CPOP-ish *after* initial saponification?

[powderpink]

aka my soap won't unmold

Usually my soaps will unmold after approximately 1-3 days (as in all of the batches of soap I've made in the past, even the 80%olive oil/20% coconut oil one).

Except for the past two batches I've made. The soap has loosened from the sides of the mould, but in both cases the bottoms are still stuck to the mould (and any pressure put on the bottom results in dents), the "oldest" of the two being six days in.



So whereas my past batches would harden quite fast, these two are still soft. However I need the moulds to make my last two batches for this month, so I want them out as soon as possible.
The only thing I've done different is not putting them in a preheated oven at 40C ( 104F), which is turned off as soon as the soap's in and leaving it in there overnight.

Therefore, I was wondering what the next step could be. Would putting them in the oven at a low temperature, like mentioned above, still help? Or should I just suck it up and wait? Would the freezer option be viable in this case?

just as a disclaimer: I dont sell my soap, but I'd like to give them as gifts (with dont use before xxxx labels where needed) before the end of the year. Hence me getting a wee bit impatient with these two batches

the recipe I used is:

4% castor oil
25% coconut oil
25% palm oil
46% olive oil

And I used brambleberry's Morrocan Mint and Kumquat for the fragrance oils.

 

[Prinler]

You are going to want to try some Sodium Lactate in your batches. This will speed up the hardening of your batch and allow for it to be un molded easier. I have also been using the BB silicone liners for my 5lb molds i made myself for cheap! I just peel it off when im done. Soft or not.

Best wishes on the next batch and let us know how it goes!

 

[shunt2011]

What kind of mold are you using? You could just pop it in the freezer for a couple of hours. That may help make it hard enough to pop out. I don't see any reason why it would still be soft 6 days out. Did you use a water discount? I have a recipe very similar and generally unmold after 18-24 hours.

 

[Obsidian]

What is the mold made from? I would try the freezer first, it usually works really well to get stuck soap out.

 

[IrishLass]

If it were me, I would stick the molds in the freezer, and then if that doesn't work, I'd try the oven, but be very careful to not overheat the soap so as to melt it. I did the latter once to a batch I had made in an acrylic mold that wouldn't unmold gracefully no matter what I tried. The oven method is what ended up working for it, but I let things get too hot and my soap melted around the edges. On the bright side, though, it finally came out. lol

Did I happen to mention that I hate acrylic molds with a passion?


IrishLass

 

[powderpink]

Thanks for the (super fast :0 ) responses!

I guess the freezer it is then

Both moulds are silicone, one is the 10" loaf from BB, and the other is just some generic rectangle cake mould.

I didn't use any water discounting as in the past this recipe has given good results as is (calculated with soapcalc, 7% superfat).
I'm a bit iffy to try lactic acid, as I'm afraid it'll make the soap brittle before I get a chance to cut it... or will just a tiny amount of LA result in just a tiny bit more firmness?

And I can imagine why you'd hate acrylic moulds, IrishLass

 

[shunt2011]

Sodium Lactate used at 2% will help release the soap from the silicone nice and smooth. Another option would be to at 1 tsp PPO of salt to your water and dissolve it before adding your lye. The salt will also help firm up your soap. Freezer should help to get it out.

I too dislike acrylic molds. Had one and sold it. Was a nightmare.

 

[dixiedragon]

The fact that you didn't CPOP probably did contribute to your problem in this case. Put your mold in the freezer for a few hours, then run some very hot water over it.

 

[ngian]

How much water and NaOH in weight did your recipe had?

 

[snappyllama]

Is it possible that your lye has gotten exposed to air and lost its potency?

 

[powderpink]

I'm not quite sure, whether it has. I always keep it in a closed tub and right after I've measured the lye for a recipe I put the lid back on the tub and pack it away in a plastic bag.

Freezing the molds worked like a charm, though

They didn't come out as pretty as the rest of my soaps (there was still a thin layer thay stuck to the silicone).. but I'm just glad I managed to free up my moulds again. I decided to cut them into bars right away too as I hope that more surface area means faster drying/hardening of the soap.

For the next batch I'll try little bit of lactic acid.

 

[shunt2011]

That's great. Glad they came out. They will still need 4-6 weeks cure.

 

[DeeAnna]

"...For the next batch I'll try little bit of lactic acid. ..."

Not real lactic acid I hope. Sodium lactate -- this is a salt, not an acid -- is what you want to use in your soap. If you use lactic acid, you will unintentionally increase the superfat in your soap and that might make your soap lather less, be softer yet in the mold, and not last as long.

 

[powderpink]

"...For the next batch I'll try little bit of lactic acid. ..."

Not real lactic acid I hope. Sodium lactate -- this is a salt, not an acid -- is what you want to use in your soap. If you use lactic acid, you will unintentionally increase the superfat in your soap and that might make your soap lather less, be softer yet in the mold, and not last as long.

eek! I always mix those too up >_<
I meant to say sodium lactate! I never realized it's a salt though, I guess that's why you'd use it in creams too...

And I understand that it needs a 4-6 week cure for best results/safety, but I would like to have them hardened a bit more before I wrap them up, hence trying to speed things up a bit with these two.

I have at least two bars the receivers can use right away as I made them in november, so by the time they've used those up, the rest should be done curing too

 

[navigator9]

The only time this has happened to me is when I didn't CPOP my soap. Then, the soap takes much longer to saponify, and it won't release cleanly from the silicone mold until it's done. I don't think the freezer will work if that's the case, it just needs more time. And I'm guessing that's what's up with your soap, since you said, "The only thing I've done different is not putting them in a preheated oven at 40C ( 104F), which is turned off as soon as the soap's in and leaving it in there overnight." If you want to be able to unmold your soap the next day, and cleanly, CPOP is the way to go.