Teach Soap

I made four batches of soap last wednesday evening. I used new wooden slab molds and somewhat new soap recipe (olive, coconut, palm, sunflower, shea and cocoa butter. I revised it and got rid of the canola oil. I had used it before just not in the quantity necessary for the new mold--16 1/2 lbs.) I also, used fragrances, I have used several times, micas and oxides I had used several times. So I knew how the fragrance and colors would react. I even knew how the recipe would react. So I made one batch, then two, and then I finished with four batches. My lye/water was at about 90-100 degrees, and my oils were a bit warmer at 105-115 degrees. Well, I went to cut them today and there was this hidden pocket of liquid in the very middle of the soap. This occurred in 3 of the 4 batches. I mixed my oils/lye to just before a medium trace. I whisked in my fragrances for 3-4 minutes to ensure that I got it all evenly mixed with out making the soap reach a thick trace. When I unmolded my soaps part of the soaps looked fine and didn't zap after being in the mold for 4 days. This has happened to me several times over the course of 2 months. I have been making soap for nearly 2 years, so I can tell the difference between just mixed oils to a true trace. What could have happened to have these pockets of fluid? When I poured the soap into each mold it was a thick soap batter. It wasn't thin at all. I am truly disgusted with this turn of events to the point that I have wanted to give up. The waste of fragrances, oils, and lye. These mistakes haven't been cheap. My husband says it has happened. Figure out what you did and just remake the soaps.


Thanks,

Ginger

It sounds like the soap overheated. Some fragrances can do that. Which scents did you use?

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

I used wholesale supplies plus blackberry sage tea, farting monkeys, and natures garden saffron & cedar and teakwood & cardamom.
I have used them before and I left them uninsulated. As a matter of fact I was going for soda ash on all but the monkey farts.

I was able to save most of the saffron & cedar, but the other three had liquid and I was just disgusted with it all. And monkey farts was crumbly (not like when lye heavy) when I cut into them especially the monkey farts.

It sounds like the fragrances work better if they are not insulated. I prefer not to gel. My soaps go in the fridge or the freezer, up to overnight.

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

I didn't insulate them, but I think they may have over heated.....