So confused!!!

[boyaminalnurse]

Good Morning! I am new to soap making (actually I haven't even started yet as I'm nervous), but am very interested in learning to make my own soap, and make it well. I have read and read until my eyes burned, but I have many questions. My first question is the "Zap" test.

Now I understand the concept of what I need to do and what happens if there is too much lye (am I saying that right or is it true the lye is cooked out. Confusing cause I haven't seen anything about cooking my soap). So my questions are as follows:

1. At what point in the process do I do the Zap test? Is it after 24 - 48 hours when removing from the mold? Is it after the 4 to 6 week curing time? Is it sometime between these two?

2. Do I lick every side of the soap or just one side? Which side do I choose?

3. Do I just touch the tip of my tongue to it, or do I lick it like I'm licking the cream off my oreo? I have read lick it and I have read touch the tip of your tongue to it quickly. Now touching my tongue to the tip of it isn't so bad. But, I had my mouth washed out with soap many a time when I was a kid and licking it (I'm afraid) will bring back memories of my mom catching me doing something I shouldn't be and making me put soap in my mouth.

4. Do I need to lick every bar I make in a single batch or just one bar. If I must lick every bar, what if I find one is fine and one zaps me? If I only check one and it is a "zapper" do I toss the whole batch? I know some of you will say don't toss it, remake it, I aint that far yet. Im just stating and would rather not make things more confusing.

Please forgive my ignorance. I have tried searching for these answers, but found nothing that dumbed it down enough for my newbie self.

Marshall

 

[lsg]

No need to apologize. I usually do the zap test after I unmold and cut my cold process soap. For hot process, I do a zap test at the end of the cook, before taking the soap out of the cooking container. I just touch the end of my tongue to the soap. If you just get a soapy taste, then the soap should be OK. If the soap is lye heavy, you will get a zap or zing feeling, as if you touched your tongue to the terminals of a 9-volt battery.
If I am testing cut bars from a log or loaf, I test a bar from the end and one from the middle.

 

[osso]

If you are doing HP, you are essentially cooking the soap through complete saponification, so the lye will be "cooked out" unless there is excess.

For CP, you don't cook your soap but all the lye will react with oils to produce soap. Again, unless your lye is in excess. You can probably wait 24-48 hours to zap test your CP.

 

[Susie]

OK, first off, take a deep breath. It is going to be OK. I promise. Better now?

Zap testing is just the easiest thing ever. You simply touch your tongue to the soap(or you can wet it down first if you prefer). If you feel a "zap" like when you test a 9 volt battery with your tongue, it is lye heavy. If not, it is good to go.

You just test one side of one bar. No need to do more.

I test mine just as soon as it comes out of the mold. If it is zappy then, I shred and rebatch it with about 15 ml of oil. I then re-test it after the soap is pretty much completely melted down. If it is still zappy, repeat with another 15 ml. Although I must say that I have only had to do this with one batch. The batch I did not run through a lye calculator for myself. So, I am not exactly an expert.

Which brings me to the next point. Always, always, always run every last recipe through a lye calculator for yourself. I run even my own recipes through again to verify and to print a new copy to make notes on. This is your safety and your family's safety we are talking about here. Err on the side of caution.

And I saw your post looking for someone from your area to watch make soap. While I certainly can relate, it is very possible to learn to make soap from watching YouTube videos. It is how I learned. Just watch LOTS. Some show what trace looks like better than others. And trace is about the most important part you need to learn by looking at. Also, pay strict attention to the safety measures.

Oh! Hi and Welcome to the addiction! Be careful and have lots of fun! I am certainly looking forward to seeing your progress through posts and pics!

 

[DeeAnna]

For cold process soaps, I recommend waiting for 1-2 days after unmolding and cutting your soap before zap testing. That's just me -- obviously others are sharing a different point of view about when to test. As you get more experience, you'll get a preference about when it is best to test. I also recommend a more cautious zap test, especially for new soapmakers who are still building their skills. I also recommend a cautious zap test if a soap maker is using a new soaping technique or if there is a good chance a soap may be zappy, such as when a soap is separated, weeping, etc.

Dampen your fingertip and gently rub it over the surface of the soap. Lightly touch your fingertip to your tongue. If the soap is excessively alkaline -- not skin safe -- the sensation you will get will be like a static shock or a "zap" from a battery. The sensation is sharp, unmistakable, and immediate, although the amount of zap may vary, just like static shocks vary. If you get a zap, rinse your mouth with cool water until the sensation is gone.

If you get a salty, metallic, or bitter taste ... that is not a zap. It might be soda ash, which is fine. If you wonder if you got a zap ... it's not a zap. It might be the taste of your fragrance or other additives. If you get a bland or "soapy" taste ... it's not a zap. A skin safe plain soap will taste like that. If you don't get zapped, feel free to lick your soap to your heart's content (or not)!

I usually test all surfaces of the bar, starting with the cut face. Occasionally the bottom or center of a bar will zap mildly while the top will not. If that is the case, let the soap cure for a week or two and check again. Chances are good that a mildly zappy soap will be fine as it cures.

 

[fuzz-juzz]

To be honest, I only ever zap tested few batches, two of them HP (I only made 2 HP batches).
If the soap looks smooth, compact, no spots, oozing, weird colorus, I don't bother. Especially if I use same recipe time after time, I know how willmit behave and how will it look. First test is on the hands, I wash them with end scraps after 3-4 weeks and if it doesn't leave hands paper dry it's all good.
And if you really want to zap test every batch, it's better to wait at least 3-4 days especially if soap didn't gel since there could be slight % of unsaponified oils and lye which will disappear as the soap cures.

 

[Dennis]

In other words, if it zaps you, set it aside and give it time. No need to rebatch. It will most likely be fine. The toughest part of soapmaking is patience. It's tough to wait.

 

[boyaminalnurse]

Thank you everyone. I made my first batch a few minutes ago and already realized I may have screwed up. OOPS! If it does not come out correct I will try again later. If it does come out wonderful I will jump up and down screaming. It wasn't so hard, but realized I may want to get a temperature gun instead of that crappy little store thermometer. Again thanks! you guys made me a little less nervous.

 

[Dennis]

I have a temperature gun also but I started out with and still like more than the gun, a crappy little meat thermometer. It's close enough.

Here tis

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[Susie]

Absolutely no need to stress out about the temperatures. If it feels much the same temperature, I just dump in the lye water and start stick blending. I even stopped using my digital thermometers for the most part. The only time you really need to worry about temperatures is when you are dealing with milks or sugars that will over heat.

 

[Lin]

I've never used a thermometer while making soap.

For the zap test I lick my finger first, rub it on the soap, and then I do a quick "tap tap tap" on the very tip of my tongue. If I feel a zap, this way its incredibly minor and I don't even need to rinse my mouth out after or anything. If I don't feel anything, then I can leave my finger on the tip of my tongue longer, and even repeat the test holding my finger against the tip of my tongue to be absolutely sure.