Don't be too upset...it happens. Did you have any issues with your digital scale when weighing the lye? Have you changed brands? Is your scale battery operated or AC? (Replace your batteries before the next batch.)
I would suggest that you hot process this batch of soap. Grate it, chop it, food process it--whatever you choose to break it up into small pieces--the smaller, the better. You can use a crockpot or a double boiler. The double boiler requires more supervision but you can get away with adding more water. Be very careful about how much water you add to a crockpot since it could be too much.
If you have a two to three pound batch, start with a couple of ounces (2-3) of water on the bottom of the pot. Put the soap on top of that. Let it steam for a while to soften. Add a tablespoon of oil and stir gently. Let it cook. Then go back and add a little more (start with a couple of teaspoons at a time, but go easy--don't add too much too soon). Check it every ten to fifteen minutes, once you start adding the oil. You should invest in some pH strips. You can get them at
www.thesage.com for a couple of dollars per 100. The readings won't be lab quality but it will keep you from injuring yourself with a tongue test. Order some small pipettes to transfer water to the testing sample too. Use distilled water for the test. Take out a sample of soap. Put it on a non-reactive surface. Dribble some distilled water on it and mix with a small tool (toothpick, plastic spoon end, anything small that won't change the pH) and then push the pH strip into the watery paste. Don't use your finger. If it reads a high pH or spikes with a couple of brown spots, then keep cooking. Any reading in the 12 pH range needs more oil and cooking time. Once it gets down toward 8-9 on those strips (lime color), you're good...you can even do a tongue test at that time.
Another note on tongue testing/zap test...hold the soap sample just in front of your tongue without tasting and you can feel a potential zap radiating...kind of like an electric vibe. If you do--don't put it on your tongue.
After HP'ing the batch and checking it, it should be good to mold. If it's crumbly at all...add more water and cook gently or turn off the crock to let it absorb the water. You can decant it to a bowl to cool if you need to add fragrance. You'll need a thermometer to check it--digital is easiest.
I hope that helps!
