Cut to soon or too late?

[Happy2018]

Cut to soon or too late?
I can't tell,

25 % of the lye water is dissolved sea salt so this recipe with 6.08 oz of water, there is 1.52 oz (25 %).

I took it out of the mold, after 24 hours, and forgot to cut it until the next evening, so it had been de-canted ( what I've been calling un-molded) for another 24 hours.

Can anyone say if this was cut to late? or I should have let it cure longer before cutting?
Thank you!

The other thing I was wondering, is what do I do now?

 

[Kittish]

How difficult was it to cut? If it was really crumbly as you were cutting it, soft and inclined to go to pieces at the least pressure, that would be too soon. If it was really hard to cut, breaking apart from the pressure of trying to get your knife through it, that would be too late.

Have you zap tested it? If it isn't lye heavy, then grate it up as fine as you can and do a rebatch. Just be careful not to overheat it when you do. Scorched soap STINKS. For that matter, you can rebatch it even if it is lye heavy, you'll just need to add extra oil a little bit at a time and let it 'cook' for a bit. Repeat until it stops zapping.

I should probably add that soap less than 3 or 4 days old might zap, but not actually be lye heavy, just not quite done saponifying yet. If you test it and it zaps, you can let it just sit for another day or two, then test again. If it still zaps at that point, then it's probably lye heavy.

Another option if the soap isn't lye heavy is to cut it into chunks and small pieces for confetti and embeds in other soaps (if you're planning to do colors and other decorative elements with your soap).

 

[Obsidian]

Looks like it was really hard too me. Salt makes a soap harder, using brine add a fair bit of salt. You should have cut it much sooner.

I don't know if I'd rebatch, salty soap can be touchy to rebatch.

If grate it up fine as possible and add it to a new batch. Only the smaller pieces though, if they are big enough to use, use as is. Soap doesn't have to be perfect.

 

[cmzaha]

If this was just a brine (Soleseif) you should have no problem rebatching it, or as Obsidian mention grate it up and add it to another batch. I do not find brine soap setting up as fast as a true salt bar, but mine are usually ready to cut in 6-8 hrs versus 1.5 hrs for my salt bars. But your recipe will also control how long it takes to cut, a recipe high in liquid oils can takes longer, but I still would unmold no later than 12 hrs.

Unmold is to remove from a mold. Decant is to pour off liquid...

 

[Zany_in_CO]

I took it out of the mold, after 24 hours, and forgot to cut it until the next evening, so it had been de-canted ( what I've been calling un-molded) for another 24 hours.

Yeppers... cut too late, that's probably why it's falling apart -- plus the hardness caused by the salt. Not sure what you were going for with that 25% salt added to the lye water? It would help us to help you if we knew your level of experience? You can remedy that by going to the Beginner's Forum and introducing yourself, where you hail from, and what drew you to the addictive world of soap making. :smile:

...or I should have let it cure longer before cutting?

"Cure" happens after the cut. So, once unmolded, it depends on the soap. For this soap, you could unmold sooner -- as soon as it's cool to the touch -- maybe 6 hours? -- and cut right after unmolding. Normally, I unmold as soon as the soap tells me to, and then wait until the next day, or even two or more, before cutting. Just use your best judgment.

The other thing I was wondering, is what do I do now?

1) Do nothing for 2 weeks or so. Then lather up, rinse, and see if there's something you'd like to correct.

2) That's a nice recipe, so you may want to do an "overpour". Grate up the soap. Add it to your mold. Make another batch without the salt and pour that over the gratings.

3) Microwave Rebatch: Grate up the soap. You should have about 22 ounces or so. Put that in an 8-cup Pyrex (lots of head room). Sprinkle an ounce or two of distilled water over the gratings, just enough to wet all the pieces, then gently toss with gloved fingers to evenly coat them. Nuke at 50% power for 5 minutes or 30% power for 10 minutes. Allow to rest for 5 minutes or so before stirring it well with a spoon or spatula and pouring into the mold. Pyrex is ideal for watching it while doing this. If it starts rising at all, turn the MW off and let it set for 5 minutes before proceeding.

HTH :bunny:
​

 

[Happy2018]

How difficult was it to cut? If it was really crumbly as you were cutting it, soft and inclined to go to pieces at the least pressure, that would be too soon. If it was really hard to cut, breaking apart from the pressure of trying to get your knife through it, that would be too late.

Have you zap tested it? If it isn't lye heavy, then grate it up as fine as you can and do a rebatch. Just be careful not to overheat it when you do. Scorched soap STINKS. For that matter, you can rebatch it even if it is lye heavy, you'll just need to add extra oil a little bit at a time and let it 'cook' for a bit. Repeat until it stops zapping.

I should probably add that soap less than 3 or 4 days old might zap, but not actually be lye heavy, just not quite done saponifying yet. If you test it and it zaps, you can let it just sit for another day or two, then test again. If it still zaps at that point, then it's probably lye heavy.

Another option if the soap isn't lye heavy is to cut it into chunks and small pieces for confetti and embeds in other soaps (if you're planning to do colors and other decorative elements with your soap).

Part of it was soft and part of it was hard to cut.

I have not zap tested it. Thank you for the feedback on batch testing.


Thank you

 

[Happy2018]

Looks like it was really hard too me. Salt makes a soap harder, using brine add a fair bit of salt. You should have cut it much sooner.
I don't know if I'd rebatch, salty soap can be touchy to rebatch.
If grate it up fine as possible and add it to a new batch. Only the smaller pieces though, if they are big enough to use, use as is. Soap doesn't have to be perfect.

Thank you also for this suggestion, as these are things I had not thought of.

 

[Happy2018]

If this was just a brine (Soleseif) you should have no problem rebatching it, or as Obsidian mention grate it up and add it to another batch. I do not find brine soap setting up as fast as a true salt bar, but mine are usually ready to cut in 6-8 hrs versus 1.5 hrs for my salt bars. But your recipe will also control how long it takes to cut, a recipe high in liquid oils can takes longer, but I still would unmold no later than 12 hrs.

Unmold is to remove from a mold. Decant is to pour off liquid...

Thank you!

 

[Happy2018]

You can remedy that by going to the Beginner's Forum and introducing yourself, where you hail from, and what drew you to the addictive world of soap making. :smile:

"Cure" happens after the cut. So, once unmolded, it depends on the soap. For this soap, you could unmold sooner -- as soon as it's cool to the touch -- maybe 6 hours? -- and cut right after unmolding. Normally, I unmold as soon as the soap tells me to, and then wait until the next day, or even two or more, before cutting. Just use your best judgment.

1) Do nothing for 2 weeks or so. Then lather up, rinse, and see if there's something you'd like to correct.

2) That's a nice recipe, so you may want to do an "overpour". Grate up the soap. Add it to your mold. Make another batch without the salt and pour that over the gratings.

3) Microwave Rebatch: Grate up the soap. You should have about 22 ounces or so. Put that in an 8-cup Pyrex (lots of head room). Sprinkle an ounce or two of distilled water over the gratings, just enough to wet all the pieces, then gently toss with gloved fingers to evenly coat them. Nuke at 50% power for 5 minutes or 30% power for 10 minutes. Allow to rest for 5 minutes or so before stirring it well with a spoon or spatula and pouring into the mold. Pyrex is ideal for watching it while doing this. If it starts rising at all, turn the MW off and let it set for 5 minutes before proceeding.

HTH :bunny:
​

Yes most addictive,

and yes beginner for a couple of months. I handn't thought to do this, reading like a mad woman to understand more and more to make more, but forgot about the introductions.

Thank you for those wonderful suggestions!