Separation Anxiety...

[dieSpinne]

Hi all,

Last night I made my first batch of CP 100% EVOO Castile Soap.
It was also my first batch of CP soap ever; I know, I know, but I am the kind of guy that jumps in with both feet and learns from messes along the way.

SO here is my issue.... I let it sit in the mold overnight and it is still very "custardy". It also looks a little oily on top.
I definitely achieved trace... when I poured it the batter had the consistency of thick pancake batter or maybe thin pudding before the pudding has cooled. I let it sit overnight and though it has thickened somwhat, it is still nowhere near ready to cut.

I know Castile takes a long time to cure, but for some reason I thought that it was like other CP soaps in its setting time.
How long does Castile usually take to get to the cutting stage?
Do I need to throw this in the oven for a few hours? (The weather changed and it got cold last night)
Should I scrap the batch and start with something simpler?

 

[carebear]

if it didn't gel, it can take up to a week to be cuttable - especially if you used the full amount of water the lye calculators recommend.

if the oil on top is just a bit, it will probably absorb in and be fine. if it is actually a measurable layer floating on top, it's more likely that you didn't have true trace (actually true emulsification) and the oils and lye water are separating out - in which case you need to mix it all back in and that likely requires cooking (rebatching) the soap.

I'd give it a few days before deciding either way.

If you don't want to wait, then yes you can toss it into a warm (preheated to MAX 170F) oven for a couple of hours.

 

[dieSpinne]

Thank you, carebear.
It's sitting in the oven now and has just begun to reach gel phase on the outside edges of the soap.
I am not sure how the mold will handle the temperature, but it's a common one and molds are easy enough to replace; I figure this is part of the cost of R&D.

Thank you again and I will post pics when I pull it out.

 

[IrishLass]

Ditto what Carebear said. I still remember my first 100% Castile. I used full water and it did just what yours is doing- a little oil leakage on top, too soft to unmold and cut, etc.. If I remember right, a whole week or so went by before the oil reabsorbed and I was able to unmold it, and even by then I felt it was still kinda too soft to cut, so I waited another week or so more before cutting it. I let it cure for months before using, but once cured it was rock hard and lathered beautifully with my nylon pouf.

After that first time, I changed my soaping tactics by reducing my water amount down to a 33% lye solution, and now I'm able to unmold and cut my 100% Castiles 12 -18 hours after pour with no issues.


IrishLass

 

[Cuckoo Bananas]

When I do castille (usually with pomace OO) mine need between 30-48 hours in the mould.

I've done a couple batches where I mix only by hand stirring with the castille because you can give it a stir and then leave it for a few hours and just do that for about 1 or 2 days. Surprisingly I've found the quality of my bar come out better than speeding it up with the stick blender. When I use the stick blender it sweats a bit in the mould, and while it is still great soap it just feels a little bit different somehow.

Listen to Carebear and Irishlass, they know their soaping stuff and don't be in a rush to jump in the deep end, it sux cleaning up dodgy soap messes lol. Just take your time and plan it out and don't be lured by false trace

 

[dieSpinne]

OK...
Soap is out of the oven, gelled, set and cut.
No zing, no pockets, plenty of ash and sweating a little oil on the surface, but I am waiting until the soap cures before I panic about that.

Now I need to figure out how to get the pics from my phone onto my computer. :-/

Apparently, the adapter that came with the memory card for the phone uses an older form of interface, so I have to go dig up my 6-in-1 USB memcard reader from my OLD machine and see if I can rig something up.

I promise there will be pics one way or another.

 

[BakingNana]

Congrats on a great save!