Re batching false trace soap

[Vera S]

hi everybody, i made soap yesterday, which ‘traced’ immediately after i poured the lye mixture ( lye with green tea and tumeric tea) wich i had chilled) into the oil mix (coconut oil, olive oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, beeswax) it turned into a thick pudding like consistency as soon as i started mixing. I then ladled it into a form and after 1-2hours it was hard and crumbly. I recon that this it a false trace, what do you think.? If it is, ist here anyway of re batching it? I would hate it if i had to throw all the good ingredients i put in there away. Any ideas you soap queens and kings? I am just thinking: could it be that i forgot to add the olive oil? And can i add it when re batching? To my excuse i hadto take several phone calls while i was making the soap yesterday, it was a bit of an emergency.

 

[shunt2011]

You're going to want to give more info in order to get help. Post your recipe and process.

 

[dibbles]

If you forgot the olive oil, at 35% I would think you would notice if the soap didn't fill the mold like it normally does, or the total weight of the soap you made is noticeably less than it should be. 12% beeswax seems high to me and would be the first thing I would suspect. But as @shunt2011 has said, more information is necessary. You've posted your recipe, but were you making CP or HP soap, soaping temperatures, EO/FO - if any - things like that would be helpful.

 

[Obsidian]

Beeswax at 12%, yikes! No wonder it traced so fast and set up hard. The most beeswax recommend is 5% as it not only accelerates trace, it also reduces lather and can leave a film on the skin.

I would cut the soap now if its firm enough, if you wait too long it could be way too hard.
If you already cut and thats when it crumbled, it could be from being so hard.

I would give it another day or two then zap test it. It is zap free, just cure it and use. Rebatch only when absolutely neccessary.

 

[DeeAnna]

"...traced’ immediately after i poured the lye mixture ( lye with green tea and tumeric tea) wich i had chilled) into the oil mix (coconut oil, olive oil, shea butter, cocoa butter, beeswax) it turned into a thick pudding like consistency as soon as i started mixing..."

You poured chilled lye into a mixture with 12% beeswax. I'd say that's a recipe for problems. Have you ever soaped with beeswax before? Especially that much beeswax?

IMO, this particular batch didn't do a "false trace" but it wasn't a real trace either. The beeswax solidified when you poured the chilled lye into the fats, and the wax stayed solid all the way through saponification. That's probably why it's crumbly now.

False trace is when solid fats get cool enough to solidify initially, but then they melt again later on as the soap batter warms back up from the heat of saponification. This can cause an emulsion failure where the soap separates in the mold, forming pockets of watery alkaline liquid.

Beeswax melts around 160F/70C, and the soap probably didn't get that hot during saponification, so the beeswax likely never got hot enough to melt again.

 

[Vera S]

Thanks for all your advice you soup geniuses. I am now positive that i forgot to add my olive oil (how stupid is that) anyhow, i take your point with regard to the beeswax, i did a batch previously with 50gr (9%) which turned out very well indeed, but i might have overdone it this time. I grated the batch now and am wondering if i should just melt it, add the olive oil and maybe some aloe vera and blend it again, would that work? What would you do?i am desperate to rescue the batch if possible.