zap test

[renaissancemom]

i know that if your soap is not ready or is lye heavy the zap test will produce a "zap" similar to what would happen if you put your tongue on a 9V battery. since i never put my tongue on a 9V battery i can only imagine what that would feel like. i made a batch of bastille (90% OO 10% Castor) about 2 1/2 weeks ago. i just put my tongue to it and it didn't quite feel like a zap but it also didn't taste completely benign either. i discounted the water in the receipe much more than normal to accelerate trace and shorten cure, trace happened very quickly and i had to scoop soap into mold. i'm not sure what to make of my zap test. any ideas?

 

[Healinya]

I would try zap testing it again to be sure - in the corner maybe. You could also use a ph test strip to see if it is alkaline - but it sounds fine. Soap doesn't really taste good, I've heard ;-) I've never licked a battery - but there is no mistaking a lye heavy batch. feels like a bolt of electricity piercing your tongue, and will leave an uncomfortable after-thought. I have had zappy soap along the edges from discounting too much, but after a week the soaps have always evened out for me.

 

[IrishLass]

You can also view zap as a prickly, stinging or burning sensation- like the soap burned or bit you on the tip of your tongue. The taste of your soap actually has nothing to do with it- it's the way it makes your tongue feel that tells you whether it still has active lye in it or not.

If the soap is fairly new and it zaps, just let it cure for a week or so and try testing again. You might find that it was zapping because saponification wasn't completely through yet. This is especially true if the soap did not gel. If it still zaps after a week or so, it's more than likely lye heavy and should be re-batched with enough extra oil until zap goes away.

IrishLass

 

[chandler Trev]

Nearly everyone I know has touched their tongue to a 9V battery.....perhaps I should enlarge the circle of people I know :wink:

I learned just recently that touching one's tongue to a bar of soap actually had a name.

 

[xyxoxy]

OK so next time you're changing the batteries in your smoke detectors.... try it! Then you will know what soap zap feels like

 

[carebear]

do. it won't hurt, it's just --- odd and a little uncomfortable.