Too much lye, quick rebatched, is it ok?

[Wolf_In_The_Wood]

On my first attempt to cold process, I miscalculated and added too much lye, which I discovered just before I intended to pour into my mold. :silent: I quick looked at YouTube videos to rebatch, so I threw it in a double boiler and added heat matched olive oil with a blender stick until my pH was 8.5 :mrgreen:

Some of the boiling water slopped in, but it seemed to help actually! I glopped it into a mold and am waiting to see what happens... should I wait more like 3 days before I try to take it out and cut it? How do I know when it's dry enough to use? Is it like hot process in that the curing time is lessened?

My fragrance oils seem to be ok and my color was mica so I think it might smell/look ok. I guess time will tell but any advice is appreciated!

 

[Susie]

Hot process does not reduce curing time despite what the ladies of YouTube tell you.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

^^^^ indeed! In fact, with all that water, you'll want to wait a fair bit longer than usually, or your bars will not last long at all

 

[shunt2011]

I would wait until it's firm enought to cut. Then cut and put it to cure. As others have stated it will likely require a longer cure due to the extra liquid. When I HP it takes a longer cure than my CP. Though there are many that like to argue that point on the interwebs.

 

[Wolf_In_The_Wood]

Thanks! Confirms what I was already thinking. I wasn't sure since all rebatching I'd seen involved hardened soap grated down and didn't have a lye excess.

Since I'm a serious newbie (I've made M&P once, this was my second attempt ever, have only watched YouTube and never taken a class...) is there any harm in waiting a week before I cut? I have no idea when it's ready since I have no experience at all!

Also I'm thinking of letting it cure for 5 weeks and *hopefully* it's ok to put in as stocking stuffers by Christmas time!

 

[shunt2011]

Thanks! Confirms what I was already thinking. I wasn't sure since all rebatching I'd seen involved hardened soap grated down and didn't have a lye excess.

Since I'm a serious newbie (I've made M&P once, this was my second attempt ever, have only watched YouTube and never taken a class...) is there any harm in waiting a week before I cut? I have no idea when it's ready since I have no experience at all!

Also I'm thinking of letting it cure for 5 weeks and *hopefully* it's ok to put in as stocking stuffers by Christmas time!

Depends on what you used as a mold. If it's firm in the mold you should be able to remove it and then let it sit if you think it's still to soft to cut. You certainly don't want it to be toohard.

Also, be sure to zap test it to make sure there's no active lye.

5 weeks should be okay though it may need longer. I cure my CP 4-6 weeks and prefer 6. Even longer they are harder/better.

 

[DeeAnna]

If you press the loaf and can leave even a slight dent in the soap, you're not too late to cut. If the soap is hard like a rock, the soap might crack. In my experience, HP soap stays reasonably soft for awhile, so this kind of "hard like a rock" is not an issue. Catch is ... the longer you wait to cut, the slower your soap will dry, because there is less surface area for evaporation with a whole loaf vs. cut bars.

I agree with the others -- while it's true HP should be fully saponified and skin safe right after it's cooked, this fresh HP soap won't have the longevity, mildness, and best lather like it would if cured properly.

 

[cmzaha]

I would wonder how you determined your soap was a ph 8.5 as you were adding in extra olive oil. You should have reconfigured how much additional oil it would take for the amount your lye overage.

 

[dixiedragon]

I am also confused how you determined how much oil to add?

 

[Wolf_In_The_Wood]

I would wonder how you determined your soap was a ph 8.5 as you were adding in extra olive oil. You should have reconfigured how much additional oil it would take for the amount your lye overage.

I actually did reconfigure using a lye calculator while the rebatch was in the double boiler, I plugged in the lye amount I actually used, oils plus a guessed amount of additional olive oil and the calculator confirmed my guess. So I added it, mixed it, then pH'ed it. Also my guessed amount calculated to 7% superfat which was what I was originally aiming for.

I did consider adding it in and retesting repeatedly but that seemed more time intensive! It was quite a relief to see the mashed potato phase and the green color on the pH strip pop up

 

[Wolf_In_The_Wood]

Depends on what you used as a mold. If it's firm in the mold you should be able to remove it and then let it sit if you think it's still to soft to cut. You certainly don't want it to be toohard.

Also, be sure to zap test it to make sure there's no active lye.

5 weeks should be okay though it may need longer. I cure my CP 4-6 weeks and prefer 6. Even longer they are harder/better.

I used a hard wood mold with wax paper, I found a small bit of soap in the blender during cleaning I set aside that I think could indicate when the soap is starting to harden, though I'd probably give it another day or two after that since this one is exposed to air all around.

I did test the batch after adding the additional oil in the double boiler, pH of 8.5 or so but I could always check again!

As for the curing time, I do worry about all the extra water in there so after reading all the advice I think I will stick to 6 weeks.

 

[Steve85569]

Please do zap test this soap. Especially since you are going to be gifting it.
If you are right with your calculations it will taste like soap.
If you are wrong it will zap like a battery.
Better zapped than to gift someone a lye heavy soap.

Not saying you are wrong just wanting you to err on the safe side.

 

[Wolf_In_The_Wood]

Thanks everyone for your input! Forgot to add that I topped the soap with dried lemon verbena leaves, the scent was two different lemon verbena oils.

Seemed like it was firm when I came home today so I went ahead and cut it. It was just a test batch so very small, and if it worked I intended to give it as travel gift bags in stocking stuffers. Hence they are cut small (and hopefully dry faster The entire batch is sitting on cardboard in my garage now, I read metal racks are not a good idea.

Also I attached my notes, since I'm new at this I treat it as an experiment so try to document _everything_. Basically it was a simple distracted calculation :neutral: