Thanks for watching! To read more about what is gel phase, visit us here: bberry.studio/WhatIsGelPhase Timestamps: 00:00 - What is gel phase? 02:36 - How do you force gel phase? 04:47 - Why do you want to force gel phase? 05:37 - Why would you prevent gel phase? 06:45 - How do you prevent gel phase? 07:31 - Outro 08:25 - Answering Your Questions! If you have any questions, feel free to contact our customer service team at info@brambleberry.com or 877-627-7883 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. PST, Monday-Friday. You can also live chat with customer service on BrambleBerry.com from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. PST, Monday-Friday. Shop Bramble Berry: bberry.studio/_ShopBrambleBerry Recipes, Tips & Inspiration: bberry.studio/IntheStudio_Projects Facebook: facebook.com/BrambleBerry Instagram: instagram.com/brambleberry/ Twitter: twitter.com/brambleberry TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@brambleberry Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/brambleberry/
Thanks for that perfectly clear explanation. I'm about to make a goat milk oatmeal &honey soap for my granddaughter and after your wonderful video there are a few mistakes I won't be making!
Thank you so much for all the videos, tutorials and tips. I am over the moon with your book, "Pure Soapmaking" and highly recommend it to anyone who has a passion for, or a simple interest in, soap.Sadly, living in Germany makes access to your super products a little difficult. I was able to pick up a few of your supplies from an agent in Holland though! All the very best to you!
You can do it!!! It took me a long time to get the courage, but watching Ann-Marie and a few other YT soapers, really helped give me the courage. The bonus is that there's lots of recipes on brambleberry's site and Ann-Marie's book [the one she showed], I bought for some recipe ideas and I've tweaked many for what I'm looking for in a soap. The book is only about $20 online, no matter where you go for it... you could probably find it at a local bookstore too.
As a technical video, we don't have specific recipe to follow but all of our fragrances are available here: www.brambleberry.com/shop-by-product/ingredients/fragrance-oils
I'm working my way through your Milk Soaps book and really enjoying it. Is it feasible if you don't like the ring that a partial gel phase can leave to rebatch the soap? Wouldn't that hide the ring or lines?
I use a Styrofoam cooler to force gel phase. You have to be careful so that you don't get glycerin rivers. I am a pharmacist, so I have access to lots of coolers that we get vaccines and insulin in. Ask your pharmacist, I'm sure they would be happy to give you one. I've cut lots of vent holes in the top and make sure to open it often to let heat out. Once I see complete gel phase I just take the top off and leave it open. I use 10 inch silicone in wood molds.
Amazing book! I have learned a lot. I just made my first batch using donkey milk Instead of water. It’s been 3 days and the soap is still soft. I just left it in a cool basement to set. Any advice?
You may need to check the humidity of your basement. Besides being cool, it also needs to be dry for the soap to set up properly. If you were using a recipe that has a high liquid percentage or were working at cooler temperatures, the soap may just need a little longer to set. Some of our thinner poured recipes have taken up to a week to be solid enough to unmold.
Great video, assuming I mixed the batter well, if I want to prevent gel phase and put my mould in the fridge, would it be possible for the harder oils to solify and give an incomplete saponification ? I am just afraid I'd have lye hanging around in the soap if I do that
Most of the saponification happens in your bowl! You are describing false trace which normally happens due to low temperatures. www.brambleberry.com/tips-and-tricks/soap/art0114-trace.html
Hope this isn't a dumb question, but does the caution about milk and gel phase apply to plant-based milks, too, like almond milk, oat milk, coconut milk, etc.? Thank you.
Hi.. How to avoid the cracking of soap during gel phase and after how long of soap making the soap mould had to be covered.. let's say immediately after doing or after 10-15 min.. kindly share your reply..
If Ann-Marie has a better idea, I'll let her correct me if I'm wrong... But usually what causes cracks during gel phase is the use of too many hard oils in the recipe, too much sodium [sea salt or sodium lactate are common, making for a really hard bar], if you're using a water discount, or if you're using a fragrance oil or essential oil that accelerates your batter. Example of the last one: I used Pikake PFO, which smells fabulous, but it started to rice and after I glopped the batter into the mold [it was SO THICK!], it cracked a little on the top, but it wasn't so bad... it kind of looked like it was part of the top's design.
