help, zapped hard!!!

[sandra]

Made this 1lb batch two days ago
lard 9.6 oz
coconut 3.2 oz
sunflower 1.6 oz
castor 1.6 oz
lye 2.13 oz
water 6.08 oz
Saw someone on this forum that swirled with 1/2 their soap mixed w' cocoa thought it looked so cool, decided to try it. Mixed, traced and molded, no problems, except very stinky! Unmolded and cut after 24 hrs. When I cut it it was very crumbly and still smelled pretty bad. Smelled similar to the lye. Tongue tested it this morning, zapped me like crazy. Ran it through soapcalc again. It shouldn't be lye heavy. Is it possible it will calm down over time. I didn't think so but I guess it's possible I mismeasured. It's a shame , it's such a cool looking bar.

 

[Imblebee]

Not sure, recipe checks out though. Soap calc even calls for 2.24 oz. of NaOH which is more than you added. Perhaps it's the scale calibration or a missing number in your measuring? I would guess one of those two things. The addition of cocoa powder didn't affect the saponification of my batch, just colored it.

I would also venture to guess that the "stink" factor came from the lard. My lard batches have all been pretty stinky. Guess that's what I get from using the Walmart supa' savaah' brand.

Idea: REBATCH! Make it more swirly...

 

[Inodoro Pereyra]

Sandra: wait 2 weeks and try it again. When I zap tested my first CP batch, it actually burned my tongue. Four weeks later it was perfect.

 

[Guest]

Sandra: wait 2 weeks and try it again. When I zap tested my first CP batch, it actually burned my tongue. Four weeks later it was perfect.

Did you originally zap test it after the soap had cooled, or while it was still warm/hot? Once the soap cools, the vast majority of saponification has already taken place. If it's still zappy at that point, the excess lye won't have any significant amount of fats to react with.

Sandra: it sounds like a measurement error.

 

[Inodoro Pereyra]

Did you originally zap test it after the soap had cooled, or while it was still warm/hot?

I zap tested it when I cut it. Not a good experience at all...

 

[Guest]

I zap tested it when I cut it. Not a good experience at all...

Had it cooled completely?

 

[Inodoro Pereyra]

Yep (At least to the touch).
Maybe it was me. Let's say that, at the moment of the test, I was less than careful...
I just gave the bar a big lick. Looks like it wasn't such a good idea... :wink:

 

[Guest]

Licked the bar, eh. I just lick my finger, rub it on the soap, then test my finger. Not trying to get a sudsy tongue

I don't know how long you waited but I let it sit overnight before testing it. By that time it's had enough time to do its thing.

 

[Inodoro Pereyra]

Licked the bar, eh. I just lick my finger, rub it on the soap, then test my finger.

Maybe that's the reason. I think I'm gonna use your method from now on... 8)

 

[sandra]

I just took another look at my bars. They're so pretty but when I tested them again they zapped. I'm thinking it was a measurement error. When I look at them objectively they do look a tad bit smaller than my other 1 lb batches. I guess I'll have to try it again.

 

[I love soap!]

Inodoro, you have the most problems of us all, the soap doesn't like you! Just don't give up

 

[Lindy]

I would say give it a couple more days - I have had a soap that zapped for a couple of days and then smartened up. Don't know why and I've done the exact same recipe before or after - it even looked the same - yet it behaved most poorly for a couple of days.....silly soap or maybe it was silly soaper (that would be me)....

 

[Inodoro Pereyra]

the soap doesn't like you! Just don't give up

It's not that soap doesn't like me, it's just a bad combination of 2 factors:

1. I should learn to read first and do later. The peppermint problem is a clear example: if I had read about peppermint being an irritant, I would've saved myself the pain, and a lot of work. I'm just too impatient sometimes.

2. I make soap with biodiesel byproduct. That adds some extra complication that would probably mean nothing to someone more experienced, but it becomes a can of worms for me.

Anyways, thanks I Love Soap. I'm not planning to give up anytime soon. Problems are what makes life exciting...