? for those who can keep GM white in CP

[jaybyrd]

Are the bars darkish upon unmolding & cutting, and then as they cure gradually go back to creamy from the outside in? Because it looks sort of like that's what's happening to this batch I did last weekend.

[ChrisR]

Nope, mine are pretty creamy off white right from the start. I use fresh GM in all my CP soaps. The only ones that are dark are any with vanilla in the FO, then they get dark brown usually. I'm not saying it can't happen, but I personally have never had a batch do what your is!!

[jaybyrd]

Ah, nertz. I was afraid of that. I guess the FO is misbehaving, on top of just being unsuccessful keeping it white.

[doris]

Mine usually darken, apparently if you keep them from gelling they will stay white.

[salli]

I had much better luck soaping using frozen goatsmilk, soaping in ice water and then putting them to bed in the refrigerator.

[Meridith]

Also, if your GM soaps turns tan, it might lighten a bit with time as it cures.

[CareBear]

Jay what FO was it?

I cannot get a whitish GM soap to save my life. Frozen or not, it turns orange with lye. Then I cannot keep it from gelling no matter what I do including days in the freezer and fridge - I still get a gel.

[BekkaF]

I have no problem with using fresh liquid GM and ending up with nice almost white bars of soap. No fluid discounts in my full GM soap batches. I don't do slushies I want to make sure all my lye is dissolved, so I use a heavy on the ice water bath. Adding the lye, stirring it in a sprinkle at a time, while hand stirring, might take me all of 20 to 1/2 hour. And nope it doesn't turn orange or curdle on me. Meanwhile, I have all my other ingredients fats/oils/ butters cooled down to around 80 to 85 degree, so I'll be ready to go ; ) In the summer, I refrigerate the soap in the mold, in the winter, I might set the mold ouside under the covered patio. I really believe every one has a natural tendency towards the type of soap they do best. Mine just happens to be ungelled. It comes easy and happens on its own most often.

Huggs, Bekka

[CareBear]

Adding the lye, stirring it in a sprinkle at a time, while hand stirring, might take me all of 20 to 1/2 hour.

well, that certainly explains my problem - I take about 1 minute to add mine LOL!!!

[Jcandleattic]

Jay what FO was it?

I cannot get a whitish GM soap to save my life. Frozen or not, it turns orange with lye. Then I cannot keep it from gelling no matter what I do including days in the freezer and fridge - I still get a gel.

If your GM turns orange when adding the lye you are adding the lye too quickly and the lye is scorching the milk. The slower you add the lye the better. That way it doesn't discolor (turn that pumpkin-y orange) and you also don't get that funky putrid smell either.

And with it not turning orange you have a better chance of getting a better colored (lighter cream colored) soap. Once it's that oranges color it tends to go dark brown whether it gels or not.

And I have no idea why your soaps always gel. LOL I've heard you say that even after days of being in the fridge you take them out and they start to gel. I can't figure that one out because once I mold mine, and put them in the fridge, that usually successfully stops any gel process from taking place. When I take it out of the fridge I let it sit for about 10-15 minutes and then cut. I've never had a problem with it starting to gel again.

How long after taking it out of the fridge do you leave it before cutting?

[jaybyrd]

Here's a pic of how the bars look. Powdered rosehips & just a few drops of hyacinth soap color, and the FO is Frankincense & Ginger, a Brambleberry limited edition. I kept everything super-cool when I was making it - added the lye flakes directly to frozen GM, with the container sitting on an ice bed. The oils were at room temp, around 80 degrees, and I put that on an ice bed as soon as I added the lye/GM solution, which was around 70-74 degrees. I only stick blended a few bursts to incorporate the oils/lye, and later to be sure the rosehip powder was thoroughly mixed. I didn't want any speed-friction heating things up.

I'm now thinking my mistake wasn't the FO, but using my vertical mold. No way it fits in my fridge, so I left it in front of a strong fan all day, turning it every so often. Even so it probably insulated too well & got the soap gelling. You can see the leftmost bar looks closest to the way I wanted, & it's from the exposed end. That would explain just the sides & the bottom (right) being lightish - the farther to the middle got hotter. When I try again, I'll be sure to use more of a slab-style container for more exposed surface area to release heat, & preferably something that will fit in my fridge.

[kidsngarden]

All my soaps are GM from my own goats. I milk them and put it directly in ice cube trays. I weigh the cubes out when it's time to soap. I usually melt just a few in the microwave to dissolve my sugar in. I add the lye slowly to the Frozen GM, but it only take 1-2 minutes. and then I stir until all the cubes are gone. My lye always gets dissolved. I use anywhere from a 26-33% lye solution.

Most of my soaps are 100% GM, but some I do half water and if I do that I take advantage of it and mix the lye with the water and let it cool to RT then add it to the oils, mix to light trace, then ad the GM.

Having RT oils is the way to go. Also if you add honey you need to be extra careful about having everything be cooler than cool. I don't do anything to prevent gel, but I don't cover. They are half gelled I guess because they still manage to heat up pretty well. But I love them the way they are and so do my customers. I have no discoloration due to half gelling except in my recipes with honey in them.

My bars can be pretty darn close to white sometimes. It depends on the FO and if there's honey AND what kind of oils I use. I use a lot of lard - sometimes up to 60% and also coconut which are pretty white so I think that helps.

Bethany

[CareBear]

And I have no idea why your soaps always gel. LOL I've heard you say that even after days of being in the fridge you take them out and they start to gel. I can't figure that one out because once I mold mine, and put them in the fridge, that usually successfully stops any gel process from taking place. When I take it out of the fridge I let it sit for about 10-15 minutes and then cut. I've never had a problem with it starting to gel again.

How long after taking it out of the fridge do you leave it before cutting?

Mine have spent days in the freezer followed by days in the fridge and still they would start to gel as soon as they came out... I thought it best to let the logs come to room temp before cutting because it's humid around here and I figured less of a condensation issue that way.