Can soap go into gel after coming out of the freezer?

[sandyfootfarm]

I made a GM soap yesterday, pumice and scented with pink grapefruit. I always put it straight into the freezer and soap cool to prevent gel. Made it around lunchtime yesterday, straight into the freezer. Pulled out and unmoulded today around lunchtime, so frozen for about 24 hours. Sat it to dry, all looked good, lovely even colour. Just glanced at it and it has that characteristic darkening you see when gel starts inside. It's been out of the mould and freezer for about 10 hours. Can it go into gel?

I've covered it and put it back in the freezer, if my lovely perfect soap has that hideous partial gel centre I'll need a waaaaambulance! Letting it gel isn't an option as I can't get it back in the mould. Should I leave it in the freezer longer, or pull out of the freezer after 24 hours and into the fridge?

 

[carebear]

Indeed it can.

I've had logs go from freezer for a while to fridge for several days to the cold garage for more then finally to the kitchen counter after a total of 10 days. Where it soon went into gel.

 

[sandyfootfarm]

Gel is determined to get me! What can you do other than the freezer though, especially if it is so persistent like yours was? 10 days, ugh :cry:

 

[Bubbles Galore]

Using individual moulds is another way of avoiding gel. :wink:

 

[sandyfootfarm]

But my lovely Lyn tops can't be done :cry: You should see the top on this one, it is awesome and I can't go back to ugly tops! Could some FOs make it more likely after the freezer treatment? The only deviation in this one was ground pumice, my base recipe was the same. I used pink grapefruit BB FO, I might ask over on their FB if this one heats up more.

Other problem is I don't use palm so my recipe is on the soft side, and when it needs to stay in the freezer/fridge for longer it takes even longer to cure.

 

[kelleyaynn]

I just had a small (1 lb) batch of soap go into gel IN the freezer, and I soaped cool.

 

[sandyfootfarm]

Did you do anything differently? That is madness :shock: I've got my oils at 90F, which won't of course stop the sneaky gelling after coming out of the freezer. What would happen if you cut the log after coming out of the freezer and it wanted to gel after that (due to ongoing saponification I assume)?

 

[Happy Lass]

I think the Goat's Milk plus the Pink Grapefruit did you in. GM is really prone to gel.

And maybe the answer, especially if you want those nice tops, is to just let it fully gel. The color might be a little different, but it's not going to reduce the quality of your soap.

 

[carebear]

Some FOs and additives like milk make it more likely. Try chilling your mold for an hour before you soap.

Nothing *I* do works, but others have some luck.

 

[sandyfootfarm]

I haven't had a problem in the freezer yet, the only other time getting partial gel was my fault for taking out of the freezer before fully frozen. It was the gelling after being out of the freezer for 10 hours that has me baffled. I've only ever soaped with GM so the only thing different was the FO and pumice, the other GM soaps haven't played up.

 

[soapbuddy]

Next time you take that frozen soap mold out of the freezer, put it on an elevated surface so air can reach underneath it and put a fan on it, so any heat can dissipate.

 

[sandyfootfarm]

Good idea, I'll try that with the next batch. I always take it out of the mould while frozen, remove the plastic liner from the sides and leave it on the table. I'll raise it though and ventilate well. We are coming into winter so it's getting colder here as well.