Hot process breaking issue

[Jenniferf45]

I've recently started making hp soap. I'm using the same recipes I've always used for cp. with the hp, I'll get about 3/4 of the way through using the bar and it will break and crumble. I've never had this issue with cp. any suggestions? I'll usually let them cure for a week or so before use but it's happened with bars that are 5-6 weeks old as well. The only difference between the hp and cp recipe is the addition of full fat yogurt and sodium lactate to the hp. Thanks!

 

[traderbren]

What is your recipe? Also, cure time is no different between HP or CP, despite what you might have read. A soap at 1 or 2 weeks of cure time is not going to be "cured", and depending on your recipe, even at 5 or 6 weeks it might not be cured fully. I have a few recipes that are just not good until 3 or 4 month mark.

 

[homestead]

I hot process and this has only happened to my soap when I used sodium lactate. Don't know why. I just quit using it.

 

[IrishLass]

I highly suspect you may be using too much sodium lactate. How much of it ppo are you using?
I use no more than 3% ppo, and more often than not, 2% ppo (of the liquid kind in a 60% solution). If I use more than 3%, I'll get some crumbling, especially if I use a steep water discount.

IrishLass

 

[Jenniferf45]

Thank you so much guys! Off the top of my head, I think I'm using one tablespoon ppo. I'll try making it with just the yogurt and see how it does.

 

[dixiedragon]

If I recall correctly, don't dairy products + lye water also make sodium lactate?

 

[Jenniferf45]

You may be right! So maybe the yogurt AND the sodium lactate was overkill and it made too much of it. Maybe I'll try cutting both out! Thanks!!

 

[earlene]

Thank you so much guys! Off the top of my head, I think I'm using one tablespoon ppo. I'll try making it with just the yogurt and see how it does.

I believe the recommendation is 1 teaspoon ppo for HP soap, so that might be the issue.

 

[Jenniferf45]

That might be what I'm using. I'm not near my recipe right now and can't remember if it's one teaspoon or tablespoon. Thank you for the post!

 

[DeeAnna]

Fermented dairy has lactic acid, so, yes, it will create some sodium lactate when added to soap.

It's not a great amount, however. I estimated it would add 0.2% to 0.4% by weight lactic acid if you used yogurt for ALL of the water. A tablespoon or so of yogurt is not going to add anywhere close to that much lactic acid.

By adding 1 TBL ppo of SL, assuming you mean the liquid 60% SL solution, you'd be adding about 2% SL. If you're adding the powder, that would create about 3% SL in the soap. I'd think about reducing this closer to 1% or even eliminating it and see what happens.

If I recall correctly, don't dairy products + lye water also make sodium lactate?

 

[Jenniferf45]

Thanks DeeAnna! I can't wait to get home and try it out!