1st batch! Tracing time...

[Artephius]

Okay, I just mixed my first batch of CP soap. I think I'm being paranoid, but it's been an hour of mixing and I swear the consistency hasn't changed at all. I think that's probably normal because it's just me and an egg beater (promised myself an immersion blender for the next batch since I bought a nice scale for this one). But...I'm worried.

Recipe was: (5% superfat)
Olive oil: 525g
Coconut oil: 150g
Castor oil: 75g
H20: 240g
NaOH: 103g
--checked with soapcalc.

It's normal for something with that much olive oil to take ages to trace, right? I didn't some how make radioactive lye fluid that will never harden, right? Right?

 

[donniej]

Below 150*F I don't think my soap will ever trace on it's own.... but FO (fragrance oil) gets it going. I've also notices that SA (stearic acid) reduces the temperature needed to trace.

 

[Artephius]

Thanks, I will try bringing it to a warmer temperature.

Unfortunately, I don't have any FO on hand, I've ordered a couple that should be coming in the next few days but...my eagerness got the best of me! Good to know, though.

 

[Guest]

The amount of OO you have will slow up your trace too , it will trace but it might take awhile longer. Good luck with it

Kitn

 

[Ganiggle]

I just did my first batch today too! Unfortunately I didn't do a large enough batch to be able to use my hand blender, and it took over an hour for mine to trace. I didn't even use OO either. It was 25% coconut oil, 65% palm oil, and 10% shea butter.

 

[honor435]

Get a stick blender, it was 6$ at the used store. I couldnt imagine using anything else.

 

[lifeworksbylaura]

expired

 

[Jamn!]

By egg beater do you mean by hand? or one of the hand held mixers?
The stick blender is better than a hand held mixer?


Thanks! I hope I am not asking a question that has been asked 100s of times.

 

[lifeworksbylaura]

expired

 

[Jamn!]

Did you get it to trace finally?

Thanks for the link! There are some other nice videos there too!

 

[valor]

I stirred my very first batch for 4 hours by hand and never did see trace. I also used OO and Soybean, which are both outrageously slow. But it came out fine.

I now use something like Shea butter to accelerate my trace, or an FO like someone else suggested can help too, but I have only encountered one or two of my FOs that accelerate my trace, so some do and some don't...*shrug*
That' s why I use the Shea because I know that it will do it every time.

 

[Artephius]

I know, I know, I should get a stick blender! But I'd already spent over $80 on stuff for soaping without even making a batch... I just couldn't justify the expense for a new hobby, which is why I said I'd buy one if this batch turned out.

Anyway, it did trace after about 1 1/2 hours total. I tried donniej's suggestion of heating it up above 150*F and worked like a charm.

It's setting right now and it's still very soft, but I sort of expected that with the combo of oils I used. I'm excited to see how it turns out!

Thanks all for weighing in.

 

[vivcarm]

If you have spent $80 or more on supplies, just think how much more enjoyable it would be if you bought a stick blender for $6!

 

[Val]

where can you get a stick blender for $6 ? I paid $20 for mine.

Val

 

[Artephius]

The cheapest one around here is at target for $25. I think the people that mentioned $6 blenders got them from 2nd hand stores and the like (very fortunate for them!). Walmart carries them for about $20, but I don't shop there.

I plan on buying one anyway, so it's kind of a moot point. I just wasn't willing to bring my budget above $100 for my first batch!

 

[Jamn!]

Arte How does your soap look now?

 

[Artephius]

Thanks for asking! I just cut it about an hour ago, actually. It's not super pretty, but it's soap~

It's very soft, but I imagine it will get harder as it cures.

 

[Jamn!]

I think its pretty and its sure looks like soap to me!

 

[Pug Mom]

Very nice! Yup, it will get harder as it cures. Congrats!!