Help something went wrong making soap...

[Peggy Sue]

I had a go at the soap recipe on this website yesterday. I was really looking forward to it but it just didn't go to plan.

I put the Sodium Hydroxide into the spring water and measured the temperature every 10 mins... for 3 hours and still never got about 27C (room temperature yesterday, very hot in the goggles and rubber gloves!)

What have I missed?

Any suggestions welcome

Sue

[Wombat]

Hey mate,

you mean the caustic and water never cooled down to 27C?

Were you intending to use the hot process or cold process to make your soap?

Nev

[Peggy Sue]

Well you've lost me already! I followed the recipe on the website here, it says add the caustic to the water and wait til it gets to 50-55C, could be an hour or more.

Since it was cold when I mixed it I was waiting for it to heat up- but I really am missing something here I'm sure!

Happy to try any method that works!!!

[the.fee.fairy]

I haven't made much soap, but my recipes say to mix the causetic solution (lye and water) and the oils when they're approximately the same temperature (it recommends 65-70 degreees C), so maybe next time, just get them to the same temperature?

[Millymollymandy]

But Fee, she can't get the temp above 27C......

[Wombat]

wow!

when I mix 'em, they hit well over 80oC. I don't want to cause problems.........but are you sure you have caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) not washing soda (sodium carbonate)?

Nev

[the.fee.fairy]

Aah, i missed that bit M3!

Hmm, don't know what to suggest then. Mine goes up to 80degrees or so.

[Peggy Sue]

I'm going to check it isn't washing soda tonight, and confess if it is! If it isn't then I'm stuffed I guess. Bet it's soda.....

[Peggy Sue]

OK you are quite right, it was washing soda! I could have waited all day and night taking the temperature, what an idiot

The funny thing is I do actually understand chemisty and if an exothermic reaction hasn't happened after 3 hours you would have thought the penny may have dropped!

So I will start again with Caustic, use my washing soda to wash with and giggle alot.

By the way do I need to make sure my oils and caustic are the same temperature? or just that the caustic is 50-55C?

[the.fee.fairy]

The book that i have says that they should be approximately the same temperature - i usually end up mixing mine when its about 75o The book recommends 60-65o though.

[Peggy Sue]

Best heat my oils back up again then or I could have another disaster on my hands! Still giggling about the washing soda- thank God Nev mentioned it or I would have been ahving another go and another failure!!

[Wombat]

No worries mate.......easy to do!

Happy to have been of serbice, maam! *tips hat*

Nev

[Peggy Sue]

Done it

Got my soap busy maturing in the cupboard under the stairs! I must admit I did have a song and dance getting it out of the mould. I used an icecream tub, the instructions said it should just slip out but I ahd to turn the icecream tub inside out and cut it out (amazingly the tub survived to be used another day!!)

Am I missing something else? It said 'prepare your mould' so I washed it up and dried it.... should I have lined it/greased it?

Thanks guys- would never have dared had a go at this if it hadn't been for this website, and would definitely not succeeded had it not been for the forum

[Millymollymandy]

Well done!

[Wombat]

Onya mate!

I have a wooden mould and use baking paper to line it for mould release.

Nev