We recommend slowly and carefully adding the lye to the distilled water and gently stirring until the lye has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool. Then in a separate container, fully melt your oils. Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 120° F or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend until trace.
We recommend setting your oven to it's lowest setting (generally 150-170 °F), placing the soap in the oven, then turning the heat off after 1 hour, and leaving the soap in the oven for 8+ hours. Some soapers will also heat their oven to the lowest setting, turn off the oven immediately, and put the soap in as it cools down. Oven process takes a little bit more experimentation as most ovens are different from each other and you'll have to find out what works best for you.
@@Haiyin123 It'll evaporate the flammables pretty quickly. There's a reason you want 91% + isopropyl alcohol to spray the tops. I use 99%. It evaporates any flammables quickly.
Yes, though if you've used a strong fragrance, it may make the other items in the fridge smell like it as well. If you're a soapmaker that regularly cools your soap in a fridge, you may want to get a dedicated space for it.
Hello 👋🏻 I’m really having a hard time with those annoying circles in the middle of my soaps. I’m fallowing all instructions but even after putting in my goat milk soap in the fridge right after, it still comes out with a ring in the center. My oils and milk are usually about 85 degrees both.
If you're still experiencing gel phase when using low soaping temperatures and placing it in the fridge, you may try placing it in the freezer instead! We recommend leaving it in the fridge or freezer for at least 4 hours, up to overnight. For more information on avoiding gel phase, you may find this article helpful. www.brambleberry.com/tips-and-tricks/soap/art0024-all-about-gel-phase.html
Hi My all batch getting gel phase and when i un mould its still not hard and its soft i tried few methods all leads like this please suggest how to harden the gel soap or to avoid the gel phase i tried using cold lye and oil didnt work used water reduction also didnt help please suggest
Great question! We have an awesome article outlining the tips and tricks to help with cracking soap, here's the link: www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/why-did-my-soap-crack/#more-59094
@bramble-berry thank you so much for your response! It is very helpful! One follow up question I have is so far I have only used your quick mixes and made Bramble projects. So what am I doing wrong? How could it be the lye when I am using what is recommended in the projects? ☹️
just made sap and had a heating pad and i found as soon as i put my wooden mold on i geuss got hotter and it started cracking :( just confusing which wat to do and not get that ring
That sounds like you may have experienced false trace. You are welcome to reach out to our customer service team for assistance with a recipe and troubleshooting!
How long does it take to appear? Immediately? Could be you haven't mixed well some additive or the fragrance. If it takes a few weeks, that's dreaded orange spots (DOS), meaning free fatty acids in the soap have started to go rancid.
Just lower your water amount. Usually below 30% water as percentage of oils should do the trick, but you could try even less if you still get soda ash. Depending on how fast your recipe moves, you can use 25%-28%. Pouring at a thicker trace helps as well.
You could try a LCP base with a flat/matte color! www.brambleberry.com/shop-by-product/ingredients/bases/melt-and-pour-soap/sfic-lcp-clear-melt-and-pour-soap-base/V000761.html#q=lcp&lang=default&start=1
why do you tell us to put milk in the soap to induce gel phase and then tell us gel phase will scorch the milk so don't use gel phase if you're putting milk in? i don't get it
Adding sugar to cold process soap will increase the temperature, and it will be more likely to go through gel phase. Some of the most common ingredients used in soap that contain sugar are honey, fresh fruit, and milk. By adding milk to your soap, it's more likely to go through gel phase. You can use small amounts of milk in your gelled soap and have good results. But, it may also be a reason to avoid gel phase - if milk soap becomes too hot it can scorch which can lead to a dark color or slightly unpleasant smell. Whether or not you choose to gel milk soap is a personal preference. But in general, most soapers who use milk prefer to avoid gel phase.
I'm a professional student and I have to say you talk way too fast. Great information, really appreciate the information but what's the rush? I've watched about ten of your videos and I had to switch to my desktop because I can't control the speed via Chromecast. Please, consider slowing down a touch.
