Need help with castile soap

[pluto1969]

Hey, I just wanted to say how great this forum is to begin with. Other forums people will ignore your questions because they don't know you. But everyone is so nice and helpful here, it's really great.

Anyway, so I made my first batch of soap a week or so ago. It is castile. I have been concerned about it because it doesn't seem to be hardening. In my other post some people said it wouldn't harden for about a month or so. Fine.

So I went to check it today and it is a little harder. However, I went to check the bottom to see if it had hardened and I noticed something strange. Almost all the outside of this container is like it is covered in oil. Also the soap has formed two layers. The bottom is a whiteish color and the top is yellow like olive oil. I haven't noticed a bad smell from it so I think it might still be ok.

When I went to check how hard it was today I lightly pressed a gloved finger on the top. When I washed it off the soap residue was a little sudsy so I think it's ok. Should I rebatch it or what? Have the lye and oil separated? Please help

 

[demme]

could you give a list of oils used, their percentages and the lye and water amount used? there is no way of knowing without this info.

it could be a few things but the one that came to mind first was separation of oils. sometimes you can get a false trace and the soap isn't really completely combined.

 

[pluto1969]

7 oz lye
20 oz water
52 oz olive oil

I thought I saw something like a trace after 45 min and poured the stuff into my primary mold. The book I'm using said if you are stirring for more than 1 hour just pour the stuff in your mold as if you did see the trace.

Please help me! I really want to know if this stuff sounds ok and just needs more time or if I should rebatch it. Please

I also just went to check on it and took a tiny piece off the top and tried to see if it would lather in my gloved hands. It lathered. Does this mean I shouldn't rebatch and I should just wait a couple more weeks for it to harden up and everything's fine?

PS
I'm sorry I'm so crazy about this soap. It's just that it's my first one and I really really wanted it to come out good. I was making as a present for my mother and sisters.

 

[demme]

7 oz lye
20 oz water
52 oz olive oil

I thought I saw something like a trace after 45 min and poured the stuff into my primary mold. The book I'm using said if you are stirring for more than 1 hour just pour the stuff in your mold as if you did see the trace.

Please help me! I really want to know if this stuff sounds ok and just needs more time or if I should rebatch it. Please

I also just went to check on it and took a tiny piece off the top and tried to see if it would lather in my gloved hands. It lathered. Does this mean I shouldn't rebatch and I should just wait a couple more weeks for it to harden up and everything's fine?

PS
I'm sorry I'm so crazy about this soap. It's just that it's my first one and I really really wanted it to come out good. I was making as a present for my mother and sisters.

Well, for starters, you have too much water. I added your info into Soapmaker and without any kind of water discount, you should have 16.24 oz of water and 6.97 oz of lye. What soap calculator are you using?

What did you use to blend? A stick blender of by hand? A stick blender works much faster for trace and usually doesn't give you false trace.

I make castile soap as part of my line and I use 95% olive oil, 5% castor and do 40% water discount and 5% superfat. My soaps are solid in about 8 hours, ready to cut and rock hard within a week.

I would let your soap sit for a good 6 weeks to eveporate all the water out. Should be fine to use since the lye wasn't too much.

Keep trying. Soap is a science and needs much practice to master!

 

[CPSoaper]

Make sure the soap is sitting somewhere where it can get air all the way around it. It needs to be able to "breath" while it is curing to allow the excess water to evaporate out. The oil, if given time out in the open, may absorb back in.

Do not forget to check for zap to see if it is lye heavy as well.