My soapy thing of the day is to watch ash develop! I've made 3 batches of CP soap: a two-tone beer soap at a workshop where I was closely supervised and everything went great; spritzed with alcohol, wrapped in plastic and then a towel.. #2 was the one where I wore swimming goggles and didn't dissolve my lye all the way; split the batter into main coloured with colorant, 2 small amounts coloured with charcoal and zinc oxide, batter thickened fast and my intended swirls became lumps, but I got it in the loaf mold and smoothed out. Sprayed with alcohol and wrapped in a towel (but not plastic, I don't think). #3 was a week later: copper, yellow and white shampoo bars in individual molds. I ran out of time before an appointment, and didn't spray nor wrap in any way, just rushed out the door. Also made the tops very lumpy to provide "finger grips" on the soaps.
Well! The shampoo bars developed ash within 3 days or so. I didn't mind much, as there was white in the soap and it kind of goes. The baby blue loaf developed ash about 10 days later! I thought I was out of the woods on that one. The original soap was made end of Nov, and no ash.
I don't *mind* it necessarily, but I didn't think it had happened, especially on the blue loaf. How late does ash usually show up??