One of these layers is not like the others...

[StormyK]

So I was going for a 3-colour layered soap last night. Recipe was as follows (5% superfat):

lye - 131 g
water - 298g
CO - 18%
Lard - 47%
OO - 21%
Castor - 4%
Avo - 10%

Added powdered oats, goat milk powder and brought the whole mix to (what I thought was) light trace. Then I split the batter into 3.

First two layers made up 75% of the batter. Fir the first layer I mixed colourant (mica) and 25% of fragrance (patchouli / orange 5-fold EOs) with a pulse from the stick blender and into the mold it went. I did the same for the second layer (tumeric & oxides) and then waited a minute or so to allow the first layer to set before pouring - I'd guess there was maybe 5 minutes between pouring the first and second layers.

Then... the third layer.
I mixed in titanium dioxide and the remaining EOs, but used a whisk to do so (I have no idea why....). Poured it in and then waited... and waited... and waited... The damned thing remained liquid! After like 40 minutes with barely any change I poured the soap back into a bowl and only the top layer came off... the bottom two layers had set up just fine! At this point I was frustrated and confused so used a stick blender on the top layer batter for probably 20-30 second or so to thicken before pouring it back in... and it was still too liquid to hold shape!! So I took a spoon, twisted it - digging into the second layer to bring up chunks of coloured soap - and walked away exasperated. lol

I'm assuming this is a case of false trace (I was soaping cooler than I have so far in my limited experieince), but not once did I see "chunks" of solidifying soap in my batter - it remained smooth throughout the process. Could I has mistaken solidifying soap for oat dust?

Stranger still, I'm not kidding when I say I gave the first two layers only a short burst with the stick blender (3-5 seconds, max) . I'm absolutely confounded at how that third layer, even after I removed it and stick blended, remained so so so liquidy!

Thoughts?

ps. when I got up this morning the top layer had solidified... I'm fully expecting to rebatch...

 

[cmzaha]

My best guess is your first two layers were the result of the lard cooling and thickening up before your batter was able to start generating heat (saponification). By the time you whisked in the fo's in the remaining batter heat was generating and thinning out your batter. As long as the bottom two layers did not separate, meaning they had a stable emulsion before it started to thicken your soap will be fine. You could have actually left the 3rd to set up on its own as long as the emulsion was stable. My tallow/lard recipe does this regularly. If you had waited for a little while the other 2 separated portions should have also thinned out.

Where it gets risky is if they separate due to an unstable emulsion. This is why I always contain my molds in low crates in case anything goes wrong and any leakage will be contained, plus it is how I cover mine for gelling.

You will just need to wait and see how it is when you unmold, but it should be fine.

 

[StormyK]

@cmzaha well ***** - now I know.
I didn't even consider that, of course, the reactions create their own source of heat!

Next time I'll just wait and see. Thus far that has been the hardest part of soaping - the wait!

Thanks!

 

[cmzaha]

Hopefully, it turns out fine for you StormyK

 

[Cindy B]

I had one that did that, just remained liquid and didn't trace at all. I used 100% coconut oil. Since it wasn't separating, I decided to mold it and see what happened. It turned out to be a very nice, hard/solid soap.