Bar vs Loaf in CP

[ferret]

I got a 12 individual soap bar mold and feel like I entered a new universe. It's kind of like this one:
http://productimages.brambleberry.com/2015_Product/Molds/6BarOvalSiliconeMold_SIL68_Main_A.jpg

Anyone have resources on how to make sure it comes out ok. Do I need to get a heating pad or put them in the oven to make sure they harden or stay at a certain temp for a certain time? I've made this recipe before in a loaf and it came out perfect.

The first time I used it for the oval bars they were half "done" after 48 hours I left them in the mold for weeks maybe even a month until part of them were hard enough to come out. At that point only about half was hard enough to come out. I took it out and flipped it so the mushy side was up and it hardened fine.

I could only fill it half way but prefer to know more about how the heating/ curing process goes when doing individual bars. Any resources will help, thanks!

 

[dixiedragon]

If they were too mushy to un mold after a month, I think that's a problem with your recipe. I am thinking you added too much water or too little lye?

Can you check the manufacturer's page and see what temp they are safe too?

I am a geller so I CPOP most of my soaps.

If you find you are having a hard time un molding, put the soap in the freezer for a few hours (or a few days if you forget, lol) then run hot water over the bottom of the mold.

 

[Steve85569]

Santa brought me some bar molds too. Mine are silicone and safe to 450 degrees F so I put the mold on a cookie sheet and CPOP at 140 for a while. I haven't gone for full gel as yet ( patience is not my forte') but I'm positive they would work for gel too. They unmold the next day without a problem. The castile bars took about 30 hours.

 

[lsg]

Individual bar molds are great for salt bars.

 

[dibbles]

Like lsg I use the individual molds for salt bars. For my regular batches I really try to get gel and can unmold the next day. If the soap doesn't gel, it can take longer, but usually unmolds after 48 hours. I put the mold on a cookie sheet before I pour so it can be moved easily.

 

[shunt2011]

Another one who only uses individual molds for salt bars. Haven't tried my regular soap recipes.

 

[dcornett]

I'm a sucker for silicone molds! I've got several, but can't seem to say no to another...especially if they are marked down. The sad part is I hardly ever use them, because I can get so many more bars out of a log. I've done regular bars in them many times though and they always come out nice and easy in just a couple days...the same as a log. I'm with dixiedragon, if I couldn't pop them out after several days I think I'd recheck my recipe.

 

[BattleGnome]

I have the 12 oval bar mold from BB (when they were in clearence) and the reviews said to leave the bars molded for almost a week and to use sodium lactate to help harden the soap. I've only used the mold 2-3 times and each time my impatience has had me pulling away the sides after a day or two to see if the soap sticks and to let a bit of air reach the bottoms.
I'm still a new soaper and am not sure what else might help

 

[shunt2011]

I have the 12 oval bar mold from BB (when they were in clearence) and the reviews said to leave the bars molded for almost a week and to use sodium lactate to help harden the soap. I've only used the mold 2-3 times and each time my impatience has had me pulling away the sides after a day or two to see if the soap sticks and to let a bit of air reach the bottoms.
I'm still a new soaper and am not sure what else might help

Putting them in the freezer for a couple hours or so will make them unmold easier.

 

[Dahila]

I tried to do in individual molds and was unmolding at the same time as log, maybe even faster. I do not gell anything. It must be something wrong, with the recipe

 

[traderbren]

I have a similar mold but round not oval. I CPOP most of my recipes, and found the ones in the mold just as easy to unmold as my loaf. I do have to watch for overheating in the mold though. If yours were still mushy, I'd suspect the recipe or perhaps something went wrong.

As stated above, they are fabulous for salt bars! I also make my gardener/mechanic bars in it.

 

[paillo]

I'm now using silicone molds for all my soap. I make mostly swirl-in-the-pot soleseife and salt bars and CPOP the brine soaps. They pop out just fine in a couple of days (though it took me several tries to get the hang of unmolding from my favorite, rectangular molds from Brambleberry).

 

[ferret]

I think it was the recipe but just in case I'd like to do the oven process. Does how long you oven process the soap depend on the recipe or how can I add an oven process time to my recipe?

Thanks

 

[Steve85569]

Preheat oven to the desired temp. Usually 140 to 170 - I stay on the lower end.
Insert bar mould on cookie sheet.
Shut oven off.
In the morning remove cookie sheet and mould from cooled off oven ( overnight).
Check tops for mushy-ness. If mushy the waiting game is still on. I
Otherwise:
Test to see if they come out fairly easily.

 

[penelopejane]

It doesn't depend on the recipe except that a lot of people don't want milk soaps to gel so they put them in the fridge.

For all other recipes I want gel so I heat the oven to 100 deg F, put my soap in a cardboard box and wrap it in a blanket., put it in the oven and turn the oven off. I think the important thing is that it only needs gentle warming rather than cooking.

 

[dixiedragon]

If you have ingredients that want to overheat - honey, milk, sugar, some FOs - then you need to be really careful if you OP. I can't imagine how difficult a soap volcano in your oven would be to clean up.

 

[Steve85569]

If you have ingredients that want to overheat - honey, milk, sugar, some FOs - then you need to be really careful if you OP. I can't imagine how difficult a soap volcano in your oven would be to clean up.

A volcano or leak in the oven can take a lot of time and effort to clean up. I had a small problem with a wood mold. ONCE.

 

[penelopejane]

A volcano or leak in the oven can take a lot of time and effort to clean up. I had a small problem with a wood mold. ONCE.

Another advantage of silicone molds. :mrgreen:

 

[ferret]

I'm excited about the oven process/ no 4 week cure part. I have had overheating and separating in the past but I'm not worried about the oven. My dh has our "old" oven in the garage for a hotbox, so I don't have to worry about the oven spill part- I will put foil in the bottom to catch anything that might overflow.

I'm thinking that my recipe may have had too much water. My lye beads are starting to clump in the bottle and I live in a very humid climate- southern us. Is there a way I can adjust the water content of my recipe to account for the lye clumping? I'd hate to have to throw out the three bottles of lye I have left and buy new ones.
Thanks.

 

[kchaystack]

Ferret, oven process does not reduce the need for a cure. And 4 weeks is a minimum cure.