CPOP Question

[vedwards]

So, I've got a set of rose scented soaps I made yesterday evening, and I unmolded on (I'm impatient, I know) and it appears that it partially gelled, even though I was hoping it wouldn't and left it out in the open to try and prevent it.

I've never tried CPOP - can I do it even though the soap has been in the mold for about 12 hours? Too late now?

 

[ngian]

Yes, I think you can, but it might need a little more time and/or a little higher temperature in the over as its initial moisture concentration might be a little less after 12 hours and as time passes by.

 

[DeeAnna]

Yes, you can heat the soap after it has saponified to help overcome a partial gel. I am not sure you will completely lose the ring created by partial gel, but it will be more muted and the not-gelled parts will become firm and waxy as if the soap had fully gelled.

Preheat your oven to 150-170 F (65-70 C).

Put the soap back in its mold -- it makes no difference if the soap has been cut or not. If the mold you used is not safe to heat to those temps, you might need to put the soap on a parchment lined cookie sheet or some other heat-safe, fresh-soap-safe container.

Put the soap into the preheated oven. Let it warm for 1 hour or so, and then check the texture and visual appearance. If you do not think it's quite ready, let the soap warm another 1/2 hour or so. I don't see a lot of benefit from heating the soap a lot longer than that.

If you can spare the oven, turn the oven off at that point and leave the soap in the oven to cool down. Otherwise, take the soap out, cover it with a towel and let it cool slowly.

The soap will not look like it is in gel while it's in the oven. Cut bars will remain fine (at least in my experience) during this heating -- they don't "melt" or distort. I don't guarantee this if you use higher temps, but I have had good results when heating to 150-170 F.

 

[vedwards]

Thanks! I got up this morning thinking I'd try it.... and even more of the bars have changed color. I'm wondering now if its the mica I used just taking awhile to change colors.

I used raspberry mica from Brambleberry (with party pink, which was new, and I didn't realize until after that it disappears in cold process, so that was a waste) and I'm just wondering if its just taking its time to come through. So I may leave this batch and see. Here's a photo of what it looks like - the darker colored "spots" have doubled in size overnight.

It is rather ashy in spots. I zap tested last night and WOW, but this morning, there's little if any zap, so I'm pretty sure its just ash. lol. Answers my question about what a zap feels like.....

 

[CaraBou]

Those are pretty! But that's definitely not partial gel. Could it be a lack of ash that's creating the contrast? You can run a bar under hot water to clean the ash off, then you can see the true pattern.

 

[DeeAnna]

I agree with CaraBou now that you've shared a photo. This is more likely ash than partial gel, especially since you made individual bars rather than a large loaf. Ash can be really spotty and variable.

 

[Steve85569]

Looks like full water ash to me too.
You already have the best advice.

 

[vedwards]

Thanks everyone! I haven't made in individual molds like this before. I rinsed one last night, and it looks a little better. I'll let them go and see what happens. I may try steaming one next.