Wayne, I made my first soap with beeswax (1%) a few days ago. I am going to try and post a picture later today (with DH help). I pressed a piece of little bubble wrap onto the top of the soap and then covered the wooden mold with its top. I peeked several times in the first few hours because I was afraid of overheating as this recipe also had honey in it. At one point, I removed the wooden top all together as the mold felt really hot and it looked like it was going to get one of those little mounds in the middle. The soap came out fine with out ash but my bubble wrap had little gaps at the corners and those bits have very bad ash. Fortunately, it looks kinda neat as it is very white ash against a pale creamy yellow soap. I think I should have not peeked so many times and also left the cover on. So, I am not sure about the beeswax preventing ash. I have had good luck misting some of my soaps immediately after pouring with 91% alcohol. None of those have picked up ash yet on the cure rack and some are a month out now. I did not mist the beeswax batch. I totally forgot to before I pressed the bubble wrap onto the top.