Hi,
This forum is so incredibly helpful- amazing that haven't had to post any questions yet (the answers are already here). I have 3 wheels of cheese aging now and made my first 2 batches of nondairy soap this weekend (dairy is next). The first batch seemed to go as planned, and the second batch was an initial pale yellow when I poured it into the Pyrex dish. However, after about an hour and half, it developed a large black/brown circle covering about 50% of the surface. The circle slowly faded and was completely gone this morning, so- what happened? Did I mess something up?
Thanks for all the help here and elsewhere!
M
Even after trace, soap is still going under some massive chemical reactions. That's all you were seeing. Kind of like a cake that you check when it is only half baked.
Your soap should be fine!
Good to know...wanted to make sure I still had soap and not lava. Thanks MrsKK
Yeah, soap can be pretty scary. I'm assuming you're using lye?
Yes, I am using Lye mixed with distilled water, and I didn't know what to expect (thanks Fight Club), but so far- both recipes (without actually using the soap yet) were easy to put together and look nice- I have 3 books for reference (2 by Anne Watson and 1 by Melinda Coss) and I think using my stick blender/mixer is making things easy. I guess for now I just keep making them and wait (2-4 weeks)- they make a nice hobby while I am making cheese (kind of down time distraction while the cheese is setting/changing temperature/etc). As of now I used my square Pyrex dish for each, but molds might be in my future. ;) (that's my first soap drying)
I'd wait at least a month if not longer to use. I have actually had that happen before. I agree about the stick blender. Much easier but you can burn one up if it isnt good quality. Your soap looks great.
Looks great congrats!
What you have seen is your soap going through gel phase. Some people like full gel, others don't. It is a personal thing but I find my soap lasts longer if I gel. Depending on the proportions you used, both shea & beeswax will increase the heat in the reaction, as will using milk. What you need to be careful of if using these ingredients is that your soap doesn't get too hot & volcano. Just keep an eye on it if it is starting to gel. If it starts to crack that indicates that the soap is very hot & you might want to consider cooling it down.
You need to let it cure at least four weeks before use. It will also last longer if you wait.
Looks good. Congrats on a successful batch!
I made myself a mold using plywood to build boxes for my soaps, as I make huge batches (usually 10-12 lbs of fats). I still need to cut the soap, but it makes it very home-grown in appearance, which is what people are looking for when they are buying home made soaps.
I have been using Pringles cans. I just fill them up and the waxy coating on the inside makes a good nonstick surface. Then I tear it off and slice the bars 1/2 - 3/4 inch thick. Much quicker and easier than my soap molds but not quite as pretty.
What great ideas- amazing what you can find in your own home if you look. Are cupcake pans a bad idea (if they are lined with clear wrap) because of the non-stainless material? Thanks everyone!
You can use cupcake pans, but I use silicone moulds. If you lined with plastic you would end up with fold lines in the final soap. Any silicone cake mould can be used. Then you can pipe some whipped soap on to look like patty cakes.