Why so much DOS? Help please!

[heartsong]

that is such a crying shame about your beautiful soapies! i'd be at my wits end if that was happening to me! I think you're headed in the right direction by splitting up a batch...I really can't offer anymore than what has already been said, but here's a link to a bunch of single-oil soap before & after test results...wishing you lots of luck and hoping you get this resolved ASAP!

hth! http://www.zensoaps.com/singleoil.htm

 

[soap_rat]

So sad that your lovely soaps have this problem! I see the DOS in the blue/lavender of the "clouds" soap, so I'm not sure TD is to blame.

What sort of scale are you using? My early soaps were prone to DOS and a lot of it was due to using a horrible cheap spring scale (recommended, however, in the soaping books!)

Otherwise I do suspect one of your oils, perhaps make single-oil bars with each oil and watch for DOS?

 

[new12soap]

Keep a very close eye on these bars. If the orange spots get bigger or start to smell stale or rancid, you have DOS. If they stay the same, they may very well be spots of fragrance. No matter how well you try and try to completely incorporate fragrances, sometimes you get spots of oil that will just look ugly. In the beginning they may even smell stronger than the rest of the soap.

I do not cure or store my soaps on anything metal at all. I have a rack that has plastic basket/drawers so they get plenty of air flow. If you are using metal trays, go to a fabric or hobby store and buy the plastic canvas sheets for needlework and place those on the metal trays under the soaps, they are ventilated and will keep your soap from coming in contact with the metal.

 

[paillo]

from new12soap: "...I do not cure or store my soaps on anything metal at all. I have a rack that has plastic basket/drawers so they get plenty of air flow. If you are using metal trays, go to a fabric or hobby store and buy the plastic canvas sheets for needlework and place those on the metal trays under the soaps, they are ventilated and will keep your soap from coming in contact with the metal..."

Great idea!!! Gonna try that instead of my usual parchment paper.

 

[Hermanam]

My trays are metal, but I never put my soaps directly on the trays...they always sit on freezer paper. Do you think this could still cause a problem?

 

[newbie]

I would think the freezer paper would be enough but you never know. It would be a good experiment to get them off all metal and see if it continues to happen. I use all plastic shelving except for one and I put plastic pet-proof screen material over the metal so the soap wouldn't touch it, but I don't know it that's thick enough. With trays and freezer paper, you won't get the same kind of circulation you would with a material that is perforated so air can flow along the bottom.

It does seem that if one soap gets DOS, it seems to affect soaps nearby. Everyone always recommends getting any DOS soap out of there as quickly as possible.

There have been experiments that show that if you cover the bars after the first 4 weeks of cure (one was done with muslin bags), they are far less likely to develop DOS that if they are left out. Because of that experiment, I now put my soap in a cardboard box that is loosely closed, or in paper or wax sandwich bags after the first 4 weeks. Seems to also preserve the scent. That would be another good experiment- bag some of the bars and leave some of the bars out. Watch over time to see if some develop DOS and other don't.

VERY FRUSTRATING!!! but at least you can use DOS bars yourself if they don't smell bad.

 

[savonierre]

Curing soap on ventilated shelving is the best imho, the air gets around each and every bar. Were your oils fresh? If I am not sure I taste a little bit, I try to date each bottle but sometimes it doesn't get done. Do you live in a humid climate, I don't but have a dehumidifier running by my curing soap, it gathers 3 gallons every second or third day.
I use canola oil in every batch and have never had DOS.
I am sorry that happened to your beautiful soap.