Another Castile question

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

So, I made my Castile but I am a little bit concerned -

I made it at lunchtime on Monday, put it in the freezer until about 9 that night (about 8 hours) and it rested that night and the following day in my larder which is a fairly chilly room.

I then cut it that evening, so about 32 hours after molding and about 20 to 24 hours after taking out of the freezer.

My concern is that it was far from wet. I understand that a Castile should be really soft and tricky. This was actually quite solid and, if anything, crumbly! Some parts that I cut in a block form split off, like cutting a crumbly cheese.

That is the best way to describe it, like a crumbly cheese.

It was also still rather zappy - I didn't lick it, but I did rub a little on my finger and the pad was a little red and sore afterwards.

I have the recipe (well, the lye amount as it's not really a recipe!) at home and will update with that as soon as I can.

Would appreciate thoughts from the serial Castilers, though.

 

[Lin]

No serial castiler here, but mine was zappy for about 3 days. However mine also couldn't be unmolded for about 3 days because it was too soft. But I did have some I'd separated and added salt to harden and filled in some holes in older soap, that was hard after 36 hours. After peeling off the wax paper I zap tested it and was mildly zapped. After another day or two when I tested again it was fine.

Is it possible its crumbling because its too soft still? I've had a soap that when I unmolded and went to cut after about 24 hours I cut one bar off the end and it just crumbled, I ended up squishing the pieces together into a soap 'rock'. I came back after another 24 hours to cut the rest of the soap and it cut normally. Another time I went to cut out shapes in a slab loaf with a cookie cutter and the edges were too crumbly, again it was fine the following day. Most of my recipes are on the soft side, I don't use palm, and can't be cut until 2 days.

 

[judymoody]

Did you do a water discount?

Depending on how you make it, Castille can actually harden up fairly quickly. It's possible that you waited too long to cut?

It's also possible that there was a measurement error and your soap is lye heavy. But as it's ungelled, I'd wait at least a week before making that determination.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Hmmmm, I did do a 2:1 ratio, so it could be fairly dry. And I'll leave it a while longer before testing again. Thank you, soap gurus

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

I have to say, though - it's super white!

 

[seven]

my 1st try on castile, i left it in the mold for 2 days, and it was already too hard for my wire cutter to handle. my 2nd try, i made sure to keep an eye on it and cut within the 36 hour period.

and yes, it is super white..

 

[MirandaH]

Still super new, but this is my experience:

I don't do anything for my Castile except put it in the lye calculator and superfat at 7% and I haven't had any problems like this. My water is the normal 38% that Soapcalc gives without changing it. I have made 3 batches in the last three weeks. I don't let them gel and put them in the freezer (after the first batch's partial gel). They were all a little zappy for 3 or 4 days and then no zap at all. I would definitely give it at least the 3 or 4 days on the zappy-ness. I have no idea why yours is crumbling. Like one of the other posters, I was curious if it was soft crumbling or dry crumbling, but I see you think it might be dry. Mine never come out dry. I just can't imagine them crumbling due to dryness and I am hoping they eventually harden up the way they are supposed to and that I haven't done something wrong that is making them too wet, but they seem like after 6 months to a year they will be fine. They aren't mushy and you couldn't pinch any off it you wanted to, but they are also still cutable. Someone came over yesterday and wanted to try one of the bars from the first batch that I made on 12/23/13 and I explained to them it was no where near ready and if they had to try it right now, to please try part of it and let the other part sit for 6 - 12 months and I was able to cut it in half without it crumbling or flaking off. When I cut, I use a dough knife, not a guitar string, so that might help. This is the one I use: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Bash-n-Chop-Chopper/20629700

In addition, I just cut the batch I made on New Years Eve, that my husband flattened the top on. I was so disgusted with the flat top that I didn't mess with it until today and it cut fine, 9 days later and made perfect (except for the flat top), white, creamy, no gel/partial gel bars. They are bright white and not zappy and it was still a little soft in the center, but nothing that shouldn't harden up over time.

