I haven't tried 200 since I always got wrinkly tops even preheating to 170 and then turning off when I put in the soap. I fear that going up to 200 would make things worse, even if I took it out sooner. Perhaps I should make a small test batch just to see. But normally my soaps gel without extra heat, except for cavity molds, so my motivation to try it is rather low.
Ha ha, totally understand and completely agree. Why mess with perfection, amirite? If your soaps gel without extra help, don't ruin a good thing!I haven't tried 200 since I always got wrinkly tops even preheating to 170 and then turning off when I put in the soap. I fear that going up to 200 would make things worse, even if I took it out sooner. Perhaps I should make a small test batch just to see. But normally my soaps gel without extra heat, except for cavity molds, so my motivation to try it is rather low.
I'd bet they are perfect! Its the artistic temperament, Michalangelo was his own worst critic and rarely thought his work was good enough. IJS!Well, my soaps do seem to gel pretty well, and they end up with a nice creamy, non-drying lather... but most of the other metrics, especially the artistic elements, are all over the map. Let's just sum it up by saying that "perfection" would not be a word used in the same sentence with "my soaps."
Pretty cool. Problem is figuring out what temperature to shoot for to know your soap is going into gel phase. i believe the more water in your lye solution the lower the temperature in order to reach gel phase. I guess in theory you could use one of those probes and monitor it until soap starts to gel and then record the internal temp of the batter. Who knows if it would even be the same temp the next time you did it. So many other factors involved. I doubt you could ever get a result where you could say a certain temperature will always be what gets a soap to gel.@SoapDaddy70 I have been through the same issue myself. I have a few temperature probes around and have played with CPOP, using a warming blanket, various ways of insulating. My recipes have become more consistent and I almost always gel now, except for the extra bar I make in an individual cavity mold. I leave that one uninsulated. Putting one extra bar aside is an easy way to see what the ungelled version of your soap would look like.
I like the idea of a pop-up timer and have found something that would work in the same way:
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This was just the first one I found but I'm sure there are tons of options for meat probes with a programmable set-point.
I'm pretty sure with some looking one could find a model that controls a 120 volt circuit, maybe even with an outlet. Then you could plug in a warming blanket, set the temperature cutoff point and walk away. Finding an inexpensive one might be challenging, however.
Update before I even posted:
Inkbird Thermostat Beer Fermentation Temperature Control Heating Cooling with Cycle Timer Digital Homebrew Controller Temp Sensor: Amazon.ca: Home & Kitchen
Inkbird Thermostat Beer Fermentation Temperature Control Heating Cooling with Cycle Timer Digital Homebrew Controller Temp Sensor: Amazon.ca: Home & Kitchenwww.amazon.ca
They exist and are cheap! Gotta love technology!
I think once you start using the same recipe a few times it'll take the guess work out of it. I always soap at pretty much the same temp, pretty cool, and use the same lye concentration, 33%, and same base oils, olive, coconut and palm. I play with a 10% or so luxury oil sometimes but it doesn't seem to change the result very much. I always wrap the mold in a towel and put it in a drawer and it always gels. The last time I had a partial gel it was a batch with beeswax and honey which needed to go into the freezer to prevent a volcano. I haven't used a probe or an oven or anything for months and have had consistent results.
Mine's got a minimum temp of about 82 celsius so it isn't as easy. But I can stick a probe in the oven and when I see it get to holding temp just turn it off. Almost as good. Thermocouples are a friend.
If your soaps look good to you, I wouldn't worry about gel. Covering your soap may or may not induce gel, but it's also done to limit the amount of air the lye in the soap can interact with in hopes of reducing ash. Which is another purely cosmetic thing. Putting soap through gel or letting it gel can also reduce the likelihood of ash, so covering can be kind of dual-purpose.I soap at room temperature so I don’t think I’ve ever even gelled. My soaps still come out bright and beautiful. But maybe they could be even more so. Is not hitting gel phase a deal breaker? Keep in mind I’m still very new at this.
I found this thread by searching to see if I needed to even cover my loafs after pouring.
