My second batch... Ash? Bubbles..

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Kpg009

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Hey guys i couldn’t stop after making my first batch. So I made another this went a little different since I used fragrance and mica for the first time. The batter did accelerate making it difficult to scoop.
This is the recipe used
AD3428A7-02A0-4AB5-9978-328CCF5C6AB8.png

And this is how the soap turned out after unmolding. I waited 22 hours.
40E09CB7-E9A5-4ED6-A89F-04630394AB40.jpeg
68917751-8135-446E-9FB8-C303A0571B74.jpeg

Is that the ash I have read about? I think it is 😂
If so why it might happen inside the bars. Don’t care at all having ash in the top of the bars. Didn’t expect to see it in the inside.

Thanks in andvance for any knowledge you can pass to this newbie!!!
 
Hey guys i couldn’t stop after making my first batch. So I made another this went a little different since I used fragrance and mica for the first time. The batter did accelerate making it difficult to scoop.
This is the recipe used
View attachment 46659
And this is how the soap turned out after unmolding. I waited 22 hours.
View attachment 46660View attachment 46661
Is that the ash I have read about? I think it is 😂
If so why it might happen inside the bars. Don’t care at all having ash in the top of the bars. Didn’t expect to see it in the inside.

Thanks in andvance for any knowledge you can pass to this newbie!!!
Looks like unmixed batter (the uncoloured blobs) and stearic spots (small white spots).
These can be cured by soaping warmer - 110*F.
Try soaping with 30-32% lye concentration As it is a bit more forgiving than 33%.
 
Last edited:
I agree with PJ. Also you may want to adjust your recipe a bit. Grapeseed oil is prone to DOS. Also upping your Castor to 5%. You have a lot of liquid oils I would up your Palm and lower some of the liquid oils.
 
Looks like unmixed batter (the uncoloured blobs and stearic spots (small white spots).
These can be cured by soaping warmer - 110*F.
Try soaping with 30-32% lye concentration As it is a bit more forgiving than 33%.
Thanks @penelopejane for your help!!
The uncolored spots where by design. I didn’t have the different color micas, so I divided the batter one colored one uncolored.
Have to read about stearic spots didnt knew about them so I have something to tonight 😅.
 
Thanks @penelopejane for your help!!
The uncolored spots where by design. I didn’t have the different color micas, so I divided the batter one colored one uncolored.
Have to read about stearic spots didnt knew about them so I have something to tonight 😅.
Oops sorry. I like the blue colour. The white part might lighten a bit over time because of the OO. The air bubbles could be from lifting your stick blender or possibly from a thick mix that didn’t pour easily.
 
I agree with PJ. Also you may want to adjust your recipe a bit. Grapeseed oil is prone to DOS. Also upping your Castor to 5%. You have a lot of liquid oils I would up your Palm and lower some of the liquid oils.
Thanks Shunt, will follow your recommendations on my next batch. What do you think is an appropriate amount of grapeseed?
I'm going to take the opportunity to ask a question that I have on my mind right now... Can your soap get to full gel and still have stearic spots?
Thank you guys!
 
Hey guys i couldn’t stop after making my first batch. So I made another this went a little different since I used fragrance and mica for the first time. The batter did accelerate making it difficult to scoop.
This is the recipe used
View attachment 46659
And this is how the soap turned out after unmolding. I waited 22 hours.
View attachment 46660View attachment 46661
Is that the ash I have read about? I think it is 😂
If so why it might happen inside the bars. Don’t care at all having ash in the top of the bars. Didn’t expect to see it in the inside.

Thanks in andvance for any knowledge you can pass to this newbie!!!
If those are your only mistakes, consider yourself lucky, because they are beautiful. As the others have said a few tweaks to your recipe and you will be sailing on smooth water.
 
Thanks Shunt, will follow your recommendations on my next batch. What do you think is an appropriate amount of grapeseed?
I'm going to take the opportunity to ask a question that I have on my mind right now... Can your soap get to full gel and still have stearic spots?
Thank you guys!
I don't use grape seed oil anymore but the one time I used it, it was 5%.

I have gotten stearic spots after gelling but I just consider it the look of homemade soap.
 
I don't see any ash. Typically ash is on the top of the bar, but can appear on all sides. It does NOT appear in small blotches. I agree that that is probably stearic spots.
 
You did a great job on the soap. It looks like the stearic spots are only or mostly in the uncolored batter, so maybe that portion got a little cooler.

I regularly use rice bran oil and occasionally use grapeseed oil. Both are high in the polyunsaturated fats (linoleic and linolenic) that are susceptible to oxidation that causes DOS (dreaded orange spots). I don’t have problems, but I also use ROE (an antioxidant) and either tetrasodium EDTA or citric acid (chelators for unavoidable trace metal contaminants that can cause the oils to oxidize). The rule of thumb for using polyunsaturated fats is to keep the sum of linoleic and linolenic to 15% or less of total fatty acids. Your recipe percentage is 15%, so you could be fine. There are members on the forum who use very high percentages of rice bran oil without problems. IMHO, the polyunsaturated fats make a soap feel very luxurious.
 
Thanks Shunt, will follow your recommendations on my next batch. What do you think is an appropriate amount of grapeseed?
I'm going to take the opportunity to ask a question that I have on my mind right now... Can your soap get to full gel and still have stearic spots?
Thank you guys!
I wouldn’t use grape seed oil at all in soap.
Yes, gelling soap does not prevent stearic spots. You have to soap warm to prevent stearic spots if you are using oils with high levels of Stearic acid.
 

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