaps]

Thanks for all your suggestions.