NEED HELP WITH BOTCHED SOAP

[MIMIVIKKI]

I MADE MY FIRST BATCH OF SOAP MONDAY NIGHT. I FOLLOWED THE DIRECTIONS EXACTLY. IT CALLED FOR 4 OZ OF BABY FOOD CARROTS AT TRACE. WHEN I STIRRED THE CARROTS IN, THE SOAP BECAME VERY THICK, VERY FAST. I WENT AHEAD AND PUT IN MY ESSENTIAL OILS AND STIRRED THE BY HAND, THEN POURED ( PLOPPED) THE SOAP INTO THE MOLD. IT LOOKS LIKE ORANGE JELLY. THE SOAP IS VERY MUSHY AND OILY. I DON'T KNOW WHAT WENT WRONG. I HAVE READ ABOUT RE-BATCHING, BUT THERE ARE SEVERAL DIFFERENT WAYS TO RE-BATCH. SOME SAY TO ADD MORE LYE...SOME SAY ADD OIL...SOME SAY ADD WATER.....HOW DO I KNOW WHAT NEEDS TO BE ADDED? DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS. THIS WAS A 5 POUND BATCH AND I DON'T WANT TO WASTE ALL THOSE INGREDIENTS. HOPE SOMEONE CAN HELP. THANKS.

 

[sudbubblez]

Wasn't blended well enough. If the soap is lye heavy, add oil during rebatch. If its got too much oil you add lye. If the oil just separated because it wasn't stirred enough, you don't add anything other than water. If soap is really fresh you may not need to add water. All you are going to do is put it in a crock pot or double boiler, melt it down and blend it better.

P.S. in the internet world, all caps means yelling.

 

[GiggleGoat]

There's a massive amount of starch in carrots. when heated up the starches turn into sugar. I have nowhere near the expertise of most people on this forum, so please correct me if I'm wrong because I would like to get better at recipe additions like this. But wouldn't all those starches turned sugar heat up the batch like you put something like honey into it? Would this mess with how it traces or overheats?

 

[sudbubblez]

There's a massive amount of starch in carrots. when heated up the starches turn into sugar. I have nowhere near the expertise of most people on this forum, so please correct me if I'm wrong because I would like to get better at recipe additions like this. But wouldn't all those starches turned sugar heat up the batch like you put something like honey into it? Would this mess with how it traces or overheats?

Yes, this. So rebatching would be to blend it better because heat can cause separations. Sometimes it resolves itself in the mold if you just let the soap sit for awhile.

 

[MIMIVIKKI]

I'm new at forums, too.......this is also my first. I use all caps because i can see it better....ha ha.
Thank y'all for answering. I read that some people use a little milk in their re-batch to make the mixture smoother. Would the milk need to be warmed or just add to crock pot with my soap goo? Do I use the stick blender again or just stir by hand. The soap is still like jelly...sort of clear....not opaque and creamy-looking at all. Will the soap turn out smooth or lumpy? I read a lot about soap making before I attempted this recipe but didn't read anything about adding carrots. The recipe didn't give any warnings either. The recipe also called for honey at trace but I didn't add it after the soap got thick because I did read that honey will cause this type of problem. Can I add the honey to the soap when I re-batch? Sorry I have so many questions....I really appreciate the help>

 

[honor435]

well . welcome to soaping, first ,start out making small batches so you dont waste product, just wondering what properties carrots would add to soap? I can give you a nice recipe if you tell me what oils you would like to use.

 

[sudbubblez]

ITs like gelly? It may have gelled. Gelled soap has a darker translucent look to it. Carrots can make soap heat up and do that... pumpkin too. It doesn't need a rebatch unless it separated.

 

[MIMIVIKKI]

well . welcome to soaping, first ,start out making small batches so you dont waste product, just wondering what properties carrots would add to soap? I can give you a nice recipe if you tell me what oils you would like to use.

