soap turned to soup in mold

[jessirebq]

Help. I have been making soap off and on for a while now. Tonight I decided to make two batches all measured out and ready to go. After I added the lye and the goats milk to my oils I couldn't get it to trace so I added the scent hoping to force it. Finally got it to trace when I realized I didn't deduct my water for the amount of milk I added. It did trace and actually looked lovely, but after about 20 minutes turned to oil.

I weighed out my second amount of lye water removed 4 ounces from it added it to my oils, etc. It traced, but started to rice in the mold. I scooped it out blended it and it was really thick so I thought i might have saved it. No luck it turned to oil soup.

Question how do I fix it? Can I HP it do I need to add more lye? How do I figure how much?

 

[coffeetime]

Ok I'm confused. You made two recipes (the same recipe? Or different?) and the first you added basically twice the water amount?

What happened with the second?

Can you write out your recipes so we can see where to help?

 

[hmlove1218]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but it sounds like you removed 4 oz. from your water *after* you'd already mixed the lye into it? If those is the case, then the second batch will be very superfatted. Also, why would you discount the water in the second batch when you added too much water to the first? Discounting the second isn't going to fix the first.

 

[jessirebq]

Recipe calls for 10 oz of liquid. I usually discount 4 oz to add in the milk after I add the lye water to oils this then totals 10 oz. so I had two different batches going at the same time. Everything measures identically. After the first batch took forever to trace I realized I didn't discount any liquid for either batch. I realize discounting the second wouldn't fix the first I was trying to save the second batch from the same disaster as the first. So I threw one batch in the crockpot hoping to save it. I will check it in the morning then throw the other one in the crock and see what happens.

 

[coffeetime]

Ok, so you don't want help anymore? You've got it figured out?

 

[jessirebq]

Well I don't really have it figured out. Just hoping that when I rebatch them they are salvageable. I will let you all know. Keeping my fingers crossed.

 

[jessirebq]

Really mad at myself right now. Rebatching isn't going to work by itself. So should I make a batch of plain add it to the botched batches and rebatch them all together? I really hate to waste.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

From what I understand, it is just too wet?

 

[Susie]

There comes a time to cut your losses. I think you have reached it. I would not know where to begin to tell you what to do to fix that, because I really can't figure out what you have in that pot. Just toss it and learn from it. If it is still liquid, I would pour it vinegar into it until I got a neutral pH, then pour that mixture into a plastic milk jug, then glue and/or tape the lid down securely. If you happen to have citric acid, maybe mix that in rather than vinegar to keep the total volume down to something manageable.

If I am using a liquid other than water, when I print out the recipe, I draw a line through the water amount, then write the correct amounts of which liquid in the additives section. I often type those out before printing out the recipe, so I can easily verify the total liquid amount. I learned this the hard way also.

 

[sephera]

You can hot process it and see what you get I have had soap separate just stick blended it more until gel consistency.

 

[shunt2011]

I don't totally understand what you did or how you tried to correct them but if neither one is working for you I too would probably cut my losses and trash it. I wouldn't throw more into it not knowing what you will end up with or if it will even work. We've all had those moments.

 

[Lion Of Judah]

Recipe calls for 10 oz of liquid. I usually discount 4 oz to add in the milk after I add the lye water to oils this then totals 10 oz. so I had two different batches going at the same time. Everything measures identically. After the first batch took forever to trace I realized I didn't discount any liquid for either batch. I realize discounting the second wouldn't fix the first I was trying to save the second batch from the same disaster as the first. So I threw one batch in the crockpot hoping to save it. I will check it in the morning then throw the other one in the crock and see what happens.

Bare with me here :

1. your recipe calls for 10oz of liquid
2. you normally hold back 4oz to be added later / to give you 10oz
3. you did not withhold the 4oz
4. which means you used 10oz of liquid you are suppose to use from
the start .
5. then in my understanding that this is not a true discounting / you
just withheld liquid
which to me seems to say that your two batches should be ok when you made them in the instant / at the start because it had the right amount of liquid need in the first place, just that the trace took a little longer than you are accustom to . did they reached trace at all before you put them in the mold?

 

[jessirebq]

Thanks Susie. I think that is what I am going to do. I just hate to see it go down the drain. I just said to hubbie this morning that I need to rewrite my recipes to state water and milk. Live and learn! Thanks all for your help.

 

[Seawolfe]

My understanding is that instead of using 10 oz of total liquid, you used 14 oz of total liquid? If that is the case then a good long cook or cure in the mold may save it?

 

[Susie]

This is why I no longer know what she has in the pot. I hate to throw anything away. I truly do. And if I had any clue what is in that pot, I would give suggestions.

 

[seven]

if throwing it into the crockpot doesn't fix it, i agree with the others, it's time to cut your losses. what you should really think afterwards is why the separation happened? i doubt it was the extra water. and your second batch riced, could it be the FO?

you don't have to reach for trace for the soap to happen. proper emulsification is enough.

 

[jessirebq]

Ok. Everyone yes I had 14 ounces in the first batch 10 water 4 milk. It did come to trace eventually looked beautiful but then after 20 minutes had turned into oil. So the second batch I tried to compensate buy taking 4 ounces off the lye water before adding the milk. It did the same oily mess. So I should have had (at least in my mind) the right amount of liquid for the second batch. I may set them both aside and come back to them in a day or so to see what they are like.

I really appreciate all the help and suggestions. I love the challenge of soaping and my family loves it also! It keeps me out of there way lol

 

[Susie]

OK, just for clarity's sake, when you say you removed 4 oz of "lye water" do you mean water that already had "lye"(NaOH) in it?

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

That is what is throwing most people, I think - lye water, or water that I will add lye to very shortly.

 

[jessirebq]

Sorry I haven't responded to any of your suggestions. My daughter was married in July and we had her receptions this past Saturday. No time to even think of soaping! So here is what I have done and it appears it just needed to cook in the crock. They both seem to be curing and look nice. The one that was really wet I added some other trimmings from other soaps to help it out. That seemed to help. The other batch just needed a little cooking to evaporate some of that liquid.

thanks everyone for your help.