Teach Soap

Greetings all,
Like most newbies, this first post is much of a 'please help me!' style. I started last year making some CP soap, and so far have been very happy with the results (well, excluding colouring/swirling issues that is...) and have started making up my own recipes, running the NaOH calcs on a piece of paper and double checking with a couple of different online calculators, and aiming for a 7% superfat.
My soaps are mixed somewhere between 35C and 40C, with no more than about 1-2C between the oil and NaOH, mixed with a stick blender. Then left in silicone moulds for 24-48 hours in a polystyrene box. Most often they seem to gel, but Im not sure they all do.
I have started noticing that recently (and with different recipes) after 24 hours there appear to be little beads of liquid (which Im pretty sure are NaOH solution) on the surface of the soap.
Could anyone suggest what might be happening here, and what I may be able to do to prevent it?

Ta muchly,
Adam S

Welcome!
What is the temp like where you are? Is it damp or humid? Do those droplets zap? If they don't zap, it could be glycerin coming to the surface due to humidity. You don't need to have your oils and lye at exactly the same temp. 10 degree difference won't change things too much.

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

Irena - many thanks for the welcome, this seems to be a very friendly forum indeed

The temp around here is hovering around 5-10C outside, but in my house it is about 20-22C. I have no idea what the humidity is, however - except that the box I have been doing the initial 24hr cure in is fairly well sealed and insulating, so the humidity may be high in there.
And yes, it does zap. Quite impressively.

Adam

Oh, and thanks for the advice regarding accuracy of oil/lye temps - it has been driving me a little nuts on occasion!

Soap should not zap after 24 hours unless your soap did not gel. Soap prefers cool, dry and well ventilated area to cure, not well sealed. If the soap zaps, I would rebatch. Did your soap gel? I prefer not to gel, so my soap can zap; up to three days later. After that it's fine.

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

Thanks again.
The soap certainly did gel - I can post a photo if you like? And it is only the surface beading and *not* the cut surface that zaps...

I think I may take the lid off the box next time, and just loosely cover with cardboard.

Cheers,
Adam

Try cutting one bar and see if the beads come back on the cut surface.

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

Hi again,
Yep, cut the block up into bars, and the inside seems fine - just tastes of soap

Cheers,
Adam

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

Yes, that makes sense regarding use as a tester - though I may perservere myself prior to attempting a rebatch, as the cut surfaces looked normal and the zapping seemed to only be the little beads of liquid on top, rather than all over the surface.

Many thanks again.

Now - how do you doa swirl easily???

adam

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

Swirls are best done at a very thin trace.

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

If you are able to call up you-tube on your computer there are demonstrations of itp swirl (in the pot). When I do mine I pour back in at 12, 3, 6 and 9 o'clock positions and then insert a stainless steel or plastic wisk at one point and go around once with this in the batter and then lift out, pour. You could pour different colors at each position as well. Yes, usually a thin trace works best but I have taken it a step up and liked the results. I did not do this on purpose so know your recipe might be a good idea.

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Susie
Sometimes A Mistake is so much fun, You just have to do it again!

Hi Adam, I have watched hours and HOURS of swirling clips on Youtube. I am an expert at it. (watching not doing)

That's how I learned too! Youtube is such a great resource for soaping. Good to look at things like ricing and seizing too, just so you know what they look like!

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~~Heather~~
Mad [soaping] Scientist

YouTube? Pssht, go read all my threads if you want to see everything that can go wrong!! Been there, done that, running out of room for all my T-Shirts!

But seriously, yes, YouTube. It now has it's own official bookmarks folder of all the different ones I've saved hehe.

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The Soapinatrix! *whip-crack*
- Posting the trials and tribulations of my Soaping Journey!