Bubbles? Re-melt?

[claybutt]

Hi there - This is a 3 parter -

Made my very first batch of cold press today. Totally new to this. I'm hoping someone can tell me what I did wrong and if there is anyway to remedy it so as not to waste the whole batch.

- There seem so be a lot of tiny bubbles in the loaf (I assume this happened from me whisking the ingredients after trace to vigorously).

- Is been 24 hours and the loaf seems to be in a gel state. Very translucent and not quite hard yet ( it was a chilly night but I'm not sure if there is another reason that this happened ).

- Am I able to melt this all again and have a second attempt?


Thanks for any and all help!

:bathtub:

 

[Kittish]

Hi there - This is a 3 parter -

Made my very first batch of cold press today. Totally new to this. I'm hoping someone can tell me what I did wrong and if there is anyway to remedy it so as not to waste the whole batch.

- There seem so be a lot of tiny bubbles in the loaf (I assume this happened from me whisking the ingredients after trace to vigorously).

- Is been 24 hours and the loaf seems to be in a gel state. Very translucent and not quite hard yet ( it was a chilly night but I'm not sure if there is another reason that this happened ).

- Am I able to melt this all again and have a second attempt?


Thanks for any and all help!

:bathtub:

First of all, don't be in too much of a hurry to do anything. Second, post the recipe you used, along with the actual weights of everything. Third, pics please? There is some truth to the saying "A picture is worth a thousand words."

 

[artemis]

My thoughts
1: it's still soap, is there a reason other than air bubbles that makes you think of rebatching?
2: Did you pound your mold down on the counter a few times after pouring? That will usually knock the air bubbles out before the soap sets.
3: gel happens. Many people try to make their soap gel on purpose.
4: instead of "melting it down" why not consider grating it and using it as confetti in a new batch?

 

[claybutt]

The recipe was for a bergamot oil and earl grey tea soap. On the recipe EG means earl grey. Hope these pics help!

 

[jcandleattic]

I agree with Kittish - wait.
The tiny bubbles can be anything, from the soaps reaction to the mold, to something else.
Also, some soaps take a bit longer to become soap. If it was a cold night and the mold was not insulated, it may not have gelled at all (as Kittish said, a picture would help)
And finally, just give it a while. Just because it didn't turn out the way you had originally thought or hoped doesn't necessarily mean it needs to be rebatched.

a full recipe with the exact process/steps you took, along with a picture will help many people advise you on what is happening, or has gone wrong, if anything at all.

 

[Cellador]

As for the bubbles, you're probably right, they are most likely air bubbles that were stirred into your soap batter. Did you tap the mold on your work surface after pouring into the mold? That helps a lot!

As for the translucency, it could be a gel phase...but as Kittish mentioned, pics would help to describe what you're seeing. Some recipes can remain soft for a long time, so don't assume that this means there's something wrong with your soap.

There is a process called "rebatching" in which you can sometimes fix problems with your soap, but I'd suggest waiting awhile to make sure something is actually wrong with your soap. The bubbles are cosmetic and won't affect the quality of your soap.

 

[jcandleattic]

Okay after seeing pics, it does look like it gelled but is just soft, and sometimes the tops of the soap won't be smooth. As artemis pointed out, banging the mold while it's still batter will help loosen those bubbles.
Also with high OO like this recipe seems to have, it will be softer a bit longer.

Looks like soap to me.

Do a zap test before you cut it and you will know for sure. Others I'm sure will chime in with some additional help.

 

[artemis]

A couple more thoughts
1. The bubbles in the picture look like "silicone rash," which is just air bubbles on the outside of the soap due to the mold. Doesn't always happen, sometimes does. It's never happened to me before, but has to others.
2. Those dry earl grey tea leaves are probably going to be scratchy on the skin, so be prepared. Next time, try using brewed earl grey tea for your water, or infuse one of your oils with earl grey. It won't give you any of the scent (that's what thenbergamot is for, I know), but it can give a tan, tea-like color sometimes.

 

[Saranac]

I'll add a couple of thoughts:

1. You've got a lot of castor in there (almost 21% of your oil total). That's going to keep it softer, and make your soap more translucent. In fact, castor is added to transparent soap to help impart clarity.

2. The bergamot. . . . I love bergamot; it's my most favorite scent. But (and I do hate to be one of those people that gives criticism when it's not asked for), in my experience, it won't stick around long in your soap--especially at less than 1.7% of your oil weight (I'm taking specific gravity into account as well).

For the most bang for your buck, find a decent bergamot fragrance oil. I'm not sure where you're located, but in the USA, SaveOnScents.com has a great one here. Buy the Extreme; it's pricey, but not as expensive as the real stuff. OOB it smells almost like the essential oil. It's not quite as sweet, so I blend in a small amount of 5x orange EO. Natures Garden has a Bergamot FO, too. It's cheaper, but smells nothing (NOTHING!) like the EO. I have 8 oz just sitting in my studio, on a back corner in a closet. It's been there for years.

