What happened here? Too hot? Too much frag oil?

[Janis James]

Hello again friends. You would think I'd know what I'm doing since I've been making cold process goat milk soaps for over 20 years but every once in a while a problem rears its ugly head. Picture 1 = Mistake. Picture 2= what they usually look like. The soaps in the first pic are quite dark with variable tones of dark and light and some mottling. Any thoughts? Thanks.

 

[ScentimentallyYours]

The first picture is dark, so it’s hard to tell what is going on with the soap. Are you using silicone molds? Did you CPOP them or leave them at room temperature to saponify? I ask because it looks like the one bar has a partial gel.

 

[Janis James]

The first picture is better when you click on it. Actually, the soaps themselves are quite dark. Yes, silicone molds ( milky way tray molds) now, I'm going to sound really stupid...what's CPOP? I leave them at room temp to saponify. I've never covered them or blanketed them. Do you think it could be the fragrance oil? Too much? It's Brambleberry's " Brambleberry" I don't think I gel my soaps.

 

[not_ally]

CPOP is the acronym for Cold Process Oven Process, which is what many of us do to ensue full gel/prevent partial gel. You just set your oven to the lowest temp/pre-heat (between 120 and 170), turn it off, turn the oven light on, then put your soap in for several hours. Like @ScentimentallyYours, I think the issue is gel related, has the temperature where you are making the soap changed? Or your procedure?

The pictures on the right are so beautiful and creamy. I always swirl and CPOP but then I see pictures like yours and want to try a single colored ungelled batch. ETA: I didn't know that Milky Way made silicone molds, I love the detail in Milky Way molds but don't like using the plastic because it cracks eventually. If you don't mind my asking, where did you get the silicone ones?

 

[Janis James]

CPOP is the acronym for Cold Process Oven Process, which is what many of us do to ensue full gel/prevent partial gel. You just set your oven to the lowest temp/pre-heat (between 120 and 170), turn it off, turn the oven light on, then put your soap in for several hours. Like @ScentimentallyYours, I think the issue is gel related, has the temperature where you are making the soap changed? Or your procedure?

The pictures on the right are so beautiful and creamy. I always swirl and CPOP but then I see pictures like yours and want to try a single colored ungelled batch. ETA: I didn't know that Milky Way made silicone molds, I love the detail in Milky Way molds but don't like using the plastic because it cracks eventually. If you don't mind my asking, where did you get the silicone ones?

Sorry. They're not silicone. They're the regular plastic pvc milky way soap molds. But, I've not had many problems with cracking in fact, I've had some I've been using for 20 years. So, no I don't gel or CPOP. I'm pretty sure my problem was they were too hot and too much fragrance oil which also heated them up.
Thanks.

Sorry. They're not silicone. They're the regular plastic pvc milky way soap molds. But, I've not had many problems with cracking in fact, I've had some I've been using for 20 years. So, no I don't gel or CPOP. I'm pretty sure my problem was they were too hot and too much fragrance oil which also heated them up.
Thanks.

Can fragrance oil raise the temp?

 

[not_ally]

Sure, FOs can raise temps. Also, getting hot is what causes gel/partial gel, that's why I wondered if your (immediate post-make) temps had changed/increased leading to a partial gel. So it could have been either temps, FO, both, or soap gremlins!

 

[Janis James]

Sure, FOs can raise temps. Also, getting hot is what causes gel/partial gel, that's why I wondered if your (immediate post-make) temps had changed/increased leading to a partial gel. So it could have been either temps, FO, both, or soap gremlins!

That's great. Thanks.

 

[not_ally]

Just noticed your new pics of bars from the other MW molds. They are making me hungry for the dulce de leche candy I was addicted to when I lived in Mexico!

 

[ScentimentallyYours]

Where do you live @Janis James? It’s possible the change in seasonal temperatures is another factor messing with partial gelling. I’ve used the plastic MW molds for CPOP in an oven that warmed to 100F with good results, but the replacement oven warms to 170F, which melts the molds. In summer I can warm the oven for CPOP by just leaving the light on. My house is too cold in winter at 65F for the light method to work without a little help from the warm oven setting, which is turned off before the soap goes in.

 

[lucycat]

When did you purchase this fragrance oil? It was reformulated March 2023. Any chance this is your first batch with the new formulation?