What IS this stuff??

[MGM]

Cast your mind back to these beauties!

When I first made them, they maybe got alien brain (although they definitely didn't overheat in their individual moulds, maybe my use of IPA on the M&P embeds provoked that?). Then they got what appeared to be ash crystals. ALL my soaps get soda ash, but only these soaps have gotten actual crystals on the surface. They passed the zap test though, so they're good, right? And I have to say, it is a good soap. Despite being ugly and the CP part losing all fragrance, the M&P EOs are still strong and the soap lathers nicely, conditions, is hard and lasts forever. It was a 100% lard soap and I have since made other 100% lard soaps and have had none of these issues (other than being crumbly. All my lard is crumbly or crumbly-adjacent).

So! The other day I was using my new soap cutter/planer to shave off some remaining crystals. Got lots off, but then noticed that the crystals were scratching the soft wood of the planer, so I switched techniques and washed the crystals off. Really got in there with an old toothbrush and everything and put the soaps to dry on a plastic rack. A few days later, it was as if I hadn't touched them....a solid coating of these crystals again. Again I went at it with the toothbrush until the crunchy bits were gone and all that was left was hard soap.

What is happening??? The crystals form on the same parts of the soap that they always did; the sides that didn't have them then never do. And by now, I've removed up to .5cm of surface from these things; we're not talking about a slight planing.

I keep using the stuff as it's a fine soap, but I just don't understand it. It was my 3rd or 4th batch of soap, I think, but I haven't encountered anything like it in the dozen I've made since then. I have used the same recipe since then, but haven't used M&P embeds. (And of course there's always the possibility that I miscalculated the lye to begin with, but wouldn't I have had zap troubles and wouldn't the bar be harsh?)

thanks!!

 

[IrishLass]

I had something freaky like that happen to a batch of 75% CO/25% Cocoa Butter soap I made back in 2011.....after it had cured and had been stored away for a few months, I went to go use a bar and for whatever reason I couldn't fathom other than maybe cocoa butter bloom, they all had developed an ashy coating on them, and some of the bars had even grown crystalline, spikey stalactites on them. It was the weirdest thing. Unfortunately, I can't seem to find any pics or any follow-up written notes on this batch beyond the date it was made, all the ingredients I used, and how the soaping session went, but I do distinctly remember scrubbing the ash and crystals off and eventually using all the bars except for 2 of them (no zap on any of them), which I still have stored away as it so happens.....excuse me while I go look...... Aha! Here's a pic of what they look like right now (just took this pic of them):

I can't tell you the last time these bars have seen the light of day....probably about 5 years or so ago is when I last looked at them. lol Well, the ash sure came back with a vengeance, but no stalactites. Dang it -I was hoping I'd find some. Up close, the ash looks like prettily shaped snowflakes. The bars still smell quite good, believe it or not. I had scented the batch with a blend of Chocolate Mousse FO from MMS and Intense Almond FO from MMS @ .75oz ppo total.

Just checked the ashy coating for zap just for the heck of it...... still no zap.

Maybe DeeAnna can shed some light on this.


IrishLass

 

[KiwiMoose]

@DeeAnna?
Dying to hear the low-down on these two.

 

[MGM]

Thanks, @IrishLass ! It is heartening to know that 5 years down the road, I will still have this freaky stuff on my soap ;-) These soaps DID have stalactites when they were fresher. My ash seems more crystalline than in your photos, like, long crystals, if that makes sense.
FWIW, I chopped up one of these lard bars and used it as confetti in another 100% lard bar. No misbehaviour in the new bars at all and they're hard and long-lasting, too.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

I don’t know if this will contribute anything useful, but here is my version of the crusty soap. It’s the leftover batter I used to make the layered soap. The layered soap was made from two batches of same recipe, one with high water and one with low water. I calculated my splits wrong and ended up with a lot of high water indigo colored soap at the end. It was at heavy trace when I somewhat mixed in a little leftover low water batter (white) that was at medium trace. I threw it in an individual mold. At least it smells nice.

ETA: it’s a simple recipe of PO, OO and CO with peppermint EO

 

[MGM]

Nice try, @Mobjack Bay, but they're too pretty and not crusty enough!
Call me when you wash off the lumps AND THEY GROW BACK!

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Call me when you wash off the lumps AND THEY GROW BACK!

 

[cmzaha]

I don’t know if this will contribute anything useful, but here is my version of the crusty soap. It’s the leftover batter I used to make the layered soap. The layered soap was made from two batches of same recipe, one with high water and one with low water. I calculated my splits wrong and ended up with a lot of high water indigo colored soap at the end. It was at heavy trace when I somewhat mixed in a little leftover low water batter (white) that was at medium trace. I threw it in an individual mold. At least it smells nice.

ETA: it’s a simple recipe of PO, OO and CO with peppermint EO

Gorgeous Stormy Seas

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Gorgeous Stormy Seas

Thank you so much.