Now to sit and wait the next year to see if it worked like it should have. :yawn:

 

[seven]

i think i'm gonna made a few more batches of castile too. then i'm just gonna put them away to cure and forget about it till at least july..

 

[robnbill]

When I made Castile I used the Costco Pure Olive Oil. After reading much about making it, I used a 1:1 water to lye ratio. It took forever to trace. I actually burned out my cheap stick blender trying to get it to trace. However, once it traced and I put it into the loaf mold, it was almost too hard to cut 24 hours later. After 6 months it was mild, hard, and usable. I did not add any scent, or colors wanting to make a 100% pure Castile oil for my first time.

Bill

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Thank you all - I admit, a part of me thought that it was still going to turn to liquid at some stage (to the extent that I put a plastic box under it just in case!) but it seems it's okay. I'll ignore it until the weekend and then give it a good licking and see what happens.

 

[user 12568]

No worries... I made a batch of Castile on the weekend (100% olive oil), with a 2:1 water:lye ratio as well. I mixed the soap after lunch and cut the soap before bed... it was already very hard and quite difficult to cut. So I think you're OK. The water discount seems to make e real difference here, as I too was expecting a very soft soap.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

No worries... I made a batch of Castile on the weekend (100% olive oil), with a 2:1 water:lye ratio as well. I mixed the soap after lunch and cut the soap before bed... it was already very hard and quite difficult to cut. So I think you're OK. The water discount seems to make e real difference here, as I too was expecting a very soft soap.

Cheers, Goats - glad it's not just me. I think I'll have to watch out for it next time and either use more water or cut sooner

 

[Lin]

do you experience crumbling or similar issues when cutting fully aged soap? Anyone for that matter? lol. I'm curious because I've always cut my fully aged soap without crumbling so it seems strange that soap being too hard is causing it. But then I also use a warm sometimes wet as well knife to do it. I bought soap from Chagrin Valley exclusively for a couple years when I first started using CP soap, and their bars are huge. I have a small nylon soap net and a knitted cotton soap bag so I always cut down the bars into thirds or so to use. (one plus side is the rest of the soap not being used continues to cure and stay hard to last even longer)

 

[elmtree]

Typically, crumbly soap is lye heavy. I've done this with Castile once and I'm not sure how. When I cut into it the next day it was crumbling and falling apart a little just like hard cheese would. After looking into it I realized it was lye heavy. Still pretty zappy after four days too so I rebatched it.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

At 9% SF I think I'll be jolly unlucky (or a terrible soaper) to have mismeasured by so much. I think it was just a combination of too dry and the shape was not the best - one mold was not too full and so I cut it in to blocks, the other batch that I cut in to regular bars was no issue at all.

 

[user 12568]

My batch was 8% SF and it was still very firm and a bit crumbly. I've zap tested it with no reaction at all, so I really can't imagine there being any problems. Just letting it cure...

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

My batch was 8% SF and it was still very firm and a bit crumbly. I've zap tested it with no reaction at all, so I really can't imagine there being any problems. Just letting it cure...

I tried it over the weekend - first with the soapy finger on the tongue, then with the direct lick - no zap at all!

Unlike here

 

[Twiggy]

I have to say, though - it's super white!

I would like to ask, what kind of OO did you use? And where did u get it? I use EVOO, and my Castile is nice yellow color - but still yellow not white. And I never saw pomace or lower grade in shops in DE…

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

I use one called Bellasan (brand name) olivenoel - it's from Hofer, in a plastic bottle with a green lid, 1 litre. Doesn't seem to be pommace, but not EV or even V

 

[Twiggy]

I use one called Bellasan (brand name) olivenoel - it's from Hofer, in a plastic bottle with a green lid, 1 litre. Doesn't seem to be pommace, but not EV or even V

I will make little research on it - until now I didn’t find anything lover than EVOO grade...