CPOP Tiny Bubbles

[Dean]

I CPOPed for the first yestetday by putting the soap in a warm oven and turning it off. It forced gel as intended. Not sure if I like the color gelled. Perhaps it will change with time.

The top of the soap is covered in tiny bubbles. Do the soaperts have any idea why CPOP caused bubbles and how to prevent it?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Cellador]

It sounds like it may have overheated a bit. Do you normally discourage/prevent gel? Or getting partial gels? You may not need to CPOP if it will gel without the oven's help.

 

[Dean]

It sounds like it may have overheated a bit. Do you normally discourage/prevent gel? Or getting partial gels? You may not need to CPOP if it will gel without the oven's help.

I always got partial gel until I started freezing.

 

[shunt2011]

Anytime I CPOP I get bubbles on top. I heat my oven, let it come down to about 120-125 then put my soap in. I finally quit doing it. I prefer to gel all my soaps so I just insulate well and if cooler out I place a hot pad under the molds to help encourage it a bit.

 

[SaltedFig]

This was a tricky CPOP (salt bar, so it wanted to go from comfy to zoom in minutes)
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/media/salted-swirl.959/

I CPOPed ... The top of the soap is covered in tiny bubbles. ...

Trick is, trying any new technique, is watch it.

Bubbles means boiling

(If you are watching, you will see the bubbles and know it is getting too hot ... after bubbles is the bulge ... after the bulge is the crack ... after the crack ... is ... time to clean your oven )

 

[Dean]

Anytime I CPOP I get bubbles on top. I heat my oven, let it come down to about 120-125 then put my soap in. I finally quit doing it. I prefer to gel all my soaps so I just insulate well and if cooler out I place a hot pad under the molds to help encourage it a bit.

Good to know. Since Im not crazy bout the color, its prob my first and last CPOP attempt.

 

[shunt2011]

This was a tricky CPOP (salt bar, so it wanted to go from comfy to zoom in minutes)
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/media/salted-swirl.959/



Trick is, trying any new technique, is watch it.

Bubbles means boiling

(If you are watching, you will see the bubbles and know it is getting too hot ... after bubbles is the bulge ... after the bulge is the crack ... after the crack ... is ... time to clean your oven )

I've never had a bulge or crack. Just bubbles all over he top. Not boiling.

 

[Dean]

Funny how each process...CP, HP and CPOP have pros and cons.

 

[SaltedFig]

I've never had a bulge or crack. Just bubbles all over he top. Not boiling.

Then you just haven't tried hard enough
(context: joking)

@Dean If it's just little bubbles, it might be as simple as starting with cooler oils and lye, or turning the oven off a little sooner (so it's just that little bit colder to begin with). Maybe you might even need to insulate, and not put them in the oven at all (some recipes heat up just fine, all on their own).

Silicone can react (just a tiny bit) and give you bubbles where another mold doesn't, so the mold makes a slight difference too.

 

[Dean]

Unmolded my CPOP bars. Very difficult to get them out of the silicone mold. Soap is softer than CP and now dented from unmolding struggle. CPOP stained mold. Color still yucky. Def not a CPOP fan. Experiment over. Going bk to CPFP!

 

[penelopejane]

CPOP isn't different from CP soap. All you are doing is trying to keep the micro environment around the soap stable so that temp the soap reaches all by itself during saponification is held for a few hours around the soap. You are not cooking the soap. The colour will not change it will just not fade.

You can do this by heating the oven to 110*F and turning the oven off. You might need a thermometer to check this. Then put the soap wrapped in a blanket into the oven. Close the door and do not open it for 12 hours.

Or you can do this by putting your mold into a polystyrene box and covering it with a blanket and not opening it for 12 hours.

This varies depending on your recipe, your FO, your additives, the micro climate in your soaping room, the season and the temperature you soap at. You have to work out a system that works for you and maybe tweek it for summer and winter.