Is this gel vs no gel

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I started typing out a whole different question, but as i was typing i think i might have answered my own question lol.

its a lard coconut bar. For the bottom layer i threw in walnut shells. This was my first cpop soap. I had much more of the bottom layer than i wanted (i suck at calculating layer amts lol).

anyway, i poured into another loaf to make little sample sizes, but sill had some left over. i scraped the rest into embed molds. Loaves went into the now turned off oven, but the shells were wrapped in a towel on the counter top.

see the color difference? Its the same batter. I am presuming the loaves gelled and the shells did not?

the lighter pictire of the “sand“ was what it originally looked like

This was my cellphone swirl btw lol.
 

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I use two moulds. Put some batter in both. One gets gell forced in the oven set to 65C for an hour (until I observe full gell) the other left to the elements.

Then you can see which you prefer for future batches.

The colour differences are striking.
 
Yes, the shells are lighter because they are un-gelled. Oftentimes when I make a batch of soap, I'll pour off about 2 to 3 ounces worth or so of batter into an individual decorative mold and leave it on the counter uncovered, while the rest is insulated and encouraged to go through full gel in my oven. I do this to test out how certain colorants and/or FO's behave in gelled and ungelled soap, and also to see how certain recipes perform gelled and ungelled. The color of soap left on the counter, which never gels, always turns out lighter/pastel than its fully gelled sister, whose colors turn out more brilliant or deeper.


IrishLass :)
 
Your soaps are beautiful, but do not cure or set soaps un an unlined cookie cooling rack since doing so can help promote DOS, and you certainly do not want to ruin such gorgeous soaps with DOS. Any metal rack even stainless steel, unless it is high-quality stainless steel can be problematic. You can line with a light dish towel, parchment paper, wax paper, etc.
 
These are coated...but i started putting paper towels underneath just in case since you are the second one to tell me Lol.

and ty for your compliments on the soap! Im still learning.

kim
 
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