Gell my soap?

[Spice]

I havent been around much lately, however, I just started doing different things with my soap. It seems that I am re-inventing my soap.
I have always gell my soap, so now I dont want to gell. I made a test batch and I thought that most soapers put their batches in the freezer? Or the refig? And for 24 hours? Sorry for being MIA

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

As always, it depends. Some recipes could not gel just in the fridge. Others might well struggle to keep cool even in the freezer. But the best place to start is 24 hours in the freezer and then 24 in the fridge. Then ideally leave it in a cold room for a while, so you slowly raise the temperature which helps avoid condensation

 

[Spice]

I will place it in the freezer then. I have had it in the frig for the last 4 hours though. Will it matter if I place it in the freezer now?

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Shouldn't do.

Bear in mind, though - it will stay zappy for longer as your are slowing the saponification process down a great deal.

 

[topofmurrayhill]

I havent been around much lately, however, I just started doing different things with my soap. It seems that I am re-inventing my soap.
I have always gell my soap, so now I dont want to gell. I made a test batch and I thought that most soapers put their batches in the freezer? Or the refig? And for 24 hours? Sorry for being MIA

Assuming you don't add anything that overheats the soap, all you need to avoid gel is to use a 40% lye concentration. It won't gel and you don't have to bother with the fridge or anything else. In fact, it would be difficult to gel it even in the oven.

A lower concentration might work, but 40 to be safe.

 

[Spice]

Assuming you don't add anything that overheats the soap, all you need to avoid gel is to use a 40% lye concentration. It won't gel and you don't have to bother with the fridge or anything else. In fact, it would be difficult to gel it even in the oven.

A lower concentration might work, but 40 to be safe.

I just got it out of the frig and its still very soft. I will do any other test and do the 40% lye. I didnt use coconut, oo, castor, almond/grape and soybean oils. My eo was peppermint. I dont see anything that would overheat. Thanks

 

[lenarenee]

Assuming you don't add anything that overheats the soap, all you need to avoid gel is to use a 40% lye concentration. It won't gel and you don't have to bother with the fridge or anything else. In fact, it would be difficult to gel it even in the oven.

A lower concentration might work, but 40 to be safe.

Would the type of mold (wood versus silicon for ex.) make a difference despite a 40% lye concentration?

 

[topofmurrayhill]

Would the type of mold (wood versus silicon for ex.) make a difference despite a 40% lye concentration?

Not really. The less water, the higher the melting (gel) point of the soap. I don't have the numbers handy, but at that lye concentration the melt point is high enough that a normal batch of soap won't spontaneously go there. You'd have treat it like a meatloaf.

 

[Spice]

Would the type of mold (wood versus silicon for ex.) make a difference despite a 40% lye concentration?

my soap has been overheating, the crack down the middle thing, and I use wooden molds. I thought that maybe overheating was burning my herbal colorants, so I thought not gelling would solve that.:sick:

Assuming you don't add anything that overheats the soap, all you need to avoid gel is to use a 40% lye concentration. It won't gel and you don't have to bother with the fridge or anything else. In fact, it would be difficult to gel it even in the oven.

A lower concentration might work, but 40 to be safe.

to get a 40% lye concentration, I use SoapCalc. How would I do the math on my calculator?:cry:

 

[FlybyStardancer]

If you already know the amount of lye you need, here's how to find out how much water you'd need for a 40% solution.

Lye / .4 = total solution

total solution - lye = water

For example, my most recent batch of soap called for 123g of lye.

123g lye / .4 = 307.5g solution

307.5g solution - 123g lye = 184.5g water

 

[Spice]

if you already know the amount of lye you need, here's how to find out how much water you'd need for a 40% solution.

Lye / .4 = total solution

total solution - lye = water

for example, my most recent batch of soap called for 123g of lye.

123g lye / .4 = 307.5g solution

307.5g solution - 123g lye = 184.5g water

yes!!

Not really. The less water, the higher the melting (gel) point of the soap. I don't have the numbers handy, but at that lye concentration the melt point is high enough that a normal batch of soap won't spontaneously go there. You'd have treat it like a meatloaf.

what do you mean by "meatloaf"?

 

[topofmurrayhill]

my soap has been overheating, the crack down the middle thing, and I use wooden molds. I thought that maybe overheating was burning my herbal colorants, so I thought not gelling would solve that.:sick:

My suggestion about lye concentration is applicable to "normal" soap batches that don't have any special tendency to overheat. Overheating recipes would still gel at a higher temperature but I can't say what help this would be if any. I only offer the advice as an easy and reliable option if you prefer the look of soap that hasn't been through the gel phase.

what do you mean by "meatloaf"?

I was joking. I meant you'd have to bake it in the oven.

 

[Spice]

My suggestion about lye concentration is applicable to "normal" soap batches that don't have any special tendency to overheat. Overheating recipes would still gel at a higher temperature but I can't say what help this would be if any. I only offer the advice as an easy and reliable option if you prefer the look of soap that hasn't been through the gel phase.


I was joking. I meant you'd have to bake it in the oven.

lol, you have a good point, I thought that maybe if I didnt gel, I would have better control over the heat, I noticed that I dont though. Once I got the soap out of the frig, and it got room temperature, could be my mind, it looks as if it started to saponify. I will be making an other test batch today with the herbs that I think could have been burnt during the gel phase and will stick it into the freezer this time. :-?

 

[Spice]

have been waiting to see if my test bar that I made at 40% lye concentration would change in some form.
I have to say that at 40%, my soap will never be the same. The test do not over heat, and my herbs are different, in all respects. I think that my lye burnt my herbs. Here are the pictures. The picture on the left is the 30% lye and the right is at 40% lye. I also noticed that ash was less, the recipe is the same.

Assuming you don't add anything that overheats the soap, all you need to avoid gel is to use a 40% lye concentration. It won't gel and you don't have to bother with the fridge or anything else. In fact, it would be difficult to gel it even in the oven.

A lower concentration might work, but 40 to be safe.

Thanks for the idea, my over heating issue could be at its end.:clap:

 

[topofmurrayhill]

Thanks for the idea, my over heating issue could be at its end.:clap:

I'm glad you're pleased with it. It looks nice!