 

[SparksnFlash]

Congratulations on the first soap!

Patience, patience! Soap making will help you in exercising the most patient part of yourself - whether you like it or not.

All in all, for a first batch it looks good. I like the way it gelled. A few bubbles, either silicone rash or just bubbles are harmless. I agree with those about the soft oils being what's likely keeping it a little soft now.

When you do cut, you might find it's a little sticky. That will likely be due to the high % of Castor. Don't worry, it will settle down and harden over time. I do like the translucent look of the soap.

Give yourself a pat on the back - you're hooked and (to the best of my knowledge) there's no cure.

 

[Kittish]

Give yourself a pat on the back - you're hooked and (to the best of my knowledge) there's no cure.

Tell that to the dozens of bars sitting on my racks! Wait, no, don't. :mrgreen:

 

[claybutt]

:bath1:

Thanks for the super helpful responses and support! If I have anymore queries with this batch - I'll post in the thread again.

Starting second batch tonight using tomato vine fragrance oil and poppy seeds. If you have any suggestions for this batch - lmk! Otherwise - it's likely I'll have some questions again soon.

 

[Susie]

Poppy seeds are going to make scratchy soap.

Was that recipe in weights or volume?

 

[Skatergirl46]

Leave it be. It probably just needs to sit and harden more. You can put it in your refrigerator overnight and check it again tomorrow. It’s not unusual for batches to be soft the day you make them or even the day after. Some recipes take days in the mold. Be patient, it will probably be just fine.

Disregard that ^. While true, it doesn’t really apply to this batch. That is a lot of Castor. I would go with grate it up and rebatch it.
Sorry about the irrelevant response above, for some reason the other page wasn’t showing on my ipad so I didn’t see the recipe.

 

[claybutt]

Leave it be. It probably just needs to sit and harden more. You can put it in your refrigerator overnight and check it again tomorrow. It’s not unusual for batches to be soft the day you make them or even the day after. Some recipes take days in the mold. Be patient, it will probably be just fine.

Disregard that ^. While true, it doesn’t really apply to this batch. That is a lot of Castor. I would go with grate it up and rebatch it.
Sorry about the irrelevant response above, for some reason the other page wasn’t showing on my ipad so I didn’t see the recipe.

Hi again - Wanted to ask your advice on rebatching. Do you have a suggestion for a way of calculating what and how much I should be countering the castor with in the rebatch? I have coconut oil that I can use.

Thank you!

 

[Orchidgirl]

Bumping this for you in the hope that others respond.

I am no expert, but I have done my share of rebatches. All I can say is that, in my opinion, rebatching is a fair amount of work and bother, and the resulting soap is usually LESS visually appealing (if that matters to you) than the original batch.

Hopefully someone else will chime in, but I don't think it will be possible to "counter the castor oil" by adding more oil of any kind. You made the soap you have using a known quantity of lye, and so all that extra oil is going to do is sit there in your soap, or possibly seep out of it, and definitely make it more oily/soft.

So my advice would be to let well enough alone and wait for what you have to fully harden and cure for the recommended period. I guarantee you it will be much, much better after this time has passed! I, too, made soaps that were excessively high in castor oil when I started out. They had their issues, and were definitely softer and less long-lasting in the shower than I would've liked, but hey it was my own homemade soap! Worked just fine, eventually.

To repeat what others have mentioned, I'd be more wary of the scratchy ingredients you've used than the imbalance of soft oils at this point. And the "Too Long, Didn't Read" version of all I've said is: don't rebatch unless you absolutely have to!!

 

[iwannasoap]

I'll add a couple of thoughts:

1. You've got a lot of castor in there (almost 21% of your oil total). That's going to keep it softer, and make your soap more translucent. In fact, castor is added to transparent soap to help impart clarity.

2. The bergamot. . . . I love bergamot; it's my most favorite scent. But (and I do hate to be one of those people that gives criticism when it's not asked for), in my experience, it won't stick around long in your soap--especially at less than 1.7% of your oil weight (I'm taking specific gravity into account as well).

For the most bang for your buck, find a decent bergamot fragrance oil. I'm not sure where you're located, but in the USA, SaveOnScents.com has a great one here. Buy the Extreme; it's pricey, but not as expensive as the real stuff. OOB it smells almost like the essential oil. It's not quite as sweet, so I blend in a small amount of 5x orange EO. Natures Garden has a Bergamot FO, too. It's cheaper, but smells nothing (NOTHING!) like the EO. I have 8 oz just sitting in my studio, on a back corner in a closet. It's been there for years.

The only thing I know about specific gravity is that its a number you multiply to the weight of water to give you its weight. What does specific gravity have to do with how long the smell is retained?
If you get time, that would be something very interesting to know and I really would like to read it.
Thank you for the link also. Very much appreciate your sharing!