The oils I have on hand are: olive, coconut, castor, lard, rice bran, palm and palm kernel. I was trying to make a carrot and honey complexion soap. I would really appreciate a nice recipe. I am determined to make soap. I'm just a little (no, a lot) intimidated right now. If the soap has gelled, will it ever get hard? It is so soft and mushy right now I can't get it out of the mold unless I scoop it out. If that is the case, then re-batch is not an option? Is it a total loss? I really appreciate the input (and a recipe). Thanks.

 

[Hazel]

Where did you get the recipe? I'd recommend rebatching if you made it yesterday and it's still soft today. But first I'd like to see the recipe so I know what oils you used and the directions. Also, did you double check the recipe with a lye calculator?

 

[sudbubblez]

Rebatch is always an option. It is a very forgiving process. The only problem I couldn't resolve with rebatch was an gross overuse of honey. If you made this on monday, and today its still scoop-able then something is up. Did you make it full water? Rebatch can fix that too, just cook it until it dries out some. Just know that while its hot, its going to be more pliable than when its cooled off and there is a point where it will get too dry to sick together in the mold.

Without seeing it we can only assume. But I because of the honey and carrots I think its an overheating issue that made it separate. Maybe even separation that was caused by the seizing in the pot. Soap will also separate if it wasn't stirred enough.

 

[MIMIVIKKI]

Where did you get the recipe? I'd recommend rebatching if you made it yesterday and it's still soft today. But first I'd like to see the recipe so I know what oils you used and the directions. Also, did you double check the recipe with a lye calculator?

I don't remember what site I got the recipe from, but it called for %ages and I entered it into the SoapCalc for a 5 pound batch and this is the recipe:
Olive oil --- 36.8 oz
Coconut oil infused with dried carrots ---19.2 oz
Castor oil---9.6 oz
Cocoa butter---9.6 oz
Shea butter----4.8 oz
30.4 oz carrot juice (reduced to 26.4 because I added the 4 oz baby food carrots at trace)
Lye---11.09 oz
Pinch of silk added to lye mixture
1 oz total essential oil--lavender, sweet orange and clove ( I added after mixture became thick and stirred by hand)
The recipe also called for 1 oz warm honey at trace, but I never added it.

I got the carrot juice really cold before adding the lye. Added the silk and stirred. I measured all the oils and warmed them. I let the oils and the lye mixture cool to 100 degrees each before adding the lye to the oils. Then I stick blended in 30 second bursts and stirred with the blender. It took about 15 minutes to get to what I think was light trace. I added the carrots and stick blended.....then everything got thick and lumpy and . I went ahead and added the essential oils and stirred by hand. The mixture just plopped into the mold like thick jello, and it has not changed. I did cover the mold (wooden) with towels per the directions , but the soap still looks like it did when I put it into the mold.

Since I am so new to soaping I still don't understand everything about the process. Well, I hope this info helps you figure out what I need to do.
I really appreciate your help.

 

[Hazel]

Very odd. It looks like a really nice recipe, IMO. I don't see anything which stands out as problem. Did the baby food carrots ingredients only show carrots and water? I'd recommend rebatching it without adding anything else in and stir it really well several times while it's cooking. I don't think not stirring enough was a problem since you stirred and used a stick blender for 15 minutes. However, you'll still want to stir it while it's in a double boiler or crock pot. The only thing I can think of is that the temps might have been a little too cool but I still don't understand why it would lump up when you added the carrots. agriffin mixes baby food carrots in with her liquid and then adds lye. Maybe that makes a difference? I don't know but here's the link to her tutorial in which she used baby food carrots. http://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-body- ... -baby-bar/

Here are some links about rebatching. This is just a suggestion but you could try dissolving the honey into the smallest amount of water which would work and then add it to the soap.

How to Rebatch Soap
http://candleandsoap.about.com/od/soapm ... ngsoap.htm

pure&simple’s rebatch method
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=28489

Good luck and let us know how it turns out.