# First time soap making fiasco



## wigwom (Mar 15, 2014)

So this is the very first time trying to make soap using the paste method. I followed everything to a T and it was going fine until I go to add the lye solution. As I was stirring the mixture with a stick blender, the volcano effect started to happen after about 10 minutes. I didn't know this at the time and didn't know what was happening so I didn't know what to do. I did pull it off the heat and hold it up as it boiled over onto the stove. After it was all over I was left with this: 





It looks like it should after stirring for hours but my question is, can it turn to the paste after only 10 minutes? Is this ok to use?

Also, this was was what was on the side of the pot after it cooled:





would it be ok to put it back into the pot to use?

Sorry for all the questions and I know they are probably pretty simple questions but I am totally new to this and want to make sure I am doing everything correctly.  Thanks for any help any of you can give me.


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## AustinStraight (Mar 15, 2014)

You might have had the heat on the stove too high.  Generally with hot process you want to keep the heat as low as possible, it's only there to speed up the chemical reaction that creates soap.  The scraps can be stored in a cool, dry place until you have enough scraps to grind into flakes using the food processor - then, you can use those flakes to make rebatched soap.  I wouldn't bother rebatching an amount as small as that, you should wait until you have at least a pound of soap flakes.  That way, it's worth the cleanup time.


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## cmzaha (Mar 15, 2014)

Were you making Liquid Soap Paste or Hp soap? Which lye did you use NaOH or KOH (which is used for Liquid Soap making)? If you were making hot process soap with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) you are not aiming for a paste but a pourable or at least a spoonable soap so you can get it in the mold. Whichever you were making I would not put the scrapings in the soap. They will not melt back in. If you were making hp I would add in some more liquid put the pot in the oven at 170 to 200 degrees and melt it back down (rebatch) so you can get it into a mold. Posting your recipe would help troubleshoot the problem


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## wigwom (Mar 15, 2014)

I am using the book Making Natural Liquid Soaps by Cathrine Failor as my guide and this is the recipe I am using:

Oils
35 ounces coconut oil
11 ounces soft oil of choice
2 ounces cocoa butter
Lye solution
13 ounces potassium hydroxide
39 ounces soft or distilled water

If you need anymore info just let me know and I will get back to you as soon as I can.


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## Susie (Mar 15, 2014)

Which soft oil did you use, and did you use a lye calculator?


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## wigwom (Mar 15, 2014)

Susie said:


> Which soft oil did you use, and did you use a lye calculator?



I used almond oil for the soft soap and I did not use a lye calculator since I was going by the recipe. I do know that the recipe calls for slightly more lye than necessary but I am plan on nutralizing it when I go to delute it.


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## Susie (Mar 15, 2014)

I would put every thing that came out of the pot back into the pot that I can.  Then you are going to have to reweigh your paste and dilute and neutralize from there. 

Just so you know, liquid soapmaking has made great strides since that was written.  We now have lye calculators that you can set for 90% pure KOH that you do not have to neutralize the liquid soaps.  Just use SoapCalc to put your oils in and go by what it says.  Stick with a 1% or 0% SF to get clear soap. I am not saying that that book is not a valuable resource.  It is very good.  But it is something like a college course being taught to elementary students for a new person to use it.

This is a tutorial on making liquid soap.  Ignore it and look at the bottom for the Yahoo Liquid soapers group.  There are beginner recipes on there that do not require any neutralization.  

http://chickensintheroad.com/house/crafts/how-to-make-liquid-soap/

There is also a Facebook liquid soapers group with some beginner recipes.

Lots of the people from here are also members of those forums.  Very, very smart people.  I learn LOTS from them.


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## lady-of-4 (Mar 19, 2014)

It's your high coconut content.  A bunch of us were just having a laugh last night in a LS Facebook group on our volcano experiences.  It unfortuntely tends to happen, and very suddenly.  So the best you can do is eyeball like a hawk and watch for it to rise, and stir it down like a mad person when it starts.  You did right by taking it off the heat.  And yes, you can put the bits back in the pot and continue.


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## kattywompas1 (Mar 20, 2014)

Can anyone tell me where to find out which oils will leave a cloudiness and which ones will be clear.  I like to use Canola and Grape Seed Oils a lot.


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## lady-of-4 (Mar 20, 2014)

I believe it's the oils with a high steric content. I am not 100% positive.  If you go on FB, there is also a Liquid Soap group there with folks always on the ready with answers.


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## dixiedragon (Mar 20, 2014)

I've never made liquid soap so I have nothing useful to add, but those soap curls are so delicate and pretty!


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## wigwom (Mar 22, 2014)

Susie said:


> I would put every thing that came out of the pot back into the pot that I can.  Then you are going to have to reweigh your paste and dilute and neutralize from there.
> 
> Just so you know, liquid soapmaking has made great strides since that was written.  We now have lye calculators that you can set for 90% pure KOH that you do not have to neutralize the liquid soaps.  Just use SoapCalc to put your oils in and go by what it says.  Stick with a 1% or 0% SF to get clear soap. I am not saying that that book is not a valuable resource.  It is very good.  But it is something like a college course being taught to elementary students for a new person to use it.
> 
> ...



Sorry it took so long to write back, I had a busy week. I have done like you have said and put everything back in the pot I could. I then diluted it down to the thickness I wanted and used phenolphthalein to see if there was any lye that needed neutralizing. It did, so I used small amounts of citric acid until the solution did not show up pink anymore. It turned out great, thanks for all the help.



lady-of-4 said:


> It's your high coconut content.  A bunch of us  were just having a laugh last night in a LS Facebook group on our  volcano experiences.  It unfortuntely tends to happen, and very  suddenly.  So the best you can do is eyeball like a hawk and watch for  it to rise, and stir it down like a mad person when it starts.  You did  right by taking it off the heat.  And yes, you can put the bits back in  the pot and continue.



Yeah, I think the coconut oil and the direct heat was the cause of it. lol I am glad you all got a laugh out of it, if you could have seen my face you would have probably been rolling on the floor. It did turn out great however and it works good on my hair. I am making another smaller batch tonight that is going to have more cocoa better then coconut oil. This will be for my wife who need a more conditioning shampoo than I do. I will be using a double-boiler and lower heat this time. Wish me luck!



dixiedragon said:


> I've never made liquid soap so I have nothing  useful to add, but those soap curls are so delicate and pretty!


Thank you dixiedragon! I made them from what had boiled over on the side of the pot. I took a mini scraper and just scraped around the side of the pot. I am sure you could do this also by putting a thin layer of the soap in a cookie or the like and letting it harden, after that just take you a scraper like the one below and scrape down the length.


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