gelling, I don't get it

[peterswoj]

Please help me understand gelling. Is it necessary? Does it affect quality? Some people gel their soap, some don't but cant find info on why I should or should not. If it doesnt affect quality what is the point of the extra step to do so?
THA

 

[Tara_H]

Reasons to gel:

• Your soap is going to get warm enough anyway to get partly gelled and you want to avoid the partial gel look.
• You want to take advantage of the ability to unmould and cut a bit sooner.
• You like the more intense colour and more transparent base that gel gives.
• Any others?

Reasons not to gel:

• You can keep your soap cool enough to avoid partial gel or you don't care.
• You're not in a rush/you prefer to save power.
• Your design calls for a more opaque/pastel look.
• Any others?

 

[tildy]

I just put an article up on my blog about Gelling. It is from way back when I ran a Yahoo forum and it was hot debate then. Fact, I put a mold of soap in my freezer and forgot about it for 4 days. I defrosted it, and while it took longer to get firm (no evaporation of water as it was frozen, lol), it was perfect.

I have a copyrighted article in the Library of congress that I wrote in 2005 on not gelling, a technique I called Low Temperature Cold Process Soap making.

Hope that helps! I used to be a Middle Grade science teacher. It is all about the friction. The hotter your starting temps, the faster the molecules move. The faster they move, the more friction build up. The more friction, the more heat. The more heat leads to the gel stage. So slowing down the friction by reducing temps, leads to non gelled soap, or Low Temp Soapmaking. It saves the top notes of delicate fragrance oils, and really helps preserve the essences of essential oils. Also, reduces the darkening of milk soaps.

Kelly Bloom of
Soapalooza Soap Arts Studio

 

[Douging]

So, once you pour soap, you place in freezer for four days? Then take out of freezer and unmould? Sounds great for aloe Vera soap

 

[ResolvableOwl]

Oddly enough, the NaOH-water eutectic (18% lye concentration) freezes at -29°C (-20°F), so the soap probably wasn't technically frozen at all, at least as long as a good part of the lye wasn't used up yet. The boundary between frozen-as-in-ice-cream, and nifty exploitation of deliberate false trace is blurry.

ETA: Sorry for slight OT. Actually I wanted to add a comment on glycerin rivers and gelling: Glycerin rivers only appear in gelled soap, so gelling/not gelling is a prime parameter to tune their appearance, depending on if you want them or not.
Another aspect (though not directly related to gelling/not gelling, but rather the usual temperatures that occur there) are stearic spots. Very rare in gelled soaps, they're the constant companions of ungelled soaps.

 

[tildy]

So, once you pour soap, you place in freezer for four days? Then take out of freezer and unmould? Sounds great for aloe Vera soap

No, don't do that... it was an accident, lol! It turned out to be harmless, is what I am saying. Saponification is going to happen, whether you use cool oils & lye, or warm-hot oils and lye. Just the cooler temperatures reduce the likelihood of going into gel. When I use lavender eo, or milk in my soap, I absolutely do not want to go into gel. Lavender EO is too expensive to have a hot gel phase burn off the top notes! I DO put my mold in the spare refridgerator for about 2 - 4 hours though. That just applies a little chill to help keep the mold cool and again, help prevent gel.

Kelly

 

[Zing]

I have just always gelled because my beginner recipes told me to. I'm an impatient man who can wait a max of 24 hours to unmold. I do like how the colors pop more. Plus while the soap is cozy under towels, I like to reach in and feel the warmth. It's a personal choice, experiment, see what you like!

 

[cerelife]

If it doesnt affect quality what is the point of the extra step to do so?

Gelling isn't really an extra step. I use wooden loaf molds and it's far easier to let the soap gel naturally than to try to retard it and risk a partial gel. I don't use an oven nor do I use heating pads, and the only times I've had partial gel was when I attempted to NOT gel.

