Hi again,
I recently decided to pre mix a bunch of lye so that I can make soap faster.
Every batch that I have made with this solution has either separated in the mold, or turned out so mushy that it was still like soft ice cream 24 hours after pouring. In every case, I ended up doing HP to correct the batch. No zap.
There is nothing about the recipe that would produce soft soap (CO, PKO, OO, Shea butter) In fact, some of the batches were made from the exact recipe as a previous batch that hardened very nicely in the mold when I made the solution fresh.
With each batch, I have heated my oils to the melting point (as usual). The lye solution has been either room temp, or warmed partially in the microwave. By partially, I mean that I don't heat the lye solution, but I heat the water that I am adding to the pre mixed lye water solution in order to make the full liquid solution.
Please help me to think through this so that I don't follow my first instinct and dump my lye solution. I mixed a large amount and I would hate to waste it. I am wondering if there are any other variables that would cause these issues... Using room temp lye solution? Using room temp solution with warm oils? Neither being warm enough? Both being too hot?
Maybe I should just HP all of these batches to make sure that they turn out okay.
I recently decided to pre mix a bunch of lye so that I can make soap faster.
Every batch that I have made with this solution has either separated in the mold, or turned out so mushy that it was still like soft ice cream 24 hours after pouring. In every case, I ended up doing HP to correct the batch. No zap.
There is nothing about the recipe that would produce soft soap (CO, PKO, OO, Shea butter) In fact, some of the batches were made from the exact recipe as a previous batch that hardened very nicely in the mold when I made the solution fresh.
With each batch, I have heated my oils to the melting point (as usual). The lye solution has been either room temp, or warmed partially in the microwave. By partially, I mean that I don't heat the lye solution, but I heat the water that I am adding to the pre mixed lye water solution in order to make the full liquid solution.
Please help me to think through this so that I don't follow my first instinct and dump my lye solution. I mixed a large amount and I would hate to waste it. I am wondering if there are any other variables that would cause these issues... Using room temp lye solution? Using room temp solution with warm oils? Neither being warm enough? Both being too hot?
Maybe I should just HP all of these batches to make sure that they turn out okay.