Questions re: first HP soap in process

[suzhartman]

I am very much a newbie. My first batch is cooking in a big crockpot. My question is about too much mixing with a stick blender. I blended the oils and lye/water solution until it was like a thick gravy. I then stirred in ground oatmeal. The recipe is: 4.8ozs lye, 10ozs. Water and 1lb, 2ozs. Olive oil, 8ozs. Coconut oil, 6ozs. Palm oil, and 1oz. Castor oil.

When I add the lye solution temp it was 112 degrees and the temp of the oils was 105 degrees. I stirred everything with a silicone spoon for about 1 minutes and stick blended for less than 5 minutes. There was definitely trace present.

Now it's in the crockpot and almost like Vaseline wi a ph level of 6. It hasn't bubbled up and folded into itself like I was expecting. The mixture is quite thick, not hard, just thick.

I'm thinking I messed up somewhere. Too much blending maybe? Temps now in the correct range? Measurements not accurate?

I would appreciate y'all's help and guidance.

 

[Obsidian]

Did you come up with this recipe on your own or did you find it on the net? It has no superfat, most people use at least a 5% superfat. If it was mine, I would add 2 more ounces of olive oil, it really will make a difference in the finished soap.

You also used a bit less water then recommended for HP, I would have used 3-4 more ounces. I wouldn't add more water at time point, it will just make a bunch of bubbles.

I think your soap sounds fine. If you stir often, you might not see the folding over. Hp doesn't always go through all the stages. Do a zap test, if it passes then its ready to be put in a mold.

 

[suzhartman]

I followed a recipe from Alicia Grosso's "The Everything Soapmaking Book" page 90. So, I can't add some Shea Butter now? RATS! First lesson learned.

The ph strip is saying 6 and I understand it needs in the 7 and 10 range.

 

[new12soap]

Your soap is NOT pH 6. Please do not even try to test the pH of your soap unless you have a good pH meter and know that it is correctly calibrated and dissolve the soap in distilled water. Even then there is no reliable way to interpret the results. Your soap could be a 9.5 and have too much lye or it could be a 10.5 and be perfectly safe. Soap is both alkaline and a surfactant, pH tests (especially strips) are not even remotely accurate! There is NO WAY you put lye dissolved in water and some oils in a pot and came out with anything that has a pH of 6. That myth of testing the pH of soap just will not die.

I agree with obsidian that you need to add more oil to your batch, but I would also add the extra water, just stir it in gradually a little at a time.

How long has it been cooking? It sounds like everything is going as expected so far, considering your zero superfat and deep water discount, so I think your soap will be fine.

 

[Obsidian]

Yes, you can add shea butter for your superfat. I mentioned OO because not everyone has butters. Whenever you want to try a recipe from a book or the net, you should always run it through a lye calculator just to double check lye amounts. Most of us use soapcalc.net

I agree about the PH strips, they are useless for soap. Learning how to do a proper zap test is all you really need for soap making. There is a sticky at the top of the CP soap forum.

 

[suzhartman]

Ok, so I've added 3ozs Shea Butter, 5ozs water, and 2ozs olive oil. It's bee cooking on low for 3 hours.

Should I go ahead and put it in a mold or just trash it?

 

[Susie]

You need to zap test that soap before anyone can tell you what to do with it. There is no substitution. Pick up a tiny piece of it, work up some lather with it, and lick it. If it shocks you, it has too much lye. If not, it is done and ready to mold.

Too much lye can be helped with additional oils, though, so don't throw it away until you talk to us. We will need your whole recipe in ounces or grams, though. I have the book on my Kindle, so no real page numbers.

 

[Obsidian]

I ran her recie through soapcalc. With the additional oils there is no way the soap is lye heavy. That being said, still do a zap test so you know how its done. I would recommend wetting a finger tip, rubbing it around on your soap then touching the finger to your tongue.
Once it passes the zap test, get it in the mold as soon as you can.

 

[suzhartman]

Just did the zap test and no zap, just tastes like soap. This is a good thing! Here's the recipe including adjustments:

All measured in ozs.

Oil in the crock pot:
18 ozs - Olive Oil
8 ozs - Coconut Oil
6 ozs -Palm Oil
1oz Castor Oil
Temp. - 105

Lye - 4.8 Ozs
Distiller Water - 10 ozs.
Temp. 112

After mixing Lye solution and above oils and 2 hours cook time on low, I added:
3 ozs - Shea Butter
2 ozs - Olive Oil
5 ozs - Distilled Water
Mixed well.

Did the Zap Test 1 hour later and placed in mold.

There are some white slivers in the soap and am hoping it will be usable.

Thanks everyone for your help. I would have trashed it......

 

[Obsidian]

Congrats on your first soap Make sure you post pics and don't worry about the white bits, its probably just dried soap from being cooked so long. I think everyone has that happen to their first batches of HP.

Usually you don't need to continue cooking once you have your superfat oils mixed in really well. You'll get the processes down after a couple times but its cook, zap test, if it passes add your SF, stir really well them immediately mold.

Never, ever trash soap until you check on the forums first, often it can be saved. If you ever have a soap that has big puddles of oil or water, don't dump it off, that too can be fixed but the liquid is needed for it to be right.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Well done!

As was said, test for zap before adding in your superfat - we want that oil/butter/fat to stay as it is and not react with the lye, so we add it when the lye is already reacted with the other oils.

Sounds like a try for the first soap. If I read it right, the recipe is a little high on coconut oil which you might find drying. Also bear in mind that hot process also needs a cure like cp soap - it is safe to use but is no where near ready to use. Leave it for at least a month before you judge it (I say judge it, because you can use it sooner but just bear in mind that it has longer left to cure!)

 

[suzhartman]

Here's the first soap I've ever made. A little too creamy and soft for my liking, but there's a lot to learn and nowhere to go but up.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Here's the first soap I've ever made. A little too creamy and soft for my liking, but there's a lot to learn ...........

It still has a long cure left ahead of it before you can judge if it is to your liking or not. It's like looking at the earth over a freshly planted seed and deciding if you like the flower or not!

..............and nowhere to go but up..................

Aye - but don't get down if there are slip-ups on the way. It's all part of the journey.

 

[Obsidian]

It looks great I find HP a bit soft for the first couple weeks, probably due the higher water used. It will harden up with a cure.

 

[suzhartman]

I'm learning patience every day of my life, Efficacious Gentleman. I do enjoy a good analogy too.

Today, I made a two pound batch of Goat Milk with Oatmeal. Once again HP. Once again I need to add moisture and Shea Butter. Just had to jump in and work with goat milk. I'm known for jumping in, head first.

I'll post a picture tomorrow.

 

[cmzaha]

The white slivers are dried soap from the sides of the crock pot from cooking so long. In the future for hp oatmeal soap add in your oatmeal after the soap has gelled, so you do not actually cook the oatmeal

 

[suzhartman]

Thanks all for the hints and encouragement. Only two days into making soap and all hints and tip are welcome and appreciated.

 

[SpringLily16]

Your soap is beautiful Suzhartman!!! Congrats on your first hot process soap...awesome job and round of applause for you! I only do the hot process method myself and I can tell you....it just needs to time to harden up and cure as Obsidian said. Isn't it just so neat to make your own soap?

 

[suzhartman]

So I've now made four batches of soap, two HP and two CP. Three of the four are Goat Milk and Oatmeal. Trying to find the perfect recipe that includes: Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Soybean Oil, and beeswax. This last batch I decided to try reserving a small amount of the oil mixture to mix with the wax and then added that mixture with rest of the oils once saponification was reached. Interesting result..... We will see how it turns out.