Rookie had problem with Castile Soap

[lunaticsoap]

Well, hi to all.

AS of yet, I've done my second trial of soap making (both Castile Soap)

At 1st trial, I've used 100x olive oil, 30x distilled water, and 12,6x lye (NaOH). At the end (24 hours), I 've reached soap that is a bit hard to put in a mold (PVC pipe).

For the 2nd trial, I've used 100x olive oil, 37x distilled water, and 12,8x lye (NaOH). At the end, I got good consistence of soap, and fluid enough to pour into mold. And from the net, I've read that covering with blankets or smt similar is better, so i covered mold with styrofoam and after 23-24 hours, when i open it i came across with this (30 min. ago) ;

Recpectively solid spots as they can be seen, and creamy gel whole under these spots. Does anybody know the reason? I have to wait more or what?

Thanks in advance.

 

[dimitris]

This doesn't look like it's saponified.

A few questions:
Why are you waiting 24 hours to put the soap in the mold?
After mixing your oils with the lye, you are supposed to blend the mix (with a stick blender or whisk) until the batter reaches trace. This can happen from 30 second to 30 minutes (and sometimes longer). You then put the mix in the mold, not after 24 hours!

Also, do not use this soap! You may want to try a small percentage of other oils (bay laurel oil, sunflower oil, soy bean oil) to improve the lather.

 

[dagmar88]

At 1st trial, I've used 100x olive oil, 30x distilled water, and 12,6x lye (NaOH). At the end (24 hours), I 've reached soap that is a bit hard to put in a mold (PVC pipe).

For the 2nd trial, I've used 100x olive oil, 37x distilled water, and 12,8x lye (NaOH).

Are the x-es percentages? Can you provide your recipe by weight?
Can you describe the whole process step by step?

 

[lunaticsoap]

This doesn't look like it's saponified.

A few questions:
Why are you waiting 24 hours to put the soap in the mold?
After mixing your oils with the lye, you are supposed to blend the mix (with a stick blender or whisk) until the batter reaches trace. This can happen from 30 second to 30 minutes (and sometimes longer). You then put the mix in the mold, not after 24 hours!

Also, do not use this soap! You may want to try a small percentage of other oils (bay laurel oil, sunflower oil, soy bean oil) to improve the lather.

I suppose there is a misunderstanding. (Sorry for my English)
I put the mixture after mixing a couple of minutes.
I'm gonna answer dagmar, with describing step by step.

 

[lunaticsoap]

Are the x-es percentages? Can you provide your recipe by weight?
Can you describe the whole process step by step?

1st Trial

555 gr Olive Oil
70 gr Lye (12,6% of olive oil in weight)
167 gr distilled water. (30% of olive oil in weight)

I solved lye in distilled water first. Then wait for temperature decrease and when they become 32-33 degrees Celcius, i put lye solution to oil slowly, while i'm mixing the oil. After about 2-3 minutes, the mixture became thick a little bit, i thought it was ok and put the soap to PVC pipe mold. It was too hard to put the mold (not fluid enough), and 24 hours later when i took off the soap from mold, i've seen that it doesn'e fit the mold, that mean not good in shape. So, i thought that, everything was ok except the lye-water concentration. If i reduce the concentration of lye in water, the soap become more fluid and can be put in mold easier. Here is the second trial ;

2nd Trial
555 gr Olive Oil
71 gr Lye (12,8% of olive oil in weight)
205 gr Distilled Water (37% of olive oil in weight)

I followed the same steps as in the 1st trial.The appearance was the same also. This time i used plastic mold (storage box) and i read from web also, i covered storage box with styrofoam (it was said that heat insulation is important). Apart from these everthing was same. After 24 hours, when i open the mold i came across with this picture as it is shown in the first message. And today is the second day, i checked it once mode, and observed that, it solidified more, but still too soft to cut. Here is the picture of the second day ;

Any idea?
:???:

 

[lunaticsoap]

For 2nd trial, i closed the top of storage box very tightly. Water vaporized and condensed and caused these spots? Or i am a bit day dreamer?

