Teach Soap

Hi, I've made a couple of batches of honey soap and the first few turned out great. This last batch has a big pool of liquid on top and I am too scared to even turn it out of the mould! I guess it must be fragrance oil on top, but I'm not sure. Will I be able to mop this up and use the soap, or is it beyond redemption and have to be binned? Any help will be really gratefully received. Many thanks Joe Soap

Did your soap overheat by any chance? that could account for the oil on top. It might not be the FO, but some of the other oils. If you blot it off your soap may not have enough superfat. You could try rebatching to mix the oil back into the soap. Good luck!

_________________
Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

Hi Linda, thank you for such a quick reply! I find that my honey soaps get really hot, so I combined the lye and oil at about 100 degrees, when the previous batches have been combined at 115 degrees. I don't cover my soap, or insulate it. It gels really quickly and the previous batches have oozed honey (I think it's the honey!) after it has been cut, but it dries out completely over the curing period.

Linda, if it is the soap getting too hot, how can I get it to be cooler?, thanks Joe Soap

How much honey are you using? Try soaping cool and put your soap in the fridge.

_________________
Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Hi Irena, I used 50g of honey, which had been warmed so it was more liquidy, in a batch of 6.5kg soap - so it works out about .75% - not a lot i thought! What does 'soap cooler' mean?

_________________
Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Thanks Irena, I did soap at about 100 degrees, but think I must have let my mix get to too thick a trace, because it did start to go all lumpy, but I managed to get it in the mold. I'll definitely try putting it in the fridge, guess I'll just have to make smaller batches though 'cos my fridge isnt that big!

Do you recognize thin trace? At this point, the soap is slightly creamy and some of the soap will cling lightly to the sides of the pot. If you mix it with a stick blender normally, do so only til the raw soap has emulsified. Then give it a stir or two with a stainless steel whisk. If it doesn't separate, then pour at this time. If your soap is getting lumpy, that's either a thick trace or your fragrance is accelerating trace.

_________________
Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

That's really good advice, I often find that I let my batter go way too thick because I am unsure about trace, so perhaps I just need to feel a little more confident that even at light trace my soap will set!