Zany's no slime castile

[Zany_in_CO]

F

I made the FS a few weeks ago and put it in the fridge . Should have put it through a strainer because I left it quite a while to dissolve .

Hmmm. My faux seawater is clear. TIP: Add the sea salt & bicarb to cold water, stir for one full minute, then microwave to dissolve. If the solution is yellowish, heat briefly again and stir until the solution clears.

I use it straight from the fridge and have no problem dissolving the NaOH in the lye solution. I set it in the sink and prep the rest of the batch while I wait for the lye solution to cool to temp.

Is it possible your NaOH is old and perhaps weak? If it's not fully dissolving/heating up when you add it to the water then that would be my best guess as to what is going on.

 

[Fiona Robertson]

I think straining might have been a better idea . I wasn’t sure what the little white bits were . I am hoping they were bits of the bicarbonate reappearing , not sodium hydroxide that refused to dissolve . Also perhaps it is better to use room temp FS , rather than straight from fridge, as maybe it means you have to wait longer for the sodium crystals to dissolve . Maybe impatient me was not very productive. Any way , I could take them out of their individual moulds after 8 hours . I think there are tiny black bits that may be from the inexpensive EVOO but in general , I am pleased .

For the black specks have you checked your salt? I found the occasional black speck in my salt and now run my brine mixture through a paper coffee filter before adding anything else. I got the white spots too...

 

[Kiti Williams]

I made soap with Zany's FS, the soaps came out with all kinds of tiny bubbles in them. The cakes are nice and firm, just unique looking.

 

[Simply Yours UK]

Is it possible your NaOH is old and perhaps weak? If it's not fully dissolving/heating up when you add it to the water then that would be my best guess as to what is going on.

My FS is clear and then when I add the NaOH,I get the white bits . I bought it brand new off EBay so I would be cross if it was old . In answer to another suggestion, my salt was perfectly free of black bits so I think it was in the oil . I am just a bit concerned that there is undissolved NaOH in my lovely soap ! They have tiny bubbles too but that could be might be my mixing technique and not tapping as I go when filling the moulds.

Extra note added :

I made my lye water again and I really think it is the bicarbonate of soda magically reappearing having been happily dissolved until the NaOH gets added . Strange !!!

 

[linne1gi]

View attachment 41137

Hm, my faux seawater, which I made about 2 months ago (and keep in the fridge) is clear. Did you use distilled water?

 

[Simply Yours UK]

Hm, my faux seawater, which I made about 2 months ago (and keep in the fridge) is clear. Did you use distilled water?

Yes I did . My FS was completely clear UNTIL I add the NaOH . The Soap Queen did a post about baking soda in cold process and they would probably say the white bits are NaOH . Perhaps it is the purity of the NaOH - some how it is substandard. Might try a proper soap supplier like The Soap Kitchen .

 

[linne1gi]

Yes I did . My FS was completely clear UNTIL I add the NaOH . The Soap Queen did a post about baking soda in cold process and they would probably say the white bits are NaOH . Perhaps it is the purity of the NaOH - some how it is substandard. Might try a proper soap supplier like The Soap Kitchen .

Even after I add the NaOH mine remains clear. At the very least I would suggest you strain your solution before adding to the oils.

 

[Simply Yours UK]

Even after I add the NaOH mine remains clear. At the very least I would suggest you strain your solution before adding to the oils.

Yes I did strain it but I am not 100 % trusting it because the bits are so tiny - I am sure some bits went through the stainless steel strainer - it would have had to be a coffee filter to catch it . I don’t want to be messing around with lye like that - it is a spillage waiting to happen !! Thanks everyone

 

[Kiti Williams]

Pure prettiness! Thank you @Zany_in_CO for sharing the recipe and the detailed methods!

View attachment 40080 View attachment 40081

The soaps spent the night covered in a warmed oven and were unmolded after approximately 12 hours. There are no signs of ash at this point. As others have observed, I also had cloudy, slightly viscous lye water and some precipitates, which looked carbonate-ish. I strained them out. It’s possible that reducing the amount of sodium bicarbonate would help with this issue, but it’s easy enough to strain the lye. It seems likely to me that the addition of the [sodium] bicarbonate, which is involved in the Ocean’s carbonate buffering system, results in some of the lye being neutralized. If that is what’s happening, the result would be a soap with some superfat even though it is formulated to be 0%. I am looking forward to trying the soap!

Lovely soaps!

 

[DeeAnna]

...The Soap Queen did a post about baking soda in cold process and they would probably say the white bits are NaOH ...

I've not been impressed with the chemistry expertise shown by the Soap Queen's staff over the years. If you're relying on them for accurate chemistry info, you might want to find a more knowledgeable resource.

It is unlikely the flecks are are sodium BIcarbonate or sodium hydroxide. It's much more likely the flecks are sodium carbonate or sodium chloride that will form when the solubility of the chloride and carbonate ions is reduced after you add sodium hydroxide.

Some of the flecks may be also sodium carbonate created when sodium hydroxide reacts with carbon dioxide in the air.

Or the bits may be fat impurities on your beaker that are reacting with the NaOH to make small flecks of soap. Wouldn't be the first time that's happened too.

 

[linne1gi]

I've not been impressed with the chemistry expertise shown by the Soap Queen's staff over the years. If you're relying on them for accurate chemistry info, you might want to find a more knowledgeable resource.

It is unlikely the flecks are are sodium BIcarbonate or sodium hydroxide. It's much more likely the flecks are sodium carbonate or sodium chloride that will form when the solubility of the chloride and carbonate ions is reduced after you add sodium hydroxide.

Some of the flecks may be also sodium carbonate created when sodium hydroxide reacts with carbon dioxide in the air.