 

[lenarenee]

Soaps aren’t necessarily going to get warm enough to gel. In fact, mine rarely gel and I use thick silicone liners in a wood frame. I soap cool, and always use a water discount. I just let the soap decide what it wants to do because soap usually wins anyway!

 

[KiwiMoose]

Soaps aren’t necessarily going to get warm enough to gel. In fact, mine rarely gel and I use thick silicone liners in a wood frame. I soap cool, and always use a water discount. I just let the soap decide what it wants to do because soap usually wins anyway!

Soap do what soap do

 

[Soapdragon]

Soaps aren’t necessarily going to get warm enough to gel. In fact, mine rarely gel and I use thick silicone liners in a wood frame. I soap cool, and always use a water discount. I just let the soap decide what it wants to do because soap usually wins anyway!

"The soap usually wins! "Ain't that the truth!

 

[Ladka]

I soap cool, and always use a water discount.

What so you mean by "water discount"? Can you explain it in water-to-lye ratio or % lye concentration please?

 

[earlene]

A higher lye concentration has less water and a lye to water ratio that approaches 1:1 (or 1.3:1 or 1.5:1) has less water than a more default (in the calculator) of 3:1 or a more standard 2.2:1 or 2.5:1 ratio, thus being a "water discount". Basically pretty much any adjustment that uses less water than the default in a lye calculator that decreases the water (liquid) used in the lye solution is going to be a 'water discount.'

 

[bookworm]

I think I read somewhere that gelling makes the bar last longer.
Can anyone shed light on this?
Thank you so much.

 

[Becky1024]

Some soaps are refrigerated or frozen to prevent overheating which results in dark colors, volcanoes or heat tunnels. Recipes that include sugars, like milk, honey, molasses, etc., are prone to overheating.

 

[peterswoj]

Thank you everyone for the help and advice.

 

[TheGecko]

Please help me understand gelling. Is it necessary? Does it affect quality? Some people gel their soap, some don't but cant find info on why I should or should not. If it doesnt affect quality what is the point of the extra step to do so?

IMHO, it's a matter of personal preference.

Some folks gel their soap because it produces more vibrant colors, especially when using natural colorants, and because they can unmold it sooner.

I don't gel myself. 1) I make GMS as well as Regular Soap and I don't want my GMS overheating. That happened the first time I made GMS and OMG, it was gross and disgusting. 2) I don't add colorants to my GMS and I also make a "Bare Naked" (unscented, uncolored) Regular soap and not gelling gives them a very creamy, soft look that my customers love. 3) I'm a bit lazy at times and don't want to mess with forcing gel because you don't want halfway gelled soap. I want to make soap, pour it, stick it on the rack in garage and then forgetting about it for a couple of days. 4) I love the matte appearance.

 

[cmzaha]

I want to add a little note to Kelly's post above. I once made a batch of Lilly of the Nile soap, 60 oz oil, soaped cool as I always do, left it in the freezer 2 days. I unmolded, and put it on a tote lid to thaw, which I am very happy I did because the blasted soap went into a full hot gel a couple of hrs after thawing. Never Never even trust a frozen soap...I had to dump the mess in a pot and hot process it. I remember that one.

 

[lenarenee]

What so you mean by "water discount"? Can you explain it in water-to-lye ratio or % lye concentration please?

I usually use a 33 to 35 percent lye concentration. For salt bars or very troublesome fragrances, I use “full water” which is about 25% lye to 75% water. For slow moving recipes and fragrances I’ll use. 50:50 ( but I don’t suggest that to people unless they have plenty of experience with different concentrations. For me it was 3 years)

 

[Cat&Oak]

I always gel

I want to add a little note to Kelly's post above. I once made a batch of Lilly of the Nile soap, 60 oz oil, soaped cool as I always do, left it in the freezer 2 days. I unmolded, and put it on a tote lid to thaw, which I am very happy I did because the blasted soap went into a full hot gel a couple of hrs after thawing. Never Never even trust a frozen soap...I had to dump the mess in a pot and hot process it. I remember that one.

What a naughty little batch!!!