# caustic oven soap



## goat girl

:help

I am new to soap making and have been doing the "walmart" recipe. A friend on this board told me to pour my soaps into my molds, and then place them in a warm oven for at least 2 hours to speed up curing.She says when she takes it out and it cools and is cut, it is ready the next day. I have tried this several times with another recipe and the walmart recipe but...
The top of my soap gets crusty---it goes to gel stage then crusts up--only on the top. If I remove it before the crusting happens it is still caustic. If I give it several hours in the oven---temp btwn 150-180 degrees it still is caustic. However, if I make the exact same recipe, put it in a big pot, put it in the oven at 180 degrees and stir about every 20 minutes it processes fine---takes about 1-2 hours. Goes through the stages including applesauce and mashed potatoes. However, it is very tricky for me to get all the soap then in the molds without air bubbles before it turns too hard. So, I would love to know if there is another way to do it.
Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!
the Goat Girl---(Christine)


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## Sondra

are u putting it on the bottom rack in the oven?? top rack may be too hot on the top and is causing the crust


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## goat girl

It is on the second from the bottom rack---maybe I could cover the soap while baking? what do you all think?


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## Sondra

what molds are you using? 
Am just asking you questions that might help out others to answer you better than I can don't think you should cover it tho.


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## goat girl

I am using pvc pipe cut in half lengthwise. If someone could tell me how they oven process in the molds I would greatly appreciate it. I need to cure my soap this way---Have 6 children and homeschool---need to keep the caustic stuff out of the way--the sooner it is in soap and cured the better.
Thanks


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## lynpea

How are you testing to determine if it is caustic? Have you waited 24 hours before testing it? Is it the crusting that you are concerned with? What kind of lye are you using and did you run the recipe through a lye caculator? I don't OHP, but I have had a crust on my soap as it went through gell. Try wrapping the molds , putting it on a heating pad set on medium, and skip the oven . My understanding is that the HP is to cook out some of the water and thus speed up the cure, I haven't heard that Hp nutralizes lye.


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## Sondra

could be that you need a lower oven temp with pvc pipe I use 150 for the MM molds and never have it get crusty.


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## NubianSoaps.com

For your soap to be caustic, zap test, you are not getting to trace before pouring. You have to get to trace then pour into your molds, then oven or not it will not crust or have lye in it that is not merried to the butters and oils. Or your recipe is off, or your scale. Vicki


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## Guest

Hi Christine,

Yes, check your scale. And few more questions,
Is your lye gray? Are you using a stick blender? Is your lye fully dissolved before combining with the oils?


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## goat girl

Yes I am using a stick blender, my lye is white---Red Devil 16 oz containers. I believe my soap gets to trace before I pour---Thick and can drizzle some of the soap over the top and it stays for a second. 
If my scale was off or something else way off, wouldn't it not work correctly if I did it in a big pot and poured later? What is the oven step for---to get rid of liquid or to make the soap not caustic or both? When I have done it in the mold the soap has a definite zap ---the crusty part and the gel part underneath. Any more ideas? I am using the walmart recipe so I know that is fine and my scale I believe is alright. 
Let me know if you all have any other ideas.
Thanks!
Goat girl (christine)


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## Sondra

OK I pour into my molds at trace then into the oven 150 degrees for a couple hours and shut the oven off and leave in overnight are you leaving it in the oven??


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## Guest

Cooking speeds up and completes the saponification and cooks off much of the water. I am so glad you posted here and I hope somebody can help you figure out why your soap is lye heavy.

After the New Year and before Feb. bring all your stuff to my house and the ingredients for the WalMart recipe and we'll make a batch together  You know how bad I want this to be easy for you. Remember, I'm heading your way Sat. Bring some of your soap if you make it out to see me!

Christy


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## KUrby

hmm :really will be interesting to find out what is going wrong. I Oven Process and I have never had a crust or white ash on my soaps. But I think it's pain to pour and get pretty. Ovens vary in temps too.
When I did a CP batch, I took to trace and poured in molds and put in the oven then turned the oven light on and let sit overnite. Soap was beautiful!. My new oven does not go down as low as 150-170.. 180 is my lowest temp.
Karen


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## Aja-Sammati

I have had the crusts, as well as ashing, but usually not the lye heavy soap. Almost always it was because of an FO, but you aren't using FO's right? I usually get the crusts when my soap overheats- too much honey or an FO that is too 'sweet'. The really picky ones I turn the oven on to 170 (as low as mine goes), make my soap, making sure I get a real trace, put it in the oven and then turn it off and leave it overnight or even for 24 hours. It is still ready within a week.


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## goat girl

I have used fragrance oils. Does this change the process for oven curing?


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## Aja-Sammati

Not usually, but some FO's are picky. I use one called Country Apple- I can't let it gel or it separates. I don't turn on the oven for it at all.


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## lynpea

How are you testing for "caustic"? You said that the crust and the gel underneath was caustic. Was it still liquid after the period of time that you had it in the oven? If it was, then you could have had a false trace. How long did you SB till you got trace? And did you say that this has happened to more than one batch?


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## goat girl

I do the "tongue test"--and get a definite zap. Have tried several oven batces---always the same. after being in the oven it was a thick gel under the crust layer.


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## Sondra

goat girl said:


> Yes I am using a stick blender, my lye is white---Red Devil 16 oz containers. I believe my soap gets
> 
> ok when did you buy this Red Devil LYE ?? as they are not making lye anymore and this could possibly be something else a mixture etc. what does it say the ingredients are???


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## Guest

Can you find anything in these troubleshooting guides that is what is happening with your soap?
http://www.tri-esssciences.com/soapmaking_troubleshooting.htm

http://standeyo.com/News_Files/Soap/Tips_Trouble.html


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## Guest

To check your scale, 5 quarters= 1oz


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