Soap is still soft after a week in the mold.

[Weety]

I made a wine soap last Saturday. it's my 3rd time making this recipe. However, according to the lye amount according to recipe was 2.33 oz my scale measured 2.3 oz
could this be the reason that my soap is set but soft? I have made 10 batches of soap but have not run across this problem.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.
i hope it can be salvaged.

 

[cmzaha]

No, the .03 which would be .85 g is so minimal it would not make a difference. Many things can contribute to soft soap, such as pouring at emulsion or an un-stable emulsion, lighter trace than your other batches, overheating, more liquid, not full gel. Have you de-molded the soap? If so just leave it to cure longer it should harden up over time.

 

[Weety]

No, the .03 which would be .85 g is so minimal it would not make a difference. Many things can contribute to soft soap, such as pouring at emulsion or an un-stable emulsion, lighter trace than your other batches, overheating, more liquid, not full gel. Have you de-molded the soap? If so just leave it to cure longer it should harden up over time.

I know that I poured when it was at a light trace. I have not unmolded it yet. I was as afraid to do so.

Should I just leave it in the mold?

 

[Jennifer Horne]

What was your recipe?

 

[Arimara]

@cmzaha Would it be beneficial to place the mold in an oven to see if it would gel some at this point?

 

[cmzaha]

@cmzaha Would it be beneficial to place the mold in an oven to see if it would gel some at this point?

Hard to say. If it actually gelled and overheated no. If it did not gel it could help. I would simply leave it in the mold and see what happens. Sometimes if it overheats inside and does not actually form a crack on the top it can stay soft inside and you just cannot tell until it is cut.

The recipe might help with knowing how much liquid was used. A light trace without gelling with a low lye concentration can take quite a while to set up well and actually zap for a good 72 hrs.

 

[Jennifer Horne]

@cmzaha Would it be beneficial to place the mold in an oven to see if it would gel some at this point?

Personally if its actually been a week i would think its WAY too late to try to gel.

 

[BattleGnome]

Weety, what kind of mold are you using? How would you describe current consistency? Is it like a soft cheese (holds together but you can dent it) or is it less firm than that?

if your soap is like soft cheese and you are using a silicone mold it may be an air flow problem. I have the same issue if I don’t gel. Pull the mold away from the sides and give the soap a day to breathe. Unfold and wait at least 12 hours before cutting. This lets the soap firm up/evaporate a little bit more liquid/react to create a “crust” of firmer soap. It won’t be pretty but you’ll have soap.

of course your recipe would be helpful. Too much castor oil can make a permanently soft soap. Mechanical or human error in weighing your ingredients could also be an issue. Even if there are no obvious errors in your recipe it would help us guide you towards tricks that could make your soaping life easier (learning to control liquid amounts opens up a different world of soap designs)

 

[cmzaha]

Personally if its actually been a week i would think its WAY too late to try to gel.

No, you can actually still gel a soap later. I have even done it after cutting soap.