I just made a batch of soap that's been sitting in my mixing bowls for about 30 min and won't come to thick trace. It's barely past thin trace. I tested the pH and it's right at 7. I have a feeling my scale didn't weigh the NaOH correctly. Is there anything I can do to fix it?
CP Soap Won't Fully Trace
- Thread starter KristaY
- Start date
Help Support Soapmaking Forum:
I Molded Anyway....
This batch eventually came to medium trace (about 1 hr & 45 min) so I went ahead and molded it. Does anyone know how it will come out? Will it be safe to use? Can I transform it into something later? I'm so frustrated! This is the 2nd time this has happened to me out of about 25 batches of soap. Last time I immediately returned my scale. I've been using this scale for a few months and this is the 1st problem I've had. The 1st batch is cut and still sitting in my drying area as I don't know if I should use it, toss it or rebatch it. I appreciate any advice from all those more experienced than I am!
This batch eventually came to medium trace (about 1 hr & 45 min) so I went ahead and molded it. Does anyone know how it will come out? Will it be safe to use? Can I transform it into something later? I'm so frustrated! This is the 2nd time this has happened to me out of about 25 batches of soap. Last time I immediately returned my scale. I've been using this scale for a few months and this is the 1st problem I've had. The 1st batch is cut and still sitting in my drying area as I don't know if I should use it, toss it or rebatch it. I appreciate any advice from all those more experienced than I am!
There is no lye-based soap that has a pH of 7, so I don't know what is going on. Would also be interested in seeing the recipes, just to see what is going on.
Yep, even with less lye than normal, a saponifying batter should be definitely alkaline (pH way above than 7). Testing pH in soap is notoriously inaccurate.
"...Does anyone know how it will come out? Will it be safe to use?..."
Honestly? Impossible to tell at this point -- you're asking a lot without sharing your recipe, method, etc. You'll just have to wait until the soap is done saponifying, test for zap (NOT pH), and decide then what to do.
"... Can I transform it into something later?..."
You could rebatch the soap if it's not useable as-is.
Gent made a good suggestion to test your scale for accuracy. I'd certainly do that, but the likelihood of operator error is more likely. We all make mistakes sometimes and it's very easy to blame the equipment when it's really human error.
"...Does anyone know how it will come out? Will it be safe to use?..."
Honestly? Impossible to tell at this point -- you're asking a lot without sharing your recipe, method, etc. You'll just have to wait until the soap is done saponifying, test for zap (NOT pH), and decide then what to do.
"... Can I transform it into something later?..."
You could rebatch the soap if it's not useable as-is.
Gent made a good suggestion to test your scale for accuracy. I'd certainly do that, but the likelihood of operator error is more likely. We all make mistakes sometimes and it's very easy to blame the equipment when it's really human error.
Thank you for your suggestions! Sorry, I didn't include the recipe. I used 8 oz sweet almond oil, 6 oz canola oil, 8 oz coconut oil, 18 oz olive oil, 8 oz palm oil, 2 oz shea butter, 6.8 oz NaOH and 16.5 oz distilled water. The water/lye was 107 degrees and the oil mix was 104 degrees when I mixed them. I used Southern Peach FO and micas for color which I purchased online through one of the large soap suppliers. I always use an immersion blender. I've only been soaping for about 6 months so all my supplies have been purchased within that time, plus I keep them stored inside my home. The ambient air temp inside my house at soaping time was 80 degrees. I live in the high desert of AZ so humidity isn't a problem for me. I made 2 batches of soap yesterday and the first one came out perfect - it followed the steps right through trace and today looks gorgeous. The only difference between the recipes is I didn't include shea butter and superfatted with jojoba. I used an online lye calculator for both recipes. I just did the tongue test - no zing. It's been in the mold for almost 11 hours and it's soft to the touch.
Thank you all for your invaluable advice!
Thank you all for your invaluable advice!