Thanks for watching! To read more about what is gel phase, visit us here: bberry.studio/WhatIsGelPhase
Timestamps:
00:00 - What is gel phase?
02:36 - How do you force gel phase?
04:47 - Why do you want to force gel phase?
05:37 - Why would you prevent gel phase?
06:45 - How do you prevent gel phase?
07:31 - Outro
08:25 - Answering Your Questions!
If you have any questions, feel free to contact our customer service team at info@brambleberry.com or 877-627-7883 between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. PST, Monday-Friday. You can also live chat with customer service on BrambleBerry.com from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. PST, Monday-Friday.
Shop Bramble Berry: bberry.studio/_ShopBrambleBerry
Recipes, Tips & Inspiration: bberry.studio/IntheStudio_Projects
Facebook: facebook.com/BrambleBerry
Instagram: instagram.com/brambleberry/
Twitter: twitter.com/brambleberry
TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@brambleberry
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/brambleberry/
Thank you 😊
I am s professional educator and I want to say, you are a fabulous teacher!
My husband got me this book as a gift when I told him I wanted to learn soaping. Really educative.
Great video. You really answered the question in my brain about why the soap is made at higher temperatures.
Thanks for that perfectly clear explanation. I'm about to make a goat milk oatmeal &honey soap for my granddaughter and after your wonderful video there are a few mistakes I won't be making!
We are glad it was helpful! Good luck in your soaping journey
Thank you so much for all the videos, tutorials and tips. I am over the moon with your book, "Pure Soapmaking" and highly recommend it to anyone who has a passion for, or a simple interest in, soap.Sadly, living in Germany makes access to your super products a little difficult. I was able to pick up a few of your supplies from an agent in Holland though! All the very best to you!
THOSE THROWBACK PHOTOS!!!
Yes! More please
Thank you for sharing I recently said I want to master cp soaps like I have mp
You can do it!!!
It took me a long time to get the courage, but watching Ann-Marie and a few other YT soapers, really helped give me the courage. The bonus is that there's lots of recipes on brambleberry's site and Ann-Marie's book [the one she showed], I bought for some recipe ideas and I've tweaked many for what I'm looking for in a soap. The book is only about $20 online, no matter where you go for it... you could probably find it at a local bookstore too.
Thanks Anne-Marie! I generally like to gel but when I can't, I'm not totally heartbroken 😉 still great soap either way 🧼🥰
Thank you so much for making this! It answered a lot of questions!
What fragrance oil did you use for this one? Love the stamps!
As a technical video, we don't have specific recipe to follow but all of our fragrances are available here: www.brambleberry.com/shop-by-product/ingredients/fragrance-oils
Thank you. This was helpful.
I made my first ever soap tonight and it cracked, and then it went through gel phase and sort of repaired itself. What a roller-coaster 🤣
Lucky you, i tried to fix mine not knowing this and created more cracks hahahaha
@@arantxafriederich4964 haha that was my original plan!
I got this book, how awesome
Can you please share how to clean if you spill soap batter during pouring?
I'm working my way through your Milk Soaps book and really enjoying it. Is it feasible if you don't like the ring that a partial gel phase can leave to rebatch the soap? Wouldn't that hide the ring or lines?
Thank you, we're so glad you're enjoying Milk Soaps! You can rebatch cold process soap with partial gel phase to give it another try 💜
I use a Styrofoam cooler to force gel phase. You have to be careful so that you don't get glycerin rivers. I am a pharmacist, so I have access to lots of coolers that we get vaccines and insulin in. Ask your pharmacist, I'm sure they would be happy to give you one.
I've cut lots of vent holes in the top and make sure to open it often to let heat out.
Once I see complete gel phase I just take the top off and leave it open.
I use 10 inch silicone in wood molds.
Amazing book! I have learned a lot. I just made my first batch using donkey milk Instead of water. It’s been 3 days and the soap is still soft. I just left it in a cool basement to set. Any advice?
