# Trace, Gel Phase, and Overheating Questions?



## Rosesgoats (Apr 22, 2011)

I have been using the goat milk soap recipe from Casey Makela's book "Goat Milk Soaps". It has veg. shortening, olive oil, safflower oil, canola oil, lye, and milk in it. I also add a little bit of glycerin, Borax, and white sugar. I have used this recipe about 50 times now but I have some questions about milk soaps. 

I never mix it to a hard trace. Is that a problem? I mix just to a light trace so it pours out of the pan into the mold easily. 

Sometimes I don't see it gel where the center gets darker than the outsides. Does it have to go through gel phase to be soap? Sometimes it just dries and doesn't change color at all. What does the gel phase do?

I am having trouble with using log or loaf molds with this recipe. Whenever I use a mold that makes the soap more than 3" thick, the soap turns black on the bottom and has this weird black gelatinous gunk pool in the bottom of the mold. I am assuming this is what happens when it overheats? How do I use a loaf mold without overheating my soap?


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## Guest (May 19, 2011)

I will try to answer your questions in order that you ask them... 
No, its not a problem many many soapers only take their soap to light light trace... I am one of them that does this especially if I want to swirl colors etc... its fine..
No, your soap does not have to gel, soapers will have various different opinions on this on wether or not gelled soap is better than soap that does not gel. Personally I think a gelled soap actually get harder and lathers better.. But I do have some that I don't gel for different reasons... if you want it to gel, try insulating your soap after the pour so it holds the heat.. if you don't want it too, soap cooler temps and in a cooler room...
Your mold should have nothing to do with this strange black goo, unless you are using aluminum pan or something..It is not caused from overheating, when soap overheats, it rises and cracks..in the center and sometimes even overflows the pan.. I am not sure what the cause of this is unless its the sugar.
Why are you adding glycerin, handmade soap makes it own and it is an unecessary expense. (my opinion).. Sugar is suppose to make better lather.. I can't telll the difference.. get good lather from a good recipe..Try a different recipe with some coconut oil and you won't need the sugar..
Hope this helps.. maybe someone else has had this happen.. I haven't and haven't heard of it either..


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## Rosesgoats (Apr 22, 2011)

Thanks for the answers! I was assuming the black goo on the bottom of the soap was because of overheating because it ONLY happens when I change my mold dimensions. If I use a plastic-lined pan that makes the soap only 1.5 inches thick, it doesn't make any black goo. If I try a different mold dimension that makes the soap thicker, it always ends up with black goo. I usually line the wood molds with a plastic garbage bag so I think contact contamination isn't the problem. 

I will try skipping the sugar and glycerin in the next batch and see if it makes a difference. Thanks!


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## Guest (May 20, 2011)

Rose, try a different brand of garbage bag, maybe that is what is doing it.. or try freezer paper..
Barb


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## Rosesgoats (Apr 22, 2011)

How do you keep the soap from leaking out the seams of the freezer paper? What do you mean by freezer paper? Is this the same as parchment paper?


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## Guest (May 20, 2011)

Oh, it doesn't leak much before it starts to set up and freezer paper is very wide....much wider than parchment paper... Not the same.. Walmarts and grocery stores have it..
Its heavy paper that is waxed on one side but folds and fits molds easily


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## Tallabred (Jun 12, 2008)

I love using freezer paper. You just use "hospital corners" for the corners - so you have a triangle on each corner that folds flat.


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