Teach Soap

Hi,

I just made a batch of beer soap and it has inclusions in it. The soap works great but looks a little strange and I'd like to minimize them, or get rid of them completely, so I can sell them at a market. These inclusions look like 'pinpoints of ash', or something. Has anyone run into this before and how do I solve it??

Thanks so much!

DC

It's hard to say without pictures and knowing more, but it sounds like it might be spots of stearic acid. Did you zap test it to be sure it's not lye?

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Linda

I learn so much when I can't leave well enough alone!

If you got the soap to heavy trace before you poured, it could be trapped air bubbles.

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Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

You did zap test it if you used your tongue. If it didn't zap then it is ok to use, even if not the prettiest. Pinpoint, whitish marks throughout sound like stearic to me, because I don't think air bubbles are usually throughout the loaf. But to stop air bubbles it helps to not pour at a real thick trace and to slap/drop the mold on the counter several times to bang the bubbles out. To stop stearic issues, either buy hydrogenated palm or make sure to melt the entire jug of palm when you get it, stir it well, and then pour it into several smaller containers so that you have pre-measured your palm for your batches. This way you stand a better shot at getting a proportionate amount of stearic acid. The alternative is to melt the entire jug each time and stir well to blend before you divide out you batch amount, but this offers more room for failure.

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Remember, it's not just that we weather the storm, but how we dance in the rain.

Tammy