Stearic spots or air bubbles?

[jade-15]

Do these dots look like stearic spots or air bubbles?
The recipe is Susies lard recipe - 55% lard, 20% olive oil, 20% coconut and 5% castor.
My oils were warmer than usual (usually room temp) to try and avoid these spots... so the batter thickened up quite quickly, which is why I'm wondering if they might be air bubbles.

Any advice?


:headbanging:

 

[MorpheusPA]

Stearic spots. I just got first-hand experience (again!) with air bubbles when a recipe of mine boiled itself in the mold. Darn me and my love of spices in soap...

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Poke one with a pin - if it is solid (well, solid for an oil) or empty, you'll know for sure. If it's powdery, it's lye

 

[IrishLass]

. If it's powdery, it's lye

Or TD, if it was used and not mixed in well (been there, done that).


IrishLass

 

[toxikon]

Did you slice it with a wire cutter? I find those little raised bumps come along with wire cutters.

 

[jade-15]

Poked them with a skewer. They seemed to "collapse" but then I poked the soap around it, and it was just as soft. No lye - zap tested thoroughly.
The red and green don't have any TD in them.
I sliced with a blade, but seem to get these regardless.

I soaped fairly warm - didn't measure the temperature. Next time I will and keep it around 50C (120F). Anything else I can do? Is it cooling too quickly or unevenly? Or do I need to heat my lye up as well - it was room temp.
My other soap has no spots but it got way too hot and seemed to separate in the mould... I dumped it all back into the pot to mix it up and it looked like HP.
*sigh* these soaps are making me feel like a total newbie all over again. Tracing way too fast, wrong colours, separating.... need more practice :think: or to stop caring about these spots.