DosGardenias23 Posted July 12, 2007 Share Posted July 12, 2007 Hi all, I'm new to this forum and to soaping, and am having a great time starting out with mp. The archived info on this forum is an amazing resource - thanks to all who contribute!Here's my question. I have two batches of olive oil mp that sweated/crystalized before I had a chance to wrap them up. I wiped the sweat crystals off before wrapped them, but they sweated again inside the wrapper. So I'm wondering, if I remelt and pour those two batches, is there a chance they won't sweat the second time around? Or are the properties of the base screwed up and it'll sweat no matter what? Thanks so much!Sarah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prairieannie Posted July 12, 2007 Share Posted July 12, 2007 Hi all, I'm new to this forum and to soaping, and am having a great time starting out with mp. The archived info on this forum is an amazing resource - thanks to all who contribute!Here's my question. I have two batches of olive oil mp that sweated/crystalized before I had a chance to wrap them up. I wiped the sweat crystals off before wrapped them, but they sweated again inside the wrapper. So I'm wondering, if I remelt and pour those two batches, is there a chance they won't sweat the second time around? Or are the properties of the base screwed up and it'll sweat no matter what? Thanks so much!SarahSweating MP soap seems to have a number of causes..or, in actuality, we just don't seem to be able to nail the exact cause down. I don't have much trouble with it here in Nebraska. I want to blame humid climates, however I've heard of it happening in dry climates as well. I don't think that remelting is going to help you at all. I would wipe them down and put them out to air. Maybe even put a fan on them. It doesn't necessarily mean that the properties of your base are screwed up either, although it is something that we have mulled over before, wondering if certain bases are just more prone to it than others. Sorry I can't offer better advice, just try to keep them dry for awhile and see what happens! Good Luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrandmaArial Posted July 12, 2007 Share Posted July 12, 2007 When my MP looks like it wants to sweat (you know the feeling, like it’s greasy when you take it out of the mold) I set it in a dry, well ventilated place for a few hours to a few days until the greasy feeling dissipates. When I get a batch that seems to want to sweat a lot I will also “simmer” it a while before I make the next batch of bars. I use a double boiler so it’s easy for me; just leave the water to barely simmer (just keeping the soap melted) for an hour or so. This also seems to make glycerin soap less dry when I get a batch that makes my hands dry; I assume it is simply evaporating any alcohol that didn’t get cooked off in processing. Put the lid on “cocked” so it is ventilated but holds the heat to keep the soap melted. It may just be my imagination, but seems to work for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soapmom25 Posted July 12, 2007 Share Posted July 12, 2007 in my experience, it will sweat worse if you simply cut it down and remelt it. You can chunk it up, add more new/fresh soap and would probably be ok. Re-heating is what sparks the sweating here. We keep the shop at a constant temp, so humidity isn't the factor ~ "dry" soap is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MochaMama Posted July 12, 2007 Share Posted July 12, 2007 When my MP looks like it wants to sweat (you know the feeling, like it’s greasy when you take it out of the mold) I set it in a dry, well ventilated place for a few hours to a few days until the greasy feeling dissipates. When I get a batch that seems to want to sweat a lot I will also “simmer” it a while before I make the next batch of bars. I use a double boiler so it’s easy for me; just leave the water to barely simmer (just keeping the soap melted) for an hour or so. This also seems to make glycerin soap less dry when I get a batch that makes my hands dry; I assume it is simply evaporating any alcohol that didn’t get cooked off in processing. Put the lid on “cocked” so it is ventilated but holds the heat to keep the soap melted. It may just be my imagination, but seems to work for me.What a great idea! I too had a batch that was sweating and oily on the top. It might have been the FO I used also. I am going to have to try this.With the sweating MP that I had, I just wiped it off and put it under a fan for a couple hours, then wrapped it up tight. That worked well for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DosGardenias23 Posted July 12, 2007 Author Share Posted July 12, 2007 Thanks so much for the replies! I will give the fan a shot, and if that doesn't work I'll add a little more base to the remelt and try the simmer thing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Casey Posted July 12, 2007 Share Posted July 12, 2007 in my experience, it will sweat worse if you simply cut it down and remelt it. quote]This is also what I have experienced. Ya know, there are "low sweat" MP blends avail-I use them, and have only faced sweating with multiple melts, occasionally Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted July 12, 2007 Share Posted July 12, 2007 I've remelted my MP successfully by adding fresh MP base with the remelt. But I also cut back on additives and adjust for what was already in the batch. In hot weather I have also found it helps to let the soap dry overnight before wrapping it. I unmold it and cover with a sheet of wax paper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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