50% lye batch - can it go bad and other things

[Bukawww]

I made up a pretty big batch of 50% lye in February or so (about a gallon+ I guess).

I used it for 2 batches last night. I DID shake the bottle before use. First both batches turned loose applesauce on me (not seperation or ricing, just looked like applesauce out of the jar).

Both batches were about 75% CO, 25% shea and 15% SF - 1 with Very Sexy for men (WSP), flattened beer as 50% water, and charcoal and 1 with Twilight Woods (Peak), nothing fancy.

This morning, Very Sexy does not zap but Twilight Woods does...they were both quite soft (which never happens to me with such high coconut) - its been 12 hours and I can just now probably cut them although I will have to be gentle I think. Again, not typical for me with high CO.

So what happened?!?! Was my lye bad? Not mixed well enough? A coincidence that 2 FOs were being jerks? The beer in VS? Maybe everything is fine and I'm just being premature...I hope. This is a first for me, after about 600 batches or so under my belt

 

[Bukawww]

Please help me! I really need to know if maybe my lye solution is bad or if I just wasn't patient enough with letting everything come to RT like I normally do or, or, or....I could experiment, but it will be very costly to do so so if anyone has insight and wants to save me a possible couple hundred bucks, I'd be super grateful lol.

TIA!

 

[falldowngobump]

Did you gel them? Possibly they just need a little more time, I would wait a day and then check. Hopefully they will work out.

 

[soapbuddy]

Is it possible that your olive oil is adulterated?

 

[Bukawww]

I did not gel so I will hold out hope for time to do it's thing.

No olive oil in this batch Irena and my oils are fresh...the only thing that was kinda 'old' was the lye which was in an airtight container so I'm scratching my head.

 

[IrishLass]

I would give it time, especially seeing as how you didn't gel them. Ungelled soaps are much softer than gelled soaps (like putty or cream cheese), and in my own experience they can even zap up to a week after unmolding before mellowing out. Don't lose hope yet!

IrishLass

 

[agriffin]

I don't masterbatch lye so can't help with that. Just to many things can go wrong.

Hope you can figure it out!

 

[Bukawww]

I honestly can't imagine ever going back to single batching lye - it has changed my soaping habits forever

I guess it isn't a lye issue afterall as I used some more today for an olive oil based batch - it set up like a dream and is gently gelling in a lukewarm oven as I type.

I guess it had to be either temperature issues (I was in a hurry and didn't wait for all liquid/oil to reach true RT) or an FO issue, twice in a row.

Any other thoughts are appreciated, but I'll just make sure my notes are clear on this one and see what happens in the future.

Thanks for everthing!