Mountainous tops - PICS ADDED

[debbism]

It amazed me how you are ALWAYS learning when it comes to soap making no matter how many batches you have under your belt.

We wrestled for a long time with fallen tops - I posted here a while back about my tops falling. I finally locked in the solution.

It is NOT about entirely about gelling although that DOES play a part.

The issue for me was that we were pouring at a heavy trace....too heavy it seems.

After working with column pours, we discovered pouring soaps at a very thin trace and going slow the same way to alternate colors and pour a little of each color at a time, eg: pour a little, wait, pour more, wait, stick blend a little, pour, wait, pour etc.... and keep going until the end of the pot is thicker and start building up tops seems to work beautifully.

So far each time we have done this technique, our mountain tops remain through the gel phase and we insulate very well. We also notice that we leak far less FOs and glycerin if any.

So thanks to column pouring, our mountain tops are safe once again!!!

 

[Fragola]

If you mean textured tops, I'm a bit surprised.

Personally I don't like them and I am only getting them some times, as a consequence of pouring a slightly thicker trace.

You seem to be saying the opposite here ...

 

[Hazel]

I'm glad you found the solution to the problem. Does this mean you're going to be posting new pics soon? hint...hint :wink:

 

[debbism]

Fragola, I actually love the textured tops.......I call them mountainous because the look like mountains and with the little bit of ash on top, the look like snow covered mountains.

For us, this is what solved the problem. When we poured at a super thick trace, the heat of the gel would re-melt it all. This is just what is working for us - I cannot explain the why of it, I can only report what I have observed in our own soap room.

I should do another video - and show how we got it this way. Gotta wait for the hubby tho...he is the camera man.

And OF COURSE, I will post picks. I am going to wait until we cut this next batch which should be in about 6 hours or so. I'll have to line up all of our mountain tops for a group pic!! We did a nice vanilla soap in which we left out the vanilla stabilizer and got a sumptious milk chocolate color. I am loving it.

 

[Fragola]

Yes, matter of taste, I am not arguing that

Read your original post again ... Could be that the word slow is the key here.

Just speculating here, but maybe same result would happen by delaying the gelling, by let's say 20-30 minutes.

The relationship to trace would be that a heavier trace speeds up the saponification process, which possibly generates more heat, which causes your soap to melt and mountains to fall down.

At first, I didn't get how your mountains maintain their shape at thin trace, but now I notice the soap batter was getting thicker consistency by the time you started working on your tops.

 

[debbism]

Fragola, I didn't think you were making a judgement...I knew you were expressing your opinion!

The slow pour and working of the batter does delay the gel stage considerably by maybe 30 minutes. Could be the key.

 

[Dragonkaz]

Sounds very interesting. I'd love to see how this works and maybe it's something I'll give a try.

Thanks for sharing your success Debbism!

 

[Healinya]

When I hear 'textured top' I imagine any kind of soap that has some sort of non-flat top...when I hear 'mountain top' I thought of the look you get from using back of spoon to create cliffs and peaks (like when you test if heavy cream has whipped enough when cooking).. waiting 20 minutes after pour for soap to harden should bring u similar result, but, yes, much easier to pour at thicker trace.

 

[skyfarms]

I was always envious of some soaper's textured tops, and am still trying to get mine to look as pretty. Not all batches require the texture, but some just beg to be made creamier looking on top like frosting on my mom's cakes! Doing the pour and wait thing has worked for me, especially when I want to do the swirls and still have the lovely tops.

I haven't had melting peaks from gelling though.

Yes, do post pics!!!

 

[debbism]

OK...here is a pic of the most recent tops - please excuse the lighting - I have rotten lighting in this room - always so amber.

 

[green soap]

Wow! very nice! I love the soft natural colors. What technique did you use for the one on the bottom left? inserts or swirling?

 

[debbism]

.......What technique did you use for the one on the bottom left? inserts or swirling?

If you mean the black and 'white' one, we poured small glops of black (charcoal colored) into the white batter, then used a wide flat stick - like a plastic tongue depressor, and used that to swirl it in the mold. It could have been swirled more but the top was looking so good, we thought the middle was OK. BUT I like it.

 

[Hazel]

Those are beautiful! I really like the soft colors, too.

 

[MeadowHillFarmCT]

very nice soaps. Love the picture of them. I am a big fan of real looking photos..

 

[skyfarms]

Great looking soaps!

 

[debbism]

Thank you everyone. This is such a wonderful group to grow with.

 

[Dragonkaz]

Very beautiful and mountainous! Fab looking soaps!

 

[Soapy Gurl]

Wow, those are great looking soaps. Beautiful colors and tops.