What in the heck!?!?

[Jessrof]

So this is my miserable attempt at a wine soap... I have no idea what happened but it is not pretty. I soaped at 90 F and added the wine (that go had boiled/reduced down) at trace. Thoughts?

 

[Obsidian]

Looks like it overheated and developed steric crackle. It won't affect the soap at all, its just cosmetic. If you make this recipe again, pop it in the freezer overnight to prevent gel.

 

[Jessrof]

If I put it in the freezer in a log mold, will I end up with a partial gel?

 

[ourwolfden]

Don't know what it is, and you most likely don't want to hear this but as a newbie I think it is kind of pretty.

 

[Obsidian]

You could possibly get partial gel, even in the freezer. Soap cool and make sure your log mold is cold before you pour, it helps.

 

[Mandarin]

I think that it is very interesting looking and certainly looks like wine to me.

 

[la-rene]

It's glycerine rivers and stearic crackle! Happens when soap heats up in the gel phase. No big deal. Just cosmetic.

 

[soap_rat]

Wine-crazed! I like it! I have added wine to HP at the end of the cook and it does weird stuff too. The soap initially looked like liver pate'. Now I add it earlier.

 

[grayceworks]

I like it! It looks pretty!

 

[MoonBath]

You can add the wine at trace? I thought it had to replace water in the lye solution.

 

[cmzaha]

You can add the wine at trace? I thought it had to replace water in the lye solution.

Like beer it really works better if you soap with a 50/50 lye solution and add in the wine after you add the lye solution. Safer too. Try putting your mold in the freezer. With heater uppers I even chill my lye solution and oils. Not frozen but colder than room temp

 

[MoonBath]

Like beer it really works better if you soap with a 50/50 lye solution and add in the wine after you add the lye solution. Safer too.

Oh, wow. That's completely contrary to what I keep reading on various other soaping sites. They say to make sure the beer (or wine) is flat, then add it to the lye the way you would milk or something. I'm totally new to this, so I'll take your word for it. I'm just confused now.

 

[cmzaha]

You still want it to be flat. I started adding in my beer after the lye because I use a beer from a local brewery that no matter what I do it will still volcano if I add the beer to lye. I have boiled it, frozen it let it sit in the open for 5 days and it still likes to volcano. Now I am just in the habit of soaping with the 50/50 lye and adding my additional liquid after my lye is added. You do not actually have to use 50/50 water and lye, you can use more water in you lye just figure it into your total liquid requirement

 

[MoonBath]

Aha. I get it! Thanks!

 

[dixiedragon]

I like it. I think it looks cool.

 

[Skatergirl46]

You still want it to be flat. I started adding in my beer after the lye because I use a beer from a local brewery that no matter what I do it will still volcano if I add the beer to lye. I have boiled it, frozen it let it sit in the open for 5 days and it still likes to volcano. Now I am just in the habit of soaping with the 50/50 lye and adding my additional liquid after my lye is added. You do not actually have to use 50/50 water and lye, you can use more water in you lye just figure it into your total liquid requirement

You can do this very same thing with milks to avoid the need to freeze it and ad the lye super slowly.

 

[Lildlege1]

I love it ! Pretty wine color . Yummy

 

[Jessrof]

Thanks for all the feedback! It is def interesting but not sure I like it enough for other people. I was hesitant to add at trace. Maybe I will replace the water in the lye solution like a I do my beer soap.

 

[silvercb67]

Is the wine the colorant in this soap? And I like it as well.

 

[gitanabodyspice]

I think it looks very artistic, question is could you duplicate it in case it's a hot seller! Lol. I think it's pretty. Just finished a wine batch today too. I tend to only do HP because I'm an impatient soaper lol. I actually like the rustic, non commercial look I do an all wine liquid and I put my lye right in that sucker. I boil it for about 1/2 hr or so, put it in a pitcher and pop that into fridge. Main thing is to get it nice and cool and pour the lye into it slowwwwly while mixing. I've had one volcano on me once. Stinky and looked like iodine lol. I pour my wine/lye into my oils, stick blend like crazy because it takes a while for the wine soap. Then I cook it on low and just watch it every now and then to make sure it doesn't blob over. It's hard to tell but mine comes out a wonderful raisin color.