Well that was a failure

[Freakshowminustent]

40oz blend as usual for me only lard but I added (too much I see now) a cup of baking soda (yes im trying to make a very baking soda heavy bar, as much as i can get in it) at trace and the soap will not set. It's been about 4hrs and it's very much still liquidy. Not sure what to do with it now, I hate to just throw it out but I don't know what to do. Considering making another batch and adding this mixture to IT or just using it as a liquid laundry soap after a few days.

 

[AlchemyandAshes]

What's the purpose of the baking soda? An exfoliant? It makes sense in a laundry soap, but I've never used it in a bar soap...just curious :wink:

 

[Freakshowminustent]

We use baking soda as a over all body scrub and washing our dreads so I thought it would be easier in a bar form rather than powder.

 

[AlchemyandAshes]

Gotcha!
Did you HP or CP? If you don't mind posting your recipe, we could help you troubleshoot.
If CP, I wouldn't worry too much after 4 hours. Is your mold insulated?
I hate throwing out soap too...I'm sure if it is a "failure" it can be repurposed

 

[Freakshowminustent]

Very basic 40oz lard, 13.29 water and 7.06 lye. Those aren't exacti used a lye calc and don't have my notebook near me. Like I said I added the cup of baking soda at trace and it was cold process. Mold is a wood box with w towel over it, sitting near the heater hoping to help it move along.

 

[AlchemyandAshes]

I think that's WAY too much (7.06 oz) lye for 40 oz of Lard. Even with a 0% Superfat, SoapCalcPro suggests 5.65 oz Lye and 13.2 oz Water (for 33% water ratio...not as important as the lye amount). I would rebatch if I were you and add enough lard to bring it to a 5% Superfat (about 17 oz more Lard)if its for body use, or at least 0% Superfat (about 10 oz more Lard) for laundry or dishes.

 

[Genny]

I've never used baking soda in CP soap because from what I know of baking soda, it is an amphetoric so it can react as an acid or a base. Which means it reacts with sodium hydroxide to form carbonates.

I remember reading here on the forum and other forums about people using baking soda to try to lower the ph of their soaps and when too much is added it creates a liquidy mess that never hardened and didn't really function as soap.

If you still wanted to make a baking soda soap, I would HP it instead and add the baking soda after the cook.

I agree with Alchemy that your lye is to high for the recipe you posted. I'm pretty sure that if you wouldn't have added the baking soda, your soap would be very hard and crumbly, not too mention a little zappy.