 

[dagmar88]

Have you zap tested?
It looks like it didn't mix well.
What I don't understand is why olive oil soap would speed up this much with almost full water and at a relatively low temperature.
Something seems to be off... It's not the recipe.

 

[dimitris]

Also, I am sure that the weather in Izmir is hot. You don't need to insulate so well, the soap will gel anyway.

 

[lunaticsoap]

Have you zap tested?
It looks like it didn't mix well.
What I don't understand is why olive oil soap would speed up this much with almost full water and at a relatively low temperature.
Something seems to be off... It's not the recipe.

I didn't know that zap test is.
I learned and i'm not sure that if i can.
Today i'm gonna buy a pH meter and tonight i'm gonna do it once more.
Do you know what is the pH value of castile oil soap mixture trace before put it in mold? or at about which value i can say that "ok this is ready for molding" ?

Thanks in advance

 

[shunt2011]

As Dagmar said 100% olive oil soap should not trace that quickly. Generally it takes quite a while before it traces even with a stick blender. I too think something else is happening but not quite sure what.

 

[dagmar88]

I didn't know that zap test is.
I learned and i'm not sure that if i can.
Today i'm gonna buy a pH meter and tonight i'm gonna do it once more.
Do you know what is the pH value of castile oil soap mixture trace before put it in mold? or at about which value i can say that "ok this is ready for molding" ?

Thanks in advance

I really don't think you need one for making bar soap.
And it doesn't work like that. Just pour at trace.
Saponification is far from finished at that point, so PH won't help you.

Have you checked your scale?

 

[houseofwool]

The other question would be if the olive oil is truly 100% olive oil, or has it been adulterated.

 

[dagmar88]

The other question would be if the olive oil is truly 100% olive oil, or has it been adulterated.

Yes, or pomace.

 

[DeeAnna]

You cannot use pH to tell you when to pour your soap into the mold.

If you do not know what "trace" looks like, you can use temperature instead. Here is how --

Mix your lye solution with your olive oil. Measure the temperature at that time. This is your starting temperature. Keep mixing your soap. When the temperature of the soap rises 1 or 2 degrees Celsius above the starting temperature, it is time to pour.

 

[lunaticsoap]

Well, wow, people in this forum are really helpful. First of all, thank you all for sharing.

The subject of purity of olive oil. I know that it is pure olive oil, 'cause it is our own olive oil. And i used this once more before that trial and wverything was okey except consistency, that is why i increased water amound a little bit.

Yesterday i've done 3rd trial with the same recipe and everything was ok. And after 12 hours (1 hour before), i checked, everything was normal, i think everything is also gonna be ok after 24 hours.

Meantime, I noted the info that you shared about pH and prefering measuring temperature instead of pH while mixing, good idea.

I guess that was happened because of a problem with lye maybe or i closed the mold, and there was no connection to air, and 'cause of that i use more water than average it evaporated than condensed and caused the spots (when i opened the mold first, i saw some little amount of water on semi-dried surface.) Well it is still mystery, but i hope it won't happen again

 

[dimitris]

Excellent, well done for finding out the problem.
Please share a photo of your soap!

 

[lunaticsoap]

Well, at last i found the problem. The problem was about oil. It was homemade oilk and i used the end parts of oil. So when i changed oil (bought from market) it has gone ok.
And for this new oil i had to try two times also.
At last i think it is ok.
And dimitris here is photo of my castile soaps (if it is )

 

[sososo]

1st Trial
I solved lye in distilled water first. Then wait for temperature decrease and when they become 32-33 degrees Celcius, i put lye solution to oil slowly, while i'm mixing the oil.
:???:

I think that 33 Celsius is not enough. I allways have 45-50 Celsius both for lye solution and for the oils.
Maybe you had a "false trace" because of too low temperature.