How bad is it?

[TashaBird]

And WHAT is it? And, how do I stop it, how’d I get it? And, can the soap be saved
First problem: I tried to get fancy. I was inspired by the diagonal cut stripe and swirl challenge I found cruising the photo gallery. I’m trying to find my swirl recipe, given the ingredients I have. And, I’m trying to practice.
First batch went well, still had some of this ashy looking stuff on top. Split it diagonally and made second batch. I FORGOT THE SL! Honestly, it’s kind of stressful trying to blend, remember all the things, and it just sits there all clear and forgettable. So, top batch layer is the same as bottom batch layer except no SL.
How bad is that? It’s still pretty soft today, been about23hrs.
Second problem: I’m not sure if I got false trace, were my oils too hot, mixed enough?.... I mixed lye solution and oils at 115F. They seem to be emulsifying really fast! 4-5 minutes tops, alternating SB and stirring. I’m trying to stop at thin trace because I want to swirl. The batter seems emulsified, and thickening. I just did the zap test on the spots. I think I did it right. It was zingy.
What’s happening? Will these be ok?
Thanks you for any help! I appreciate this forum so much!

 

[JoeyJ]

Zap test is not really accurate, and rather awful to do!
Have you tried spritzing the spots with isopropyl alchohol?

 

[jcandleattic]

I think I did it right. It was zingy.

Describe how you did and and we will let you know.
If you only did the zap test on the spots, it may still be okay. From the desciption it sounds like it just got a little hot and has some condensation or oil seepage. Let it sit and see if it absorbs back in. Cut, let cure, and then if there are still spots like that do the zap test again.

Zap test is not really accurate,

?? Not accurate for what? Zap testing is the MOST accurate method of testing lye heaviness, so I'm not really sure what you mean by "not really accurate" - Can you explain?

 

[TashaBird]

Zap test is not really accurate, and rather awful to do!
Have you tried spritzing the spots with isopropyl alchohol?

I spritzed with %70 alcohol before I put the cover on and put it on the heating blanket. So, I spritzed when it was fresh poured. Is that when I’m supposed to spritz it? And, how much do I spritz, light, heavy?

Describe how you did and and we will let you know.
If you only did the zap test on the spots, it may still be okay. From the desciption it sounds like it just got a little hot and has some condensation or oil seepage. Let it sit and see if it absorbs back in. Cut, let cure, and then if there are still spots like that do the zap test again.


?? Not accurate for what? Zap testing is the MOST accurate method of testing lye heaviness, so I'm not really sure what you mean by "not really accurate" - Can you explain?

I put on a glove, licked clean glove finger, rubbed on the spot, touched to tip of tongue, zing, spit, rinse.

 

[jcandleattic]

I put on a glove, licked clean glove finger, rubbed on the spot, touched to tip of tongue, zing, spit, rinse.

Yep, you did it right.

They seem to be emulsifying really fast! 4-5 minutes tops,

I didn't see this earlier. Actually in my experience 4-5 minutes is incredibly long and I would have thick thick trace, like a heavy pudding if I stickblended that long.
My oils will emulsify within 45 seconds to a minute, and reach thin trace in about a minute and a half after stickblending the lye in.

I still say, just cut it when it's hard enough, let it sit and cure and then zap test when cure is achieved - 4-6 weeks, and see what you think then.

 

[TashaBird]

Yep, you did it right.

I didn't see this earlier. Actually in my experience 4-5 minutes is incredibly long and I would have thick thick trace, like a heavy pudding if I stickblended that long.
My oils will emulsify within 45 seconds to a minute, and reach thin trace in about a minute and a half after stickblending the lye in.

I still say, just cut it when it's hard enough, let it sit and cure and then zap test when cure is achieved - 4-6 weeks, and see what you think then.

Thank you. It was definitely emulsified and thick. So, I won’t worry about safety, and I’ll just let it cure. But, as far as aesthetics, I’d love to figure out how to prevent it! Sometimes I don’t mind it, but I would have preferred not to have it on this batch.
Thanks again for your replies!

Thanks... So I assume it doesn't matter what kind of powdered milk I add?

No, any kind of powdered milk is fine. Sometimes I can only find buttermilk powder.

A can lasts a long time, but $50... that's almost 4x what I paid for mine. I buy mine on Amazon (Meyenberg brand), or from WSP (their brand) if I'm ordering other stuff from them. The Meyenberg brand is also sold in local stores near me, but is generally pricier there.


