Tallow soap very soft--CP

[CathyB]

My 100% tallow soap took forever to trace, and only after I put the bowl in hot water.

0% superfat
129.37 g lye
300 g water
2 lbs tallow

After trace,
45 g water
2 tsp sugar
0.2 oz citric acid

Combined at temps 117 for tallow, 120 for lye solution

Stick and hand mixed for over 30 minutes before even the slightest trace, so I put my bowl in hot water until trace began--it was over 140 if I remember correctly.

It was very sticky in the mold, so I used cardboard between the soap and the mold to get it to release. The top was nice and dry. After 24 hours, the sides of the loaf are drying out, but when I cut it, it was still soft and tacky.

Did I mess up with adding the water/sugar/citric acid after trace?

CathyB

 

[shunt2011]

I’m going to say because you have way too much water. Why did you add more water at trace with sugar and citric acid? That’s also likely your issue. Citric acid and sugar age generally added to the water before the lye. Also, did you add extra lye to account for the citric acid?

 

[DeeAnna]

Are you absolutely certain you used 100% NaOH? Sometimes people get sodium carbonate instead of sodium hydroxide.

The recipe you gave is written in mixed units of grams, ounces, and pounds. I'd recommend you not do this; it's a good way to make major mistakes in measuring.

 

[CathyB]

I’m goig to say because you have way too much water. Why did you add more water at trace with sugar and citric acid? That’s also likely your issue. Citric acid and sugar age generally added to the water before the lye. Also, did you add extra lye to account for the citric acid?

I calculated the amounted needed, then pulled out a bit to dissolve the citric acid and sugar in. The total amount of water was what the soap calculator recommended.

 

[CathyB]

Are you absolutely certain you used 100% NaOH? Sometimes people get sodium carbonate instead of sodium hydroxide.

The recipe you gave is written in mixed units of grams, ounces, and pounds. I'd recommend you not do this; it's a good way to make major mistakes in measuring.

I do have Sodium Hydroxide. High Test Red Crown Lye (I checked!).

The measurement thing could definitely be a culprit. I use a postage scale for anything over 300 g and a scientific scale for smaller amounts. I'm probably overthinking and making a mess. One unit of measurement from now on.

Lye is always measured in grams to 3 decimal places as is the water.

 

[cmzaha]

Were you using the citric acid for superfatting? I just ask because you did no use extra lye to react with the citric acid to form Sodium Citrate which would be 3.4 g or you did not list the extra NaOH?