Just realized I didn't add process for FO and micas. I used 3.1 oz FO and dispersed 1 tsp mica in 1 Tbsp sunflower oil. I poured off 1 cup of batter into 1st container then divided the rest in half. I colored the 1 cup portion with 1 Tbsp mica for a dark orange, colored one of the large portions with 2 tsp of mica for a soft orange and left the 3rd portion uncolored as the FO turns the batter a beautiful soft yellow. All 3 portions traced at the same speed.
SoapCalc says your recipe is good for 5% Superfat. So the recipe works.
What are you using to stir with?
What are you using to stir with?
I use a stainless steel stick blender to light trace then use stainless steel whisks and rubber (maybe latex?) spatulas rated for high cooking temps to mix in FO and color. Usually this works fine so I don't come to thick trace too quickly and can play with design.
FlybyStardancer
Well-Known Member
Was your lye from a bottle that's been open awhile and has clumpy lye?
No. I purchased the lye a couple of months ago and ALWAYS recap the bottle immediately after I pour. Also, I used the same bottle of lye on the batch I did earlier in the day and had no problems with trace in that one.
coffeetime
Well-Known Member
So the only thing left is the jojoba, then? I haven't used jojoba in soap, can anyone speak from experience on whether it is slow to trace?
Jojoba is not slow to trace.
There is some reason why her pH is so low. I suspect the scale or operator has an error somewhere. The only thing I can think of to figure it out is to double check your scale with known weight items(bags of coffee, flour, sugar are not perfect, but better than not checking) then make another identical batch, and weigh everything twice before mixing together. I would turn the scale off, then back on before weighing the second time. Then let us know, please?
There is some reason why her pH is so low. I suspect the scale or operator has an error somewhere. The only thing I can think of to figure it out is to double check your scale with known weight items(bags of coffee, flour, sugar are not perfect, but better than not checking) then make another identical batch, and weigh everything twice before mixing together. I would turn the scale off, then back on before weighing the second time. Then let us know, please?
coffeetime
Well-Known Member
The pH measurement is unlikely to be accurate. There is a special technique to measuring with CP soap. You can't just put a test strip on it.
Since the oddly failed batch, I made another with different oils - olive and coconut 15 oz, Crisco 36 oz, lye 9.2 oz and distilled water 22 oz. All went well, no trace problems. I'll check my scale against a known weight, make another batch and see how it goes. This time I'll weigh each, turn off scale, back on and weigh again. I used this method months ago with a scale that turned itself off after about a minute so will go that route again. So time consuming but that's better than a failed batch of soap!
Thank you all for your input and advice! As a new soaper I really appreciate info from everyone that's much more experienced than I am. :smile:
Thank you all for your input and advice! As a new soaper I really appreciate info from everyone that's much more experienced than I am. :smile:
That's exactly what I did - took a drop out of the batch and put it on the strip. What's the proper procedure for testing CP soap? I really appreciate your time and expertise!
I don't think the pH of the soap was ever at 7 - the test strips are notoriously unreliable for this application. Just do a zap test in the future, testing the pH accurately needs expensive equipment IMHO.
I've had soaps that just took forever to harden sometimes, maybe I just added too much water, maybe the moon was full. The soap wants what the soap wants
I've had soaps that just took forever to harden sometimes, maybe I just added too much water, maybe the moon was full. The soap wants what the soap wants
It's impossible for the PH to read 7 as CP & HP will range 8-10.5 and some even higher. To test your scale if you put 5 quarters on the scale it should read 1 oz. Most soaps need to sit 12-24 hours before unmolding.
I had one that needed over 48 hours before I could unmold it, and it turned out fine. I just blame soap gremlins.
I agree that your pH measurement it probably wrong. Take a pH measurement of either distilled or Deionized water and it should be 7. Then dissolve your soap in that and measure it. Without having searched the forums here, I'm pretty sure there are some suggestions as to how to do it. Just putting the strip on soap will not work. The strips work on moisture and there is not enough moisture in even liquid soaps to get an accurate measurement.
InNae
InNae