You may need to check the humidity of your basement. Besides being cool, it also needs to be dry for the soap to set up properly. If you were using a recipe that has a high liquid percentage or were working at cooler temperatures, the soap may just need a little longer to set. Some of our thinner poured recipes have taken up to a week to be solid enough to unmold.
Awesome thank you
Great video, assuming I mixed the batter well, if I want to prevent gel phase and put my mould in the fridge, would it be possible for the harder oils to solify and give an incomplete saponification ? I am just afraid I'd have lye hanging around in the soap if I do that
Most of the saponification happens in your bowl! You are describing false trace which normally happens due to low temperatures. www.brambleberry.com/tips-and-tricks/soap/art0114-trace.html
@@bramble-berry appreciate the reply very much !
Can I use a pan lined with a baking mat on the stove to fiy partial gel?
Yes you can!
Hope this isn't a dumb question, but does the caution about milk and gel phase apply to plant-based milks, too, like almond milk, oat milk, coconut milk, etc.? Thank you.
Great question! The caution also applies to plant-based milks.
Thank you very much for the info!
Hi.. How to avoid the cracking of soap during gel phase and after how long of soap making the soap mould had to be covered.. let's say immediately after doing or after 10-15 min.. kindly share your reply..
If Ann-Marie has a better idea, I'll let her correct me if I'm wrong...
But usually what causes cracks during gel phase is the use of too many hard oils in the recipe, too much sodium [sea salt or sodium lactate are common, making for a really hard bar], if you're using a water discount, or if you're using a fragrance oil or essential oil that accelerates your batter. Example of the last one: I used Pikake PFO, which smells fabulous, but it started to rice and after I glopped the batter into the mold [it was SO THICK!], it cracked a little on the top, but it wasn't so bad... it kind of looked like it was part of the top's design.
@@MsAubrey thank you so much for the reply ❤️
This good. How can I have the book
So should we let it cure longer if we don’t gel phase? Or will the 4-6 weeks still be ok?
Also if we put our soap in the freezer or refrigerator how long should we keep them in there, the whole 4-6 weeks or just a few days?
We recommend letting cold process soap cure for 4-6 weeks 💜
To keep your soap cool, start with your lye and oils around 90-100° F. Once it’s in the mold, put it in the fridge or freezer for 24 hours.
Do I have to heat oils and use a hot lye from the beginning of the process
We recommend slowly and carefully adding the lye to the distilled water and gently stirring until the lye has fully dissolved and the liquid is clear. Set aside to cool. Then in a separate container, fully melt your oils. Once the lye water and the oils have cooled to 120° F or below (and are ideally within 10 degrees of each other), add the lye water to the oils and stick blend until trace.
Can you please share a soap recipe with glutathione kogic acid & vit c
I’m a beginner
Thank you for your suggestion!
if the recipe calls for high on a heating pad, what is the temperature for an oven gel phase
We recommend setting your oven to it's lowest setting (generally 150-170 °F), placing the soap in the oven, then turning the heat off after 1 hour, and leaving the soap in the oven for 8+ hours.
Some soapers will also heat their oven to the lowest setting, turn off the oven immediately, and put the soap in as it cools down.
Oven process takes a little bit more experimentation as most ovens are different from each other and you'll have to find out what works best for you.
@@bramble-berry thanks!
BTW, if I spray the rubbing alcohol on top of my cp soap, then I put that in the oven for gel phase will that cause a fire?
@@Haiyin123 It'll evaporate the flammables pretty quickly. There's a reason you want 91% + isopropyl alcohol to spray the tops. I use 99%. It evaporates any flammables quickly.
can you put the soap in the fridge together with food fridge?
Yes, though if you've used a strong fragrance, it may make the other items in the fridge smell like it as well. If you're a soapmaker that regularly cools your soap in a fridge, you may want to get a dedicated space for it.
Hello 👋🏻 I’m really having a hard time with those annoying circles in the middle of my soaps. I’m fallowing all instructions but even after putting in my goat milk soap in the fridge right after, it still comes out with a ring in the center. My oils and milk are usually about 85 degrees both.
