Hey guys, I've been researching soap making for a while, what oils, Iodine, Acids, INS etc. So i got my ingredients together. I got all the tools needed for xmas. So i finally got the nerve to try out my abilities. Heated the oils to 115 the lye water mixture to about 125. used the stick blender till trace. came out looking good. poured it into the mold(i used an ice cube tray, so i could give out samples to friends and family) about 45 minutes later, i go and check on it. to my shock. it looks like i loaf of peanut butter with jelly in the middle. there is no peanut butter or jelly in the soap. I am going to take a pic and upload it, any ideas of what could have happened. All i can tell is that it separated, I think. Thanks guys!
Peanut Butter and Jelly?
- Thread starter Nichsa
- Start date
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Barb
Well-Known Member
just so you know the temp thing need not be an exact science. you should be able to make soap successfully with both oils and lye liquid at room temp or just slightly above. actually this will come in handy later when you use finicky fragraces. some just work better with cooler temps.
first batch or two wouldn't hurt to just hand stir with a whisk or spoon so you get the feel for what the various stages of trace feel like.
you may have poured at a false trace and this caused the seperation.
without actually seeing your formula i can only quess.
are you using a good scale and weighed everything out correctly, didn't forget to add anything.
when you say middle do you mean the middle of the loaf, looking down at it as it sits on the counter?
( me i was thinking you could see a layer sideways of gel in the middle with a layer on the top and bottom of this not the middle looking down at the top, lol )
if looking down on the top then it is just gelling. it will gell from the middle spilling ( hopefully ) out to the sides.
here's a good link for troubleshooting:
http://www.soap-body-and-spa.com/Cold-P ... oubleshoot
happy soaping and if you need more help just ask away.
:wink:
first batch or two wouldn't hurt to just hand stir with a whisk or spoon so you get the feel for what the various stages of trace feel like.
you may have poured at a false trace and this caused the seperation.
without actually seeing your formula i can only quess.
are you using a good scale and weighed everything out correctly, didn't forget to add anything.
when you say middle do you mean the middle of the loaf, looking down at it as it sits on the counter?
( me i was thinking you could see a layer sideways of gel in the middle with a layer on the top and bottom of this not the middle looking down at the top, lol )
if looking down on the top then it is just gelling. it will gell from the middle spilling ( hopefully ) out to the sides.
here's a good link for troubleshooting:
http://www.soap-body-and-spa.com/Cold-P ... oubleshoot
happy soaping and if you need more help just ask away.
:wink:
just gellin huh?
Well the soap set up nicely, I didn't use a fragrance oil so it has that natural soap smell to it, which i don't mind. Its very mild i used some last night(i'm wicked impatient) it has a good lather, now i am just waiting for the hardness to set it. The gel solidified, it had me going there for a second, freaking out. it looks kind of cool. Tho with out fragrance I'm not sure if my friends and family are going to appreciate the smell of it( i like it, i think it smells clean) Thanks for the help Barb, i was so afraid it wasn't going to work out good. But its a nice soap, looks like peanut butter with chocolate peanutbutter in the center. ::shrugs:: try try again! I thought it may have had to do with the goats milk, its chamomile goats milk oatmeal and honey. 1 oz olive oil, 3.5 oz coconut oil and 10.5 oz soybean oil(limited selection at the grocery store)2.27 oz lye 3.08 oz water, 3 oz goats milk and a dash of herbs and oatmeal. ins value was 117, not the ideal 160 but hey what are you gonna do with limited resources? Thaanks again for the help. I'll be sure to tell you all about my new soaping experiences!
Blessed Be
Nichsa
Well the soap set up nicely, I didn't use a fragrance oil so it has that natural soap smell to it, which i don't mind. Its very mild i used some last night(i'm wicked impatient) it has a good lather, now i am just waiting for the hardness to set it. The gel solidified, it had me going there for a second, freaking out. it looks kind of cool. Tho with out fragrance I'm not sure if my friends and family are going to appreciate the smell of it( i like it, i think it smells clean) Thanks for the help Barb, i was so afraid it wasn't going to work out good. But its a nice soap, looks like peanut butter with chocolate peanutbutter in the center. ::shrugs:: try try again! I thought it may have had to do with the goats milk, its chamomile goats milk oatmeal and honey. 1 oz olive oil, 3.5 oz coconut oil and 10.5 oz soybean oil(limited selection at the grocery store)2.27 oz lye 3.08 oz water, 3 oz goats milk and a dash of herbs and oatmeal. ins value was 117, not the ideal 160 but hey what are you gonna do with limited resources? Thaanks again for the help. I'll be sure to tell you all about my new soaping experiences!
Blessed Be
Nichsa
Barb
Well-Known Member
the combo of honey and gm and the temp you mixed they oils and lye liquid together may have been your culprit. it may have overheated. soaps with milk generally do not need to be insulated they sometimes can create enough heat on their own to gel. smaller batches are also harder to keep warm enough to cause them to gell. sounds like the middle ( where the heat is the most intense to start with ) overheated which is why it is darker in the middle and that the gel did not spread out to the edges of your mold. thus the dreaded partial gel. nothing wrong with the soap in performance just a soap complexion issue.
goats milk soaps fair so much better when mixed at cooler temps like room temp or just slightly above. this way you do not burn the milk and they should turn out a slight off white to tan depending on what other things you add to it.
canned gm because it is heated during the canning process starts out darker to begin with, so your soaps may be a tad darker then those made with fresh or powdered milk.
your a brave soul to use milk in your first batch. course i can't say much i did the same thing, lol . but it is suggested to start out simple the first batch or two to get the feel of things.
since you are using oils from the local grocer to start out with and if your not opposed to animal oils try a soap made with some lard along with what you already have it will help with the hardness.
goats milk soaps fair so much better when mixed at cooler temps like room temp or just slightly above. this way you do not burn the milk and they should turn out a slight off white to tan depending on what other things you add to it.
canned gm because it is heated during the canning process starts out darker to begin with, so your soaps may be a tad darker then those made with fresh or powdered milk.
your a brave soul to use milk in your first batch. course i can't say much i did the same thing, lol . but it is suggested to start out simple the first batch or two to get the feel of things.
since you are using oils from the local grocer to start out with and if your not opposed to animal oils try a soap made with some lard along with what you already have it will help with the hardness.
