Soap - Cold Process

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CulexPipiens

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Joined
Dec 14, 2017
Messages
12
Location
Midwest
I've been making cold process soap batches for years now. If you've done it you know that after 24 hours the soap comes out of the "box" looking quite opaque and as a firm yet soft consistency. Just right for cutting into bars, followed by the 30 or so days of drying.

Well I think I messed up a batch some how. I'm wondering is it salvageable? or should I cut my losses, toss it and start over?

The color and consistency is more like a gummy bear. It's very translucent and even after almost a week has not firmed up enough that I feel I can take it out and slice it. If you touch it there is a lot of give, almost like I made a foot long by 3" by 5" giant chunk of gummy something. Or like pushing your finger into a jar of jelly.

Any chance it's still good? or did I mess up some how in my measurements and should just toss it? Once again I've made a few dozen batches over the past years and never have had a problem before now.

Thanks
 
Cannola, Olive, Coconut and Safflower. I've been following the same recipe for years. By weight, lye(2), water(5), cannola(3), olive(4), coconut(4) and safflower(4).

Mix lye and water, wait until it cools to about 100-105 or so. Mean time, measure/mix oils. When lye is ready mix with oils and run immersion blender until trace is achieved. Mix in additives (nearly always powered sea clay and ground oatmeal). Pour into "boxes", wait 24 hours, remove, slice and put bars away to dry for about 30 days. Never had a problem with this before now. I'd say the current batch is not soft enough to stir but not solid enough to be safe to remove from the moulds. The translucent color is something I've also never had before.
 
Well, after 60 days (instead of the normal 30) it's getting close. It's finally firming up and losing the very soft center that it had at 30 days. Still have no idea what I did wrong, but I'm happy to see this batch will eventually be useful as originally intended.
 

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