Dish Soap Disaster

[Anstarx]

My recipe for dish soaps are 100% CO, 1% SF, and 1% sodium lactate. Lye water ratio was 1:2.
Last time I made dish soap was from last August so I figured it's time to make some more. I made a batch of dish soap last week with EO and honey locust tea as it went fabulously. My oil was room temp and my lye was chilled from keeping the container in a ice water bucket. The trace was slower than I thought as it was still at emulsion after a dozen short bursts. Poured into individual molds and covered with wax paper. Beautiful.
My individual molds only yield 8 bars so I want to make more, hoping to stock in my online shop later.
I did everything pretty much the same. Differences are 1. I didn't use any EO or FO 2. I used black tea instead of honey locust 3. I added some blue clay mixed with glycerin and water for color.
It riced.
I've had ricing before but it's always because of FOs. After the lye was added I give it a couple of burst and can start to see weird droplets? I thought maybe it's condensation from the tea or whatnot and kept blending. The more I blend the weirder the texture got. I made sure it definitely mixed to emulsion and added in my clay water, mixed as much as I can and poured. Covered with wax paper again.
I didn't have my hope high but was still upset when I opened the wax paper 12 hours later to this.

Aside from looking ugly, there were little puddles on my desk that weren't there before. I soaked them up and realized they are oils. The parts of soaps inside the mold looked smooth but was greasy to the touch. I kept them aside now hoping the oil will be absorbed back in but I don't have my hope high.

What did I do wrong? Every material I used here had been used for other batches of soap and they are turned out fine. The utensils are all clean and again, I've used the same utensills from my last batch it turned out okay. The only difference I can think of was that I kept my lye within the ice bucket for a long time and maybe it got too cold? Causing the CO to solidify? Could that be the culprit?

 

[AliOop]

Ugh, so sorry - very frustrating result! I do recall reading that lye should not be kept colder than 65ºF, I believe was the number, to avoid the lye precipitating out of the solution. Wish I could be more specific about that, but hopefully one of the more scientifically-minded folks can provide more help.

 

[GemstonePony]

False trace is definitely a thing, and it looks like ricing when it starts. Here's a YouTube video on the difference between false trace and the real thing, and she also talks about acceleration:

 

[Startree]

Good day any help please. I made a Tallow 60% Coconut oil 40% dish soap. 25%WD and 0%SF. Its works great, Bubble way better than the 100% Tallow except that after a while cracks develop and then actually cracks into pieces. Any advice please. I'm really struggling to get the ratio Tallow/CO right. Or is it the WD?

 

[earlene]

What is WD? Oh, I think you mean water discount.

So what was your lye concentration or your water to lye ratio? I am not particularly savvy with how one obtains a 25% or any other Water Discount, because it is not generally discussed here at SMF. I did a search and found a brambleberry post about it, so I think I sort of get how it's calculated.

What I think you may have done (correct me if I am wrong) is to create a 40% Lye Concentration (or 1.5:1 water to lye ratio), which are what I tend to understand and we tend to talk about in relation to the water and lye amounts in soap formulas here at SMF.

When & under what conditions does it start developing cracks and when & under what conditions does it start to crack into pieces? Does it do this on its own while undisturbed and having never been used? While it is being cut? While it is curing? After it's been wet and dries in between uses?

 

[Startree]

HI Earlene thank you for your reply. Maybe its me who doesn't understand the terminology. I think I'll post the soapcalc screenshot so you can see the water/lye ratio... it was actually 27% and not 25% as I stated. Hope you can help. I am also wondering if its the the CO / Tallow ratio and if I should change that ratio. Maybe its too much CO cos my 100% Tallow bar doesnt crack.

[When & under what conditions does it start developing cracks and when & under what conditions does it start to crack into pieces? Does it do this on its own while undisturbed and having never been used? While it is being cut? While it is curing? After it's been wet and dries in between uses?]

I use it at the kitchen sink to wash my dishes so its used regularly and sits on a soap tray. After only a few uses (few days) it starts cracking. I'd say wet and dry in between uses. The soaps were made in cavity molds so not cutting involved. Hoping you can help me.

Thanks in advance

 

[earlene]

HI Earlene thank you for your reply. Maybe its me who doesn't understand the terminology. I think I'll post the soapcalc screenshot so you can see the water/lye ratio... it was actually 27% and not 25% as I stated. Hope you can help. I am also wondering if its the the CO / Tallow ratio and if I should change that ratio. Maybe its too much CO cos my 100% Tallow bar doesnt crack.

[When & under what conditions does it start developing cracks and when & under what conditions does it start to crack into pieces? Does it do this on its own while undisturbed and having never been used? While it is being cut? While it is curing? After it's been wet and dries in between uses?]

I use it at the kitchen sink to wash my dishes so its used regularly and sits on a soap tray. After only a few uses (few days) it starts cracking. I'd say wet and dry in between uses. The soaps were made in cavity molds so not cutting involved. Hoping you can help me.

Thanks in advance

Startree, I think it would be best for you to start your own thread in the Recipe Feedback sub-forum at this link. It's probably my fault for responding to your earlier post, but to continue this discussion here in this thread is really not advisable because it would be hijacking Anstarx's thread. I take the blame, because I responded to you without making that suggestion on the outset.

So here's how to start a new thread:

Go to the link above, click in the box that says, 'thread title' and a new post entry window drops down. Type in a title, something like "Please help me with this recipe for a dishwashing soap" or whatever you want, then type in the Message area the background you already posted here. To help people understand that you have already posted elsewhere, you should probably put a link to this thread, as well, saying you had posted elsewhere, but were posting to the new thread so you don't hijack someone else's thread. You could just copy & paste what you already posted here so you don't have to re-type everything.

In the new thread, be sure to include all pertinent information such as purpose of the soap; the exact recipe (your screen shot is fine); your method (Cold Process, or Hot Process, etc.); what happened, etc.

You will get more responses that are directed to your issue if you have your own thread. This thread should be about Anstarx's soap.

 

[Startree]

Sorry about that. Thanks for explaining how threads work. Appreciated