Teach Soap

Is there a point in the batch when you know you will be safe from soda ash? I was making a second batch with a fragrance that had previously got covered in soda ash. I had unmolded and cut the first batch after about 24 hours. For this second batch with the same fragrance I left it molded and covered and it has now been almost three days. I took two bars out of the mold after 24 hours to test and so far no ash on either the molded or unmolded bars.

I am wondering if I would be okay unmolding the rest of the batch or can soda ash still creep up at any time? I really want to put my mold back to use, and it has been torture to wait three whole days!!

Thanks for your help.

Soda ash is still a mystery. Some people get it, some people don't. Some have had good luck spraying the tops of their soap with alcohol, some people just wash it off. It might also have something to do with humidity in your area. The more humid, the more chance for ash.

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

It is frustrating. I use beeswax in every batch to help prevent ash, but I also live in the dry desert. I did have ash once with Lavender soap that had no beeswax.

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

I get ash on some and not on others. I think Soapbuddy is right about humidity. I never found that leaving soap in a mold for a longer time helps. I often do cpop and don't get ash. If I do, I wash the bars.

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Diana
Butter Babies Soap
bbsoap.com

I recently split a 4 lb batch and half got ash and half didn't. Differences, fo and color, that is all so it is a mysteryment isn't it~~!!

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~bytheSEAsoap~ Mella bythesea, bythesea, bythebeautiful sea

海の皂

Again I don't think any method is perfect but I cover mine with clear plastic wrap and wait at least 24 to 36 hours before I expose them to air and almost never get any. I did say almost.

Bruce

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www.homebrewsoaps.etsy.com