Crumbling soap, Help please!

[theath2010]

On Friday I made this batch of soap and was finally able to cut it today. The bottom half of the soap is hard a crumbled when I cut it. It is also seems to be lye heavy when zap tested it. Do you think that it crumbled because it is lye heavy or for some other reason. Also should I rebatch the soap ASAP or zap test it again in a few days?

 

[three_little_fishes]

I would think lye heavy, but might would give it a few days just to see. Here is a good troubleshooting page. Whatever it is, I hope you can fix it!

http://www.millersoap.com/trouble.html

 

[theath2010]

Thanks for that, after reading it I definitely believe it is from being lye heavy. I suppose I'll wait a few days and see how it is before I do anything with it. After reading some things on rebatching lye heavy soap I think I may just toss it.

 

[Moody Glenn]

Saponification either happens now or it doesn't happen. I think you could wait several days and there will be no change. I have developed a live-by attitude concerning soap that zaps and that strange looking stuff in the refrigerator: "When in doubt throw it out."

Then again, I was never good at rebatching! :wink:

 

[Mommysoaper]

Depending upon how lye heavy the soap is it may be ok after a couple of months of curing. The soapqueen blog has a post about Kevin Dunn's research he presented at the National HSCG Conference this year. Some of his research shows lye heavy soap reaching normal levels after 11 weeks or so. Here's a link where you can check it out.

http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-b...ference-guest-post-kevin-dunn-aka-dr-mcsoapy/

But, if you don't want to bother (which is cool too!) Just toss and redo! Just another reason to make more soap!

 

[chicklet]

If you post your recipe it might help with a diagnosis. Some possible reasons for a soap being lye heavy would be:

-- the recipe wasn't run through soapcalc to get the correct amount of lye and water (or other liquid) to use
-- the recipe was correct but you made a mistake in weighing the lye or water
-- you didn't weigh your ingredients

A rebatch would be difficult unless you're pretty certain how much extra lye (if any) was used. I've never done what Mommysoaper is referring to, but I know Kevin Dunn is an expert so I would believe what he says about lye heavy soap reaching normal levels after a time. I've read that in the "old days" the soap maker for the family would make the soap and let it cure for a year before using so they were sure it was not lye heavy. They wouldn't have had precise scales we have access to or whatever - but by putting the soap up for a long cure the soap didn't "take the hide off" like the fresh, lye heavy soap would have.

As far as the crumbliness of the soap - it could be lye heavy, but I've had crumbly soap if I've had it in the fridge or freezer and I don't give it long enough to come back to room temp before cutting. I now make myself wait at least 24 hours after removing it from the fridge or freezer before I cut.

 

[theath2010]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I might as well give it a try and let the soap sit for a while. I am hoping in time they might be useable, if not oh well but it definately won't hurt to have them sitting around for a while.

 

[Skatergirl46]

They wouldn't have had precise scales we have access to or whatever - but by putting the soap up for a long cure the soap didn't "take the hide off" like the fresh, lye heavy soap would have.

I'm sorry, this is off the subject but when I read above where Chicklet wrote "take the hide off" it made me think of the Beverly Hillbillies show from years ago. Does anyone remember Granny Clampet's Lye Soap? She would say how it "takes off three layers of skin and leaves you all red and healthy looking!" :Kitten Love: LOL!