Zap test - lye heavy soap?

[zajcek]

Hi,
I started to make soap a year ago, so I am still newbie and need advice. I know that coconut oil has drying properties, but I read, that some soapers make 100 % coconut oils with higher superfat (15 - 20 %). So I decided to try and before 2 weeks I made soap from:
1000 g coconut oil
150 g NaOH (18 % superfat).
I am sure, that lye was well dissolved and I used stickblender to mix everything.

After few days I made zap test (put tongue to soap). The result was the same if I make zap test now: After about 10 second from touch the soap I feel strange filling, like burning (which last about 15 seconds).

Is soap lye heavy? Should I throw it away? How can soap at 18 % superfat be lye heavy? Any input would be welcome.

 

[carebear]

zap is immediate. that just sounds like CO soap which is icky!

 

[zajcek]

Thank you, Carebeer, for the answer. But I do not understand the meaning of word "icky", and can't find this word in dictionary. So, please, can somebody explain?

I bought coconut oil in the grocery store. On the packaging reads, that is useful till 13. october 2011.

 

[carebear]

sorry, it means to have an unpleasant taste (or be generally unpleasant).

and don't worry about the age of the coconut oil. it is very stable and should be good for many years.

 

[zajcek]

So, you mean, the soap is usable, but bad taste? If it will be drying on my skin, it would be better to use it for confetti soap with pure olive soap?
PS I apologize to you for wrong naming (I read about beer soap, so I name you Carebeer instead of Carebear). And thanks.

 

[Jezzy]

The soap should be good even if your measurements were off a little... There is no way it is lye heavy. A zap is unmistakable. Like carebear said. It is probably just the co.

 

[carebear]

PS I apologize to you for wrong naming (I read about beer soap, so I name you Carebeer instead of Carebear). And thanks.

Carebeer actually fits better - so

And I do not think that the soap is lye heavy or will be too drying - I do not think that was a true zap, but instead was just the way soap made from coconut oil feels and tastes. But soaps high in coconut oil are best when given a longer time than usual to "cure". I would wait 2 months before judging this soap, although I am confident it is fine right now.

 

[zajcek]

I'm soooooo happy, ladies (?)!
But, Jezzy, I have another question about measurement. I'm using SoapCalc and I put numbers:
1000 g coconut oil
18 % superfat,
the result was (is) 150,26 g NaOH.
I have my digital scale in grams, so I wrote 150 g. Did you have in mind such a small difference?

 

[Jezzy]

No. I weigh my oils in grams too. I always round up or down. I meant off by grams not .xx grams. :wink:

I just tested a Salt bar of mine. It is also 100% CO 18% SF. It tastes really bad. It does leave a little strange feeling/taste on the tongue. The salt has a little *zappy* feeling to it too.

A positive Zap test is like putting your tongue to a 9v batterie (one of the square ones) You KNOW if it zaps or not. There is no mistaking it. I have actually burned my tongue on zappy soap just to see what a zap it.

 

[zajcek]

Jezzy,
now I've calculated amount of NaoH with Snowdrift Farm soap calculator. The result for 18 % superfat is 155,8 grams - 5 grams more. :shock: It appears that different calculators give different results.
I'm not so brave to put my tongue on zappy soap out of curiosity.

 

[Jezzy]

Wow! 5 grams is a big difference! Hmmm. Why don't you start another thread with those very different results to see what the pros say about that!

 

[dubnica]

5 GRAMS IS ONLY .18 OZ. I don't think its too much at all.