Teach Soap

I just got my first DOS! I made the batch on June 8th and it's been curing with a beautiful smell (Pineapple Cilantro from BB). I went to bevel tonight and noticed DOS on 6 of 23 bars. I've been soaping for around 6 months, but am addicted, so I've probably made 50 batches of soap--all successful. This is a recipe that I've used before with no DOS (yet), so I don't know what happened or how to prevent it again. Although this batch of this particular recipe did not gel, but the others did. Does gel have anything to do with DOS? Would love to hear everyone's thoughts.

Bummer. Sometimes it just happens.

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

I've never heard of gel having any influence on DOS - the most likely culprit is the freshness of your base oils.

I agree with soapbuddy - bummer, sometimes it just happens.

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I have made many batches and have just had my first experience with dos as well. I was trying very hard to figure out what went wrong but I can not find anything to trace it to. It started to show on my bars after about 3 weeks. I used 1 bar in my shower to see what it was like and can tell no difference. It does not stink at all, just a few spots. I guess it is time to toss them.

Bruce

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Thanks for your thoughts all! I have been considering the freshness issue. As I mentioned, I make A LOT of soap, so I've only had each container of oil a short time.

In any case, they still look and smell delightful and each has only 2-5 small orange spots so far, so they're still going in the shower!

I was just searching "DOS" and found this thread.
I'm not sure if I have my first DOS or not. Funny I talk about it and try to avoid it even without knowing what "it" looks like exactly. By the name you would think it would be obvious. And I've seen pictures.

Anyway... I made a 2# batch back in March. 20% Olive, 10% castor, and the rest hard oils (Palm 30%, Coco 20%, Crisco 20%) and only 4% superfat. The only colorant was a little TD. Most of it was made into regular 4 oz bars but the leftover was poured into a small tube and cut into about 10 sample or guest sized soaps.

So far most of the batch is just fine but 4 of those guest soaps now have a few small spots on the back which at first appeard brown, but now on closer look they have a tinge of orange to them... especially after I rubbed them with water. Those small bars may have come in contact with some of my other soaps and/or may have just been ignored and left out and it could be oxidation. They also cured next to a window if that matters. The one thing I know for sure is the small bars were all kept together but the other bars were stored / cured elsewhere.

So if it IS DOS would I definitely see signs of it on most or all of the bars? Is there any other way to know for sure like a smell? I always put "DOS" and "RANCID" together in my mind but these only smell like they are supposed to. Is this just some weird stain on my soaps or am I in DOS Denial?

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- Mickey!

If it's DOS, you don't always see the spots on all the bars. What were the ingredients and additives that you used? How hot did you soap? Did you use a stick blender?

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

I soaped at room temp and since this was March that was fairly chilly. I prevented gel by refrigerating.
The only additives were 1 tsp salt, 2 tsp honey, 1 tsp TD, and 45g Cuban Coffee bean FO. Except for the FO I've used this same recipe a few other times with no spots.

I'm suspicious because these 4 were all together on my curing rack and the spots are only on the backs which were facing a window. Could sunlight cause DOS or oxidation spots... esp in a white soap?

ETA: Oh and my notes say I got a nice easy trace in 10 minutes by hand... so no SB.

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- Mickey!