Soap Making Troubleshooting

One of the nice things about making soap is that a disaster does not have to stay that way. With these soap making troubleshooting tips you will be well on your way to rescuing that less than perfect batch!

With a little bit of soap making troubleshooting, just about any 'bad' batch can be saved or re-invented by re-batching your soap.

The best way to deal with soap making disasters is to treat each one as a learning experience.

Keep a notebook and a pen handy when you are making your soap, and make notes about anything unusual that happens as you are making your soap.

Did a particular colorant have an unexpected result?

Did one of your essential oils speed up the trace or was it a flaw in the recipe?

Make notes about what worked as well. You might think you will remember the details for the next time you make up that particular recipe but don't count on it!

Troubleshooting Table

Defect	Cause	Cure
My batch won't trace	There was not enough lye or too much water in the batch.	Double check all of your measurements. If amounts and temperatures are correct, continue stirring up to 3 hours or until the solution traces. If your mixture still won't trace after 3 hours, pour into molds regardless of trace and let sit for 24 hours. If the mixture still does not harden, discard it.
My batch curdled	Your soap is reacting to the fragrance that was just added, or the oil and/or lye poured into mixing bowl at too high temperature.	Switch to a stick blender and smooth out mixture before pouring it into your molds. Check for irregularities in the soap bars, and if there are,discard the bars.
My batch set too quickly in the pot	Oil and Lye/water temperatures were too high or low, or Fats and oils are reacting to a synthetic fragrance or other additive.	Pour the mix into the molds as quickly as possible. Smooth out with a spatula. Everything should be fine other than aesthetic problems.
My soaps broke coming out of the molds	The molds weren't cleaned properly the last time you used them, or You didn't wait long enough before removing the sopas from the molds.	The only thing wrong with these soap is the aesthetics, but if you want a nicer finish re-batching is an option.
My soaps won't come out of the molds	Impatience, or Unsuitable mold.	There are a couple of things you can try - heat and cold! Put your soaps into the freezer for five minutes or so. If the soaps will still not come out the molds, try running them under the hot tap.

Want More?

I hope you found these soap making troubleshooting tips useful. Over time I will be adding more, so please pop back in to check!

Alternatively, if you have any troubleshooting tips for you fellow soapers, just drop me a line using the form on my contact page, and I will add it to the list.