Is this separation?

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eyeroll

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This soap is quite new, about 18 hours. It's firm but oozing zappy yellow liquid. The weird thing is the liquid is sloooowly being absorbed back into the soap. Does that only happen if the oil is FO/EO, or if it's zappy could that be reabsorbed too?

Beef tallow 407 g
Castor 85 g
Avocado butter 77 g
Hyssop EO 20 g
Water 188 g
Lye 75 g
Woad powder for color

This sat on a heating pad for a few hours with towels on it. It's pretty cold in our house but now I'm worried it overheated. UGH. Help? ImageUploadedBySoap Making1384718663.930612.jpgImageUploadedBySoap Making1384718684.501929.jpg
 
Is it oily? I've had separation a few times and its never looked like that or been zappy. If its not oil, I would probably blot it off with a paper towel. If it is oil, let it reabsorb.
 
It is oily. I had a batch last week do something similar, but not to the same extent. The liquid eventually reabsorbed and I thought it was ok but I went back and zap tested all the bars more thoroughly and a few of them are slightly zappy on top where the loaf was oozing.

I am so freaking disappointed. I loved the look of those bars and the scents. Bah. I guess I'll learn how to rebatch this week.
 
If it's watery, I would dab it off and if it's oily I would let it be and wait and see if it reabsorbs. Either way, I would just let the soap rest for at least 48 hours and first then would I decide if it needed rebatching. I wouldn't decide based on the zappiness of a soap before at least 48 hours had passed either. Lots can happen in two days! If after that it's still zappy and oily, then I would pull out the crock pot.
 
I would let it sit for a couple of days and see what happens. Rebatch can happen at any time, no need to hurry it along.

If, upon cutting, there are oozy pockets or channels, then I would rebatch.

If the consistency looks uniform, try a zap test (but not of the oily liquid, that could give your tongue a nasty chemical burn if it's lye heavy). If your soap didn't gel, it can zap for up to a week so don't panic prematurely.
 
My first batch was zappy after 7 days and I had decided to rebatch. The consensus seems to be a 6 day zap window. I procrastinated though, and after a total of 9 days curing, it stopped zapping....so maybe just be patient as see what happens. :)
 
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