Is this paste

susuofsoap · Jul 24, 2021

Hi to all and thank you for your help. I made a few small batches successfully and then decided to go big. Um. Not sure it worked. There is no zap. I had a large amount of excessive oil after 24 hours of ignoring. I reheated and blended etc. Should I simply dilute a small amount and see what happens? Not sure what went wrong other than I didn’t blend enough in the beginning. Thought I had enough foam. Used 3/1 lye with 1 part water two parts glycerin. Thanks.

Arimara · Jul 24, 2021

Looks like paste to me.

AliOop · Jul 24, 2021

That looks like paste to me, too. The absence of zap is a positive sign, as well.

Some of the shiny spots could be a reflection of the light on the soap, or could be a bit of oil which has separated out. Are you sure you used enough KOH, and that your superfat isn't more than 2%?

I'd suggest covering it and leaving it for another 24 hours to make sure there is no separation. If not, then try diluting a bit to see what you get.

DeeAnna · Jul 24, 2021

Sometimes soap paste can have some "oily" liquid on the surface that's not really oil/fat -- it's just soap. If that's the case, just stir the liquid back into the main portion of the paste and call it good.

To check if it really is fat/oil or is only soap -- Rub a little of the liquid on your fingers and then use a gentle stream of cold running water to rinse it off (in other words, don't rub your fingers and don't use warm water). If it's just soap, it will mostly or completely rinse away in cold water. If it's fat, it will not rinse away and your fingers will feel greasy.

susuofsoap · Jul 24, 2021

Thanks for all suggestions!
I double checked my scales etc as the other times I’ve made this I got a lovely amber taffy paste.
after a major lye volcano (used aluminum pitcher not stainless) and the heat of my soap room I likely just didn’t stir enough the first time.
susan

Arimara · Jul 25, 2021

susuofsoap said:
Thanks for all suggestions!
I double checked my scales etc as the other times I’ve made this I got a lovely amber taffy paste.
after a major lye volcano (used aluminum pitcher not stainless) and the heat of my soap room I likely just didn’t stir enough the first time.
susan

One of the first warnings about lye is not to use metal items with sodium/potassium hydroxide unless they are stainless steel. Aluminum is very reactive with those caustics and fortunately, you were not injured (i hope) from that. I'm aware you know this now but it's still something newbies should see over and over as they learn about soapmaking.

I'm also not sure that paste is safe to use now. Hopefully one of the chemists can clarify a bit here.