crack in the middle trouble shooting

[goatlady]

Newbie question here. I have made several 2 lb batches without any problems but today I tried making a goats milk soap lemongrass. I have been using the same goats milk base recipe which has worked out fine so the only new thing was using 2 oz of lemon grass essential oil AND I messed up and had about 0.5 ounce too much goats milk. My mold has been setting up a couple hours now and it has a crack down the middle. Its in a wood mold, not insulated with freezer paper lining. My temps were about 75 degrees when I mixed my lye and oils and then I added the EO at trace. What did I do wrong and is there anyway to not loose this batch completely? I saw online to try spraying it with alchol and use a ziplock bag to press it gently back together but I tried that and it didn't do anything. Maybe I have to wait till its more cooled? it still looks gelled inside the crack and is warm. Im wondering if this specific causes the EO to be hotter and that caused it? What do I do? Thanks!

Update: My second long has now cracked!! That one I measured the goats milk correctly on so that's not the problem them. Im thinking the warmer temps out here today in the house (about 80) is effecting it?

 

[chicklet]

I tried the alcohol and ziploc bag thing on a cracked batch once and it did work, but I can't remember if the soap had already cooled or not. I would probably try it again later since you really have nothing to lose at this point. The cracking is a definite sign of overheating, so you could also put the mold in the fridge for a while til the soap cools back down. The lemongrass oil shouldn't have caused the overheating, but it's possible I guess. It may just be me, but how the soap behaves is sometimes unpredictable - even if I make the batches virtually the same. I've put soap in the freezer and then the fridge for 24 hours, take it out, let it set a while, cut it, no problems. Other times I've made that same recipe, take it out after 24 hours, and get partial gel. So now I leave it in the fridge for 48 hours every time, but my point is that sometimes it just does it's thing, you know? It could have been the little bit of extra goats milk, or maybe the room temp was warmer than usual, maybe it was the EO. Your soap should be fine to use. The last batch I made that cracked was a lime salt soap, but nobody has complained about those bars and they work great. And they're not ugly (but you know, they're my precious so I think they're all beautiful).

 

[chicklet]

eta: Looks like you posted your edit while I was typing my long-winded reply. It could definitely be the room temp. I would put the molds in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes if you can. When you take them out, watch carefully for signs they're heating back up again.

and yet another edit: yes, my brain is definitely tired! I guess I typed in the wrong box or something .... I think I'll go mow the yard.

 

[goatlady]

haha, thank you Chicklet! I was afraid that was the problem. Its easily 15 degrees hotter in the house today than the last time I made it without any problem. My husband made my mold box and he made me 2 lb size boxes but 4 in a row so its a really long mold and wont fit in my frig so I ran it downstairs where its cooler with the fan going. I may have to rebatch but I will try the alcohol trick after its cooled. it looks like its gone down now, not so puffy looking so maybe I will be able to save it and shave the top off or something. If not then to the crockpot with it!

 

[goatlady]

Well getting it cooled down did seem to help. The crack is still there but I did the alcohol again and it did bring most of it together. If the inside is okay I think I can just skim off the top to get rid of the crack. We will unwrap it tomorrow and see if it looks okay inside.

 

[judymoody]

If the inside is fine, I'd not worry about the crack. Rebatching isn't going to make it look any better. You already got the advice I was going to give. The 1/2 ounce extra of goat's milk is not likely to make any difference.

What technique do you use? Do you freeze your goat's milk before adding lye?

Lemongrass EO is generally not a heater but your use rate is about double of what I use. That must be one very fragrant soap!

 

[Lindy]

I don't worry about cracks in my soap. I call it a design feature :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

 

[Ruthie]

Well, if it helps any, I had my first in-the-refrigerator crack this past weekend. It is small (only about 1 inch long) and not very deep, but I'd never had a crack happen since I started putting my soaps in the refrigerator. It was a goats milk and coffee soap. I started with everything cool; goats milk was frozen and coffee was in the refrigerator overnight. Looks like this one needed the freezer. Unfortunately there is no room in the freezer, as it is full of goats milk ice cubes.

 

[2lilboots]

Just like wrinkles add charactor to the face, cracks add charactor to the soap! If I do swirls on the top of my soap, I am not going to attack it with alcohol and ziplock bags. I just let it happen.

 

[lizflowers42]

I had gotten my first cracked soap last night as well. Think it was the FO that caused it because I put it into an insulated cooler, and this is the first time using the recipe I have been using that it happened.

 

[theath2010]

I have made 3 batches of GM soap recently and they all cracked on me. I have a small freezer and can't fit my wooden mold in there but found the fridge didn't keep it cool enough either. I think I will just embrace the minor cracks because I can't seem to stop them!

 

[goatlady]

Im glad Im not the only one with a freezer full of goats milk and no room for soap! LOL So I unmolded the soap and the inside survived and the crack ended up not being too bad so I just trimmed a small sliver off the top to get rid of that. I had some extra left over from my mold so I poured it into some silicon molds I had but they didn't really harden and set up in those for some reason. Im going to have to choose cool days to make it or turn the AC on if its gonne be hot!

 

[dixilee]

This has just happen to me as well. at first I thought I did something wrong.

The soap I made is for Bramble Berry soap swap

 

[Kersten]

Goat's milk soap is so dang finicky. I found that the greater the surface area of exposed soap, the less chance of cracking because the heat can dissipate quicker and is spread over a greater area. Slab molds (unisulated) are great for this, in my expierence.

 

[la-rene]

Well, if it helps any, I had my first in-the-refrigerator crack this past weekend. It is small (only about 1 inch long) and not very deep, but I'd never had a crack happen since I started putting my soaps in the refrigerator. It was a goats milk and coffee soap. I started with everything cool; goats milk was frozen and coffee was in the refrigerator overnight. Looks like this one needed the freezer. Unfortunately there is no room in the freezer, as it is full of goats milk ice cubes.

Ruthie! Take a picture! I'm wondering if your in the fridge cracks look like mine. Then maybe I won't feel so crazy.


LA

 

[Ruthie]

Ruthie! Take a picture! I'm wondering if your in the fridge cracks look like mine. Then maybe I won't feel so crazy.


LA

I wish I could do that for you, but the soaps are already cured, trimmed and packaged! If you want to post a photo, I'll tell you if they are the same.

 

[la-rene]

Ah, it's no big deal Ruthie, it's posted somewhere in the forum here, but I'm to lazy to look it up! lol! I was just wondering.