One batch down, couple of questions! (using beer hops?)

[kunalv]

Hello,
I made my first batch this month and it is curing well (I think). Just that there is a dew layer on the soap. Once there were tiny droplets visible, but now it's just a uniform dewy layer. I live in a super humid climate. I have read about this phenomenon but I am confused about how to store them. I have kept them in an airy room in a basket, with some silica gel packets. I guess that is not enough. They're about 3 weeks in right now, does it make sense to wrap them with cling-film now?

Secondly, I want to make another batch right now and would like to finish some hop pellets I had from my leftover homebrew ingredients. I have read about how hop aroma doesn't survive saponification. Is there any way I can preserve this aroma in a CP soap? Maybe add them after trace? Also, I would also like to use one of these two EOs .. peppermint and rosemary. Which one do you think would compliment the hops (Hop Profile - aromatic pine, citrus, and floral notes)

Any help would be great. Thanks.

 

[DeeAnna]

Silica gel packets are totally ineffective if you put them in a basket in the open air. Silica gel packets are useful only in a closed environment, for example a closed plastic bag or an air-tight container.

It's possible to use silica gel to cure soap in a closed container, but this idea will work only if there is a large enough amount of the gel in the container in proportion to the soap and you are willing to recharge the gel when it has absorbed its limit of water.

A dehumidifier or air conditioner is the only viable way to reduce the humidity in a large open space.

Adding solid hops to soap may be a lot more scratchy than you might like in your soap. I haven't tried this but I've heard other people mention the scratchiness is a problem. Experiment with a small batch to make sure this is a good idea for you.

The hops aroma doesn't survive being added to soap for a couple of reasons. The total amount of aroma chemicals in the hops is minuscule -- there's just not enough scent to last when hops are added to soap (this is also true of nearly all scented botanical materials). Also the reactivity of lye and the lasting alkalinity of soap are harsh on many chemicals.

You need to find a fragrance oil that's been tested in soap -- a good FO is the best way to provide a concentrated amount of aroma if you want the scent to be strong and longlasting.

At trace, most of the lye is still active, so adding ingredients at trace does nothing to "protect" them. If all of the lye really is fully consumed at trace, we wouldn't need to cook hot process soap for an hour or so nor wait a day or two for cold process soap to finish saponifying.

 

[Todd Ziegler]

I am going to double down on what @DeeAnna said. Good advice.