Why does my soap turn into a gloppy mess?

by Anne
(Port Costa, Ca)

I have made several batches of soap with great success. So easy I was thinking of starting a business, until this past weekend.

I had been using baking pans lined with freezer paper for molds. Then I bought this nifty wooden mold complete with cutter and wooden cover.

I made 2 batches of soap with recipes I'd used before. They came to trace with a combination
of hand stirring and use of a stick blender. I poured the soap into the mold, covered it and went off.

Looking in on it a few hours later, it had become a clear goopy soup, not at all the soap I poured into the mold.

I was able to reheat, stir and remold and it came out OK but I'm wondering why this happened with these 2 batches and never before. Any ideas?

Answer:

If by clear gloppy mess you mean that the soap turned translucent and was quite liquid to the touch....this is normal.

When soap reaches what is called a full gel, this is what happens. When you where using the baking pans, your soap probably didn't reach a gel at all because the metal pans wouldn't be insulated enough. This is ok also....it is a matter of choice whether or not to gel your soap.

When a soap reaches full gel it is ok to remove the insulation (or lid) and allow the soap to cool. It will solidify and become opaque again. Once it is fully cooled it can be cut quite easily.

Hope that helps you,
Cathy