Or the bits may be fat impurities on your beaker that are reacting with the NaOH to make small flecks of soap. Wouldn't be the first time that's happened too.

Yes, One of the things the SoapQueen does, is to use glass measuring cups and bowls. In my mind that is a big no-no. And new soapers are watching her all the time, taking her words to the bank!

 

[Simply Yours UK]

[QUOTE="DeeAnna, post: 785606, member: 9248"
It is unlikely the flecks are are sodium BIcarbonate or sodium hydroxide. It's much more likely the flecks are sodium carbonate or sodium chloride that will form when the solubility of the chloride and carbonate ions is reduced after you add sodium hydroxide.

Some of the flecks may be also sodium carbonate created when sodium hydroxide reacts with carbon dioxide in the air.

Thanks . Interesting information. The photos show the two different soaps I have made with my fluffy Lye water - different grades of OO - bottom one has the tiny coconut and castor oil recipe with EVOO- the top is a cheap refined OO with nothing added !! They both look great , even if the chemistry is maybe a bit suss.

 

[Simply Yours UK]

Quick update , I got some NaOH from “ The Soap Kitchen “ here in the UK and tested it in my faux seawater ( just a small test ) - No white bits and once the chemical was fully dissolved , it was pretty much clear. I tried this NaOH in straight distilled water and it was also clear . I think I might have had some dodgy Sodium Hydroxide in the first place . Now I just want to see if I can get away with de-ionised water as it is way cheaper than distilled, and you can buy it in Tesco ( DW can only be bought on line here ) . Thanks every one .

 

[Zany_in_CO]

Now I just want to see if I can get away with de-ionised water as it is way cheaper than distilled, and you can buy it in Tesco ( DW can only be bought on line here )

Wow! Interesting! Have you tried using your tap water? Our tap water comes from the Rockies and I've been using it ever since I first tried it early on in my soap making career. No problem.

 

[KiwiMoose]

Hi Cindy! The SF stays the same, 0% SF, when adding 10% coconut and 5% castor. And, yes, you can use sea water from the ocean, but I haven't done that. Hopefully, someone will come along who's done it. Wish I could be more help but I just don't know.

I've done it! I posted about it somewhere in this thread - but dunno where. Maybe about page 17 or so??? And I put pictures up in the gallery too

 

[Amonik]

Made a small batch of this today (chickened out and used 1% superfat). Was able to cut after 2 1/2 hours

 

[Fiut]

Hi, I want to use Black sea lye for salted water. https://www.luga.bg/en/lye_en/ The saltiness is about 8-9 %, should I use it as is, or better dissolve with same amount of water? I already made a lye solution with it, but it was for a extreme lye castille recipe, 200 ml plus 400 water. The solution was as milk at the end It turned out great and is curing. Do you think such percent of additives will be OK as is? The Black sea lye water is used for healing baths and have such benefits for health, so I'd like to put it in a soap for sure.
I'll make this recipe with 100%OO, part infused with laurel leaves.

 

[Simply Yours UK]

Wow! Interesting! Have you tried using your tap water? Our tap water comes from the Rockies and I've been using it ever since I first tried it early on in my soap making career. No problem.

Our water comes from who knows and is very hard . Full of lime scale .

 

[Zany_in_CO]

Our water comes from who knows and is very hard . Full of lime scale .

Hi, I want to use Black sea lye for salted water. https://www.luga.bg/en/lye_en/

Hi Fiut! Welcome to SMF!
That's a very interesting site. Lucky you to have such a wonderful ingredient available to soap with. Since you already have experience using it to make soap, your guess is better than mine as to how much to use. I hope you'll start a brand new thread. Please link back to this one so others will know the basis of your experiment. I'm looking forward to learning more about Black Sea Lye.

I'll make this recipe with 100%OO, part infused with laurel leaves.

I've done that. Works well and gives the final product a nice feel and an olive green or tan color, depending on how much laurel you use. Maybe fragrance the soap with Laurel Essential Oil?

 

[Fiut]

Hi Fiut! Welcome to SMF!
That's a very interesting site. Lucky you to have such a wonderful ingredient available to soap with. Since you already have experience using it to make soap, your guess is better than mine as to how much to use. I hope you'll start a brand new thread. Please link back to this one so others will know the basis of your experiment. I'm looking forward to learning more about Black Sea Lye.

I've done that. Works well and gives the final product a nice feel and an olive green or tan color, depending on how much laurel you use. Maybe fragrance the soap with Laurel Essential Oil?

Thank you welcoming me!
The Black sea lye is an unique ingredient indeed. I've grown knowing about it and it's great.
I have not so good news though. I'm afraid I ruined my batch. I made another recipe without a problem, but seems like it's not an easy ingredient to work with. The mineralisation is so high. To make your recipe I had to add more water to compensate extra minerals. My math was not perfect. The lye solution was not quite solution, but mashed potato like mass. I added a bit more water to make it liquid. At this point I feel a bit nervous, so added the lye "milk" still hot (I understand it now.) The mass got pretty heavy trace fast, so after a minute of SB I poured it in the mold. It looked like glossy butter cream. The batch was good looking until next morning (after 12 h apr) There were big puddles of liquid. Zap was strong. Cut to pieces, there were pockets with liquid here and there. I'm not sure what happened - there is no oil separation, the mass is not soft, but obviously lye is out. My other recipe looks much lighter and no liquid is leaking, despite the water percent was much more. I added BIack sea lye much more there, but diluted in some water. Guess I just panicked and did not handle it right.
Anyway, now I'm waiting the pieces to stop sweating and then maybe I'll rebatch with HP. But will try your recipe again.
Left is this weird batch, the right is the other recipe. Different color and texture.
https://photos.app.goo.gl/pQXXikXAe5q5rvz4A