First batch of Liquid Soap, need help

I did my first batch of liquid soap today. Everything seems fine after about 2-3 hours in the crock pot, so I tested it by dissolving a small amount into a cup of hot water, the water did turn out clear... So I thought that the paste was ready for dilution.. however, after I have boiled the water and poured into my crockpot, the cup of clear water turned cloudy :Kitten Love: ... what should I do now? Thanks.

Did you zap test or pH test in any way? I am more worried about safety than clarity at this point. If the paste does not zap you, the phenol test was clear, or the pH is under 10, then it is safe. Go ahead and finish dilution. If it is not safe, I would just heat up what you have, turn off the crock pot, and wrap it in a heavy towel or blanket and let it sit for a few hours. Then re-test.

Clarity just checks for unsaponified oils. Not for safety. Sometimes cloudy soap will settle out. Sometimes it won't, and you might or might not care(I personally don't really care.) If you see a cloudy top to the soap, and the clear bottom tests safe for use, put it in one of those oil separator cups and pour the clear soap off the bottom. I would not throw away the other, it will just be superfatted.

It doesn't zap, PH is not high either @ 8-9... I reheated the crock pot several times and somehow the soap has also cleared up, thanks again! Making liquid soap is so much tedious than making bar soaps, I may not want to make another batch in the near future...

I agree that liquid soap process is different than bar soap. I personally prefer liquid soapmaking to bar, but to each his/her own.

I use a much simplified method that the wonderful folks from here have helped me refine. If I am making hand soap, I use the half water/half glycerin method to speed trace. If I am making laundry or dish soap, I use 1/2 ounce of grated bar soap to speed trace(I use the end pieces or crumbles from cured soaps.) I also use 60/40 or 70/30 KOH/NaOH recipes for household soaps. Makes my trace time minimal.

I stick to 3% or less superfat to help keep my soap as clear as possible, and avoid lard and tallow.

Now I also use cold process to avoid having that whole long cooking time: I just pour the hot lye water into the melted oils in the crockpot, stickblend until I get to trace. Unplug the crockpot, wrap in a blanket or heavy beach towel and walk away. I go back to it 6-12 hours later and check for zap. If no zap, I dilute. If I am unfamiliar with the recipe, I begin with 75% paste weight water, then add 4 oz at the time until mostly diluted, then 1 oz at the time. Once I know the dilution rate, I just dump it in, turn the crockpot on, and walk away until I see bubbles under the lid. Stir down, then keep a closer eye on it until I see just one soap lump. I add my EO's and turn my crock pot off at that time, and allow it to cool overnight. Soap done in one day, with minimal attention.

And there is no reason that you can't make paste and let it sit there a day or so if life gets busy before you dilute. I routinely make a double batch of laundry soap at the time, then put half of the paste into a plastic container and wait until I need it.(My crockpot won't hold the whole batch with dilution water added.)

Thanks again Susie, will try this method. I used pure KOH and it took me about 40-50 minutes to trace, I alternate between my stick blender and balloon whisk, that's real hard work.

It is, and there is just no need for all that work. I am big into the KISS method, so anything I can do to save time and energy is my favorite way. That is why I never got into the whole neutralization thing. One less step is a good thing.