I don't like the powdered cow milk. It is always non-fat, and to me, doesn't provide the same creaminess as goat milk. I've had others say that the powdered milk left a bad smell in their bars. I didn't have that experience, but more than one person has made that remark. But others use it all the time with no problem.

I agree, I prefer a milk powder that has extra fat. I do think I can smell the powder, but only initially - after a while the fragrance comes through more.

 

[TashaBird]

Yep, you did it right.

I didn't see this earlier. Actually in my experience 4-5 minutes is incredibly long and I would have thick thick trace, like a heavy pudding if I stickblended that long.
My oils will emulsify within 45 seconds to a minute, and reach thin trace in about a minute and a half after stickblending the lye in.

I still say, just cut it when it's hard enough, let it sit and cure and then zap test when cure is achieved - 4-6 weeks, and see what you think then.

If there is lye on top, will it reabsorb?

 

[AliOop]

Freshly poured CP soap is going to zap since it hasn’t finished saponifying. That can take up to a couple of days, and the soap will continue to zap during that time. As @jcandleattic said, let it cure and then retest. Lye-heavy soaps eventually cure out, whereas undissolved lye pieces do not. The zap test will tell the tale after a few weeks of cure.

Assuming it isn’t lye crystals, you may be seeing oil seepage, fragrance seepage, or soda ash crystals. The first two usually reabsorb with time. The third is harmless and can potentially be prevented by taking all the usual measures to prevent soda ash: covering, spraying with RA, C-POPing, etc. But sometimes it happens no matter what you do. It will eventually wash off when you use the soap.

 

[TashaBird]

Freshly poured CP soap is going to zap since it hasn’t finished saponifying. That can take up to a couple of days, and the soap will continue to zap during that time. As @jcandleattic said, let it cure and then retest. Lye-heavy soaps eventually cure out, whereas undissolved lye pieces do not. The zap test will tell the tale after a few weeks of cure.

Assuming it isn’t lye crystals, you may be seeing oil seepage, fragrance seepage, or soda ash crystals. The first two usually reabsorb with time. The third is harmless and can potentially be prevented by taking all the usual measures to prevent soda ash: covering, spraying with RA, C-POPing, etc. But sometimes it happens no matter what you do. It will eventually wash off when you use the soap.

Ok. Thanks again.

 

[KiwiMoose]

Firstly - don't panic! I leave mine in the mold for at least 24 hours before removing - and you have a reasonably high amount of water plus 60% soft/unsaturated oil, so it will take a little longer to harden.
Secondly - not using SL will not make one iota of difference, so don't worry about that.
Thirdly - the timings you describe to get to trace sound normal.
And finally, I stopped using isopropyl alcohol because it made spots on the top of my soap, I'd rather have a light layer of soda ash than that.
Chill baby, chill

 

[MarnieSoapien]

I think I speak for most of us when I say, just because it didn't go as planned doesn't mean it's "bad soap." When you cut it, it might not look as bad as you think it will.
Things you can do to avoid this in the future?
I'm very systematic about the order I do things, you just need to find what works for you. Do you think a checklist would help? Or do you just need to put the SL in a more obvious place?
Be careful not to over mix your batter (something we've all done).
Keep notes on the fragrances you use (any acceleration or ricing), read the reviews of FOs before buying so you know if they do accelerate.
Keep practicing!

And I'd love to see a picture of it once you've cut it

 

[dibbles]

Forgetting the SL isn't bad as far as the soap itself goes. It will quite likely take longer to be able to unmold, which is what I think you are seeing since your first batch of the same recipe (with SL) hardened up enough to cut the next day. Your soaping temperature was high enough that I doubt you experienced false trace. The fats you used might also be contributing to a faster trace. Tallow will trace much faster than lard, and castor will also speed the process up. I don't use castor at more than 5%, generally. I haven't used RBO at such a high percentage, but someone posted fairly recently that they thought it traced faster than other liquid oils (such as olive oil).

I don't think 4-5 minutes before starting to see trace is especially fast given the temps and oils you used. Just exactly how much, or rather how little, you need to use the stick blender takes practice. Honestly, a 2 second burst and stir, stir, stir and even waiting for 30 seconds or more before another 2 second burst is all you need to do. Split for your colors when you reach emulsion. It's better to wait for the desired trace or lightly blend once you have the colors ready than to start at light trace and then split to color.