lost my mojo

[CaliChan]

I normally don't gel my soaps, about 80% of them are milk soaps. But the last 6 batches all have either overheated or parcial gelled. So I'm pretty upset. It seems the better I get at HP the worse I get at CP. So now I guess its time to hang my coat for a while when it comes to milks.

 

[melstan775]

You don't need to hang the coat, just put it on a different hook! Have you tried freezing your soap to keep it from gelling?

 

[lsg]

I second freezing or at least refrigerating for several hours. Are you adding honey to the mix, honey is notorious for causing overheating.

 

[CaliChan]

That's the thing I have been freezing them ;( I use my silicone mold for my milk soaps to to try and prevent it. I just don't know why this keeps happening. I stopped adding honey to my milk soaps for that very reason. I just can't seem to get it right anymore

 

[Ruthie]

Maybe freeze them longer? I by necessity use the refrigerator, but have gone from 24 to 48 hours to prevent partial gel and the top splitting.

 

[CaliChan]

I thought that might be the issue to until i checked my loaf last night while it was in the freezer and felt it after 2 hours to see if there was any heat coming off of it and all was good until i touched the bottom. It felt like i had just stuck my hand on a burner so i knew right from the get go that it was going to be yet another partial gel. I just got back from my mother in laws. i used her oven to see if i could cpop it to at-least get consistent bars (its the nut butter bars so they will be brown anyways) so im keeping my fingers crossed that it worked and they didnt over heat. I might just start having to drop the thermostat in the house while i do my soaping because that's all i can think of. We have poor insulation in my home so the kitchen is always either the hottest or the coldest room in the apartment.

 

[CaliChan]

MY MOJO IS BACK! Im sooooo happy. I was finally able to make a milk soap that didn't partial gel, over heat or anything its perfect *dances*

 

[Ruthie]

Happy dance with you!

 

[houseofwool]

What did you do differently?

 

[CaliChan]

i lowered the temp in my house from 73 to 68 3 hours before i started soaping.

 

[Candybee]

CaliChan-- I do mostly milk soaps too and always add honey. But I use a wooden slab mold for them. Sometimes I do get partial gel but not often and I haven't had to refridgerate or freeze my batch ever. Most of the time I can't get gel even when I try. But I prefer not to. Why mess with it when I like the way they turn out ungelled.

 

[CaliChan]

I've been thinking about investing some money into a slab mold as well. I just need to come up with some measurements and I should be good. But a lot of my soaps have to be done in a loaf mold to get the design. So ive been pretty upset that all my attempts to re-stock turned into failed batches.