If you're still experiencing gel phase when using low soaping temperatures and placing it in the fridge, you may try placing it in the freezer instead! We recommend leaving it in the fridge or freezer for at least 4 hours, up to overnight. For more information on avoiding gel phase, you may find this article helpful. www.brambleberry.com/tips-and-tricks/soap/art0024-all-about-gel-phase.html
Amazing
Hi My all batch getting gel phase and when i un mould its still not hard and its soft i tried few methods all leads like this please suggest how to harden the gel soap or to avoid the gel phase i tried using cold lye and oil didnt work used water reduction also didnt help please suggest
Hmmm but in other video you told that soda salt appears when we soap at too low temperature. So,,, how I will avoide it and avoide gel phase.
You can chill the soap loaf after pouring to help prevent gel phase.
If using powder milk is it the same than fresh milk ? meaning no gel phase?
It's the sugars in milk that tend to heat up your batch so it doesn't matter what type you use.
How do you prevent the soap from cracking
Great question! We have an awesome article outlining the tips and tricks to help with cracking soap, here's the link: www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body-tutorials/tips-and-tricks/why-did-my-soap-crack/#more-59094
@bramble-berry thank you so much for your response! It is very helpful! One follow up question I have is so far I have only used your quick mixes and made Bramble projects. So what am I doing wrong? How could it be the lye when I am using what is recommended in the projects? ☹️
What is the name of what you use to stir the soap?
The best tool is a spatula. You can find that here; www.brambleberry.com/shop-by-product/tools-and-accessories/utensils/silicone-spatula/V000749.html
just made sap and had a heating pad and i found as soon as i put my wooden mold on i geuss got hotter and it started cracking :( just confusing which wat to do and not get that ring
How do I do gel phase with small moulds ?
You can try using a heating pad.
After my bar hardened I still had liquid at the bottom of my loafs, how can I fix this
That sounds like you may have experienced false trace. You are welcome to reach out to our customer service team for assistance with a recipe and troubleshooting!
Can you tell me why my white soap gets yellow spots?
How long does it take to appear? Immediately? Could be you haven't mixed well some additive or the fragrance. If it takes a few weeks, that's dreaded orange spots (DOS), meaning free fatty acids in the soap have started to go rancid.
yass throwback photo, blond bob
ما شاء الله جميل جدا 😘🔔🔔👍
Cool
I am confused.. How can I stop getting the white ash on my soap. I thought we had to keep the soap covered tightly to prevent white ash..?
Just lower your water amount. Usually below 30% water as percentage of oils should do the trick, but you could try even less if you still get soda ash. Depending on how fast your recipe moves, you can use 25%-28%. Pouring at a thicker trace helps as well.
@@louisdepointedulac3072 Wow, so nice of you to answer. Thanks so much. I will try that.☺
@@pennyarizzio2824 you're welcome!
I guess that gel phase would give harder soaps that last longer
Subtitles Please so no mistakes
I don’t like shiny soap I get too much of that with melt and pour 🤷🏽♀️
You could try a LCP base with a flat/matte color!
www.brambleberry.com/shop-by-product/ingredients/bases/melt-and-pour-soap/sfic-lcp-clear-melt-and-pour-soap-base/V000761.html#q=lcp&lang=default&start=1
@@bramble-berry that’s a great idea thank you
why do you tell us to put milk in the soap to induce gel phase and then tell us gel phase will scorch the milk so don't use gel phase if you're putting milk in? i don't get it
Adding sugar to cold process soap will increase the temperature, and it will be more likely to go through gel phase. Some of the most common ingredients used in soap that contain sugar are honey, fresh fruit, and milk. By adding milk to your soap, it's more likely to go through gel phase. You can use small amounts of milk in your gelled soap and have good results.
But, it may also be a reason to avoid gel phase - if milk soap becomes too hot it can scorch which can lead to a dark color or slightly unpleasant smell. Whether or not you choose to gel milk soap is a personal preference. But in general, most soapers who use milk prefer to avoid gel phase.
I'm a professional student and I have to say you talk way too fast. Great information, really appreciate the information but what's the rush? I've watched about ten of your videos and I had to switch to my desktop because I can't control the speed via Chromecast. Please, consider slowing down a touch.