CPOP Help Please

[new12soap]

I tried CPOP soap and it is just not working... My recipe is 40% OO, 30% lard, 25% CO, 5% castor, 5% SF... also added 1% SL, fragrance... My oils may have been a little warm when I started, around 135, lye was room temp, SB'd to mediium trace, then into the mold, covered w parchment paper, into oven.

My mold is a silicone tray mold, and I put the mold on a baking sheet for handling and overflow insurance, http://www.wholesalesuppliesplus.com/Pr ... +Mold+1701

My oven was on "warm", which is lower than 200 F, left oven on for an hour, then turned it off and left soap stay in closed oven overnight.

The next day I took the sheet of parchment off the top and the soap still felt a bit soft, so I popped it back in the oven again, on warm for an hour then off overnight, this time uncovered.

The next day it was still soft, so back into the oven uncovered on warm for 4 hours, then oven off and let sit all night.

Today I unmolded the soap and it is way too soft to cut.

Is silicone not suited to CPOP? Does the mold insulate TOO well for the heat to penetrate the soap batter? Lately nothing I am trying is working at all... Very discouraging Any and all suggestions welcome and appreciated.

 

[IrishLass]

Hmmm, that is really weird, especially with the SL in there. But then again, you did use OO and lard which tend to cause things to be a little soft at first- at least if your water amount is high, that is. How much water did you use?

I actually make a very similar formula to yours in much the same manner and I've never had it remain soft like that. It's always hard and ready to unmold and cut within 12 to 18 hours. I use a water discount with it, though- 33% lye solution (or 28.6% water as % of oils).

Can you tell if the soap went through gel- i.e. does it look more transluscent as compared to when you poured, as opposed to opaque? Transluscency is a sign that it gelled. If it's opaque and feels like the consistency of cream cheese, that's an indication that it did not gel. If it didn't gel, it will be soft for awhile.

Other possible explanations could be related to your scale. Is it weighing properly? You can test it by weighing 5 US quarters on it (they should weigh out to exactly 1 oz).

I've never used silicone molds, so I have no personal clue how well they perform. My molds are made of wood and lined with either mylar or decorative silicone fondant mat liners, and I've never had a problem with my soap not gelling in them when doing CPOP.

If you find that your soap did not gel, it should be fine over time if you just let it sit for a few days. When it's hard enough, just unmold and cut and let it cure as normal (but for a couple of weeks longer).

Hopefully more who have had experience with the silicone molds will chime in soon.


IrishLass

 

[new12soap]

Hmmmm, good question. Having no previous experience with CP I am really not sure if I acheived gel or not. The top has more of a translucent look where it was covered with the parchment paper, but looks drier on the edges that were not in contact with the paper. The underside definitely felt like a hard refrigerated cream cheese. It was like the heat only penetrated halfway through the soap batter.

I did use the full water amount, 38% of oils, just stuck w soapcalc as this was my first CP attempt and I wanted to try a swirl. I may have over-blended tho, it was pretty thick when it went into the mold, didn't get much swirl.

My scale seems to be working fine, I check it with nickels, they weight 5 grams each.

I just don't know what else I can do. Thanks for the reply.

 

[mrWho19]

just try making another batch in this manner but use different ingredients. I use vegatable oils only and some times go with the CPOP if i want to get my hand on that soap sooner. Except for occasional ash, my batches have always been nice and hard after about 20 hours in the mold and almost rock hard after 2 to 3 weeks. Maybe it was the difference in the lye and water temperature when mixed, that your soap was softer. I like to keep both at about 40 celsius to 45 celsius and it always mixes nicely. If i keep it a bit warmer i think the trace stays light for a bit longer so i can mix in those micas and still make nice swirs if thats what im after. But do stop blending at light to medium trace if you want swirls, otherwise you wil be making more of a sculpture than a swirl. Sometimes gelling doesnt happen across the entire soap so its not a problem.

have fun soapin..

 

[sudbubblez]

Your soap is not going to be hard coming out of the oven. Oven process soap still needs time to "set". When its warm its still going to be pliable as well as different recipes take different amounts of time to set up. Olive oil is one of those oils that takes more time to firm up, especially with full water. Higher water recipes also take more time to set than low water. You can get harder bars right off the bat with a water discount.

Your soap is good, and safe. It just needs more time to firm up.