gelling in milky way molds

[CTAnton]

Ok ...I've done my research and I've warped a few of these molds in the past but I am hooked in spite of the extra work involved...read about heating pads and electric blankets...just wondering about putting them in the oven with a thermometer sensor and keeping the temps below the warping temps of roughly 145F.Also plan to use a higher temperature when combining my lye to my oils...say 130F..won't stay long at that temp this winter!Any and all suggestions will be greatly appreciated!
Anton

 

[navigator9]

I wish I had an answer for you. I've warped mine by just using a heating pad. Now, when I use them, I just bow to defeat and accept the fact that I can't gel in them. I'll be interested to see what happens to yours in the oven. I would strongly suspect that they'll warp. Good luck!!!

 

[MorpheusPA]

Ok ...I've done my research and I've warped a few of these molds in the past but I am hooked in spite of the extra work involved...read about heating pads and electric blankets...just wondering about putting them in the oven with a thermometer sensor and keeping the temps below the warping temps of roughly 145F.Also plan to use a higher temperature when combining my lye to my oils...say 130F..won't stay long at that temp this winter!Any and all suggestions will be greatly appreciated!
Anton

I've managed it. Soap at the highest temperature you can (for me, that's about 130). You'll find the molds soften a bit even under 145, so be careful with them.

I've used a seedling sprout heater (10 watts, raises temperatures 10-25 degrees depending on insulation levels). That helps and doesn't warp the molds.

Recipes with accelerants in them like sugar, honey, or milk have a greater chance to gel in the Milky Way molds. But even then, it's on and off again.

For the most part, I've resigned myself to partial or no gel in MW molds and learned to live with it.

 

[CTAnton]

thanks!..I do have an old Farberware convection oven that with my thermometer can stay between 140 F and cools to 120 before the unit kicks in...also have a seedling heat mat to try as well...will try both this weekend and get back to you...

 

[MorpheusPA]

thanks!..I do have an old Farberware convection oven that with my thermometer can stay between 140 F and cools to 120 before the unit kicks in...also have a seedling heat mat to try as well...will try both this weekend and get back to you...

If you have a seedling mat, you probably have 1020 seedling flats with the clear vinyl domes, yes?

If so, put the mold in the flat, and the dome over top. Then insulate well with blankets to hold temperatures up on the seedling mat. That will help.

I use old flats that have cracked (post a thorough cleaning, of course!) to cure soap on as well. They fit in my larger drawers and closet shelves very easily.

 

[CTAnton]

amazing how people know what's in my stock pile...! Yes I have flats with domes, spotless as I've never used the entire contents of the boxes! Thanks Morpheus!

 

[MorpheusPA]

amazing how people know what's in my stock pile...! Yes I have flats with domes, spotless as I've never used the entire contents of the boxes! Thanks Morpheus!

Just keep an eye on it. Between the heater, the insulation, the dome, and the saponification heat, if that sucker goes over 140 it's going to get soft. Over 145 and it'll start to melt.

 

[CTAnton]

An update on trying to get gel in my milky way molds....the short answer is that I now accept resignation!
I had a remote thermometer in one oven and the other oven I was able to set low enough that the heat never went above 135 and then cooled to 131 or so before it heated up again...its definitely setting up but I'm not seeing any gel after an hour at this temp so I turned the unit off.
The oven with the remote in it had 3 racks and in spite of having the convection mode on to even out the temps and trying to keep the temps below 145(almost successfully!) ((it went to 149))....survey says:
molds on the rack closest to the bottom and therefore the heating element has gelled...needless to say I won't be using that mold again(read that as warped!)
molds on middle rack have a partial gel with no warping
molds on highest rack look totally ungelled and no warping.
I incorporated everything around 117 degrees and poured into pre warmed molds...
So I accept things as they are...and will embrace the pastel color of ungelled soap!

 

[MorpheusPA]

You can try the quick rinse in hot water trick that's being discussed. I haven't tried it yet, but if it helps intensify colors, I'm sold.

 

[CTAnton]

well Morpheus I doubt I've given up entirely...I used chlorella for the first time as a natural colorant and when I looked at the undersides of the molds after an hour I thought I had reached gel...just such a beautiful shade of green...well that was a short lived experience...cooled to a pastel shade of green that I guess for now I have to live with...theres always the option of soaping at 130 F, heating the molds under hot water as you're suggesting..we'll see!