3 batches with stearic spots!

Zing · Oct 4, 2022

People! In the last week I've made 3 batches of oap and gotten stearic spots. What is happening?! It's my basic recipe. The one difference is using Bramble Berry palm oil instead of my normal grocery store brand of palm oil.
The first two batches, I increased the temperature of soaping -- the pot was way more hot to the touch Last night I heated the oils on medium, left it at medium for awhile, stirred a lot, then cooled to just warm to the touch. Every soaping session I've been proud of stopping at the point of emulsion and then -- BAM! -- I get thick pudding trace.

After more than 4 years, I feel like I'm an experienced soaper and have tweaked my recipe accordingly. I've soaped every season of the year. This is throwing me off guard! I know it's cosmetic. I know most recipients/customers will be excited. But I'd really like to avoid these stearic spots! Hit me up if you have insight!

See 2 batches of 3 at

How can I avoid stearic spots?!

Mobjack Bay · Oct 5, 2022

I’m mostly here to offer condolences on misbehaving palm.

Of all of the soap making fats, it’s the one that has given me the most problems. Can you see any floaties in the BB palm after you melt it your usual way? Just for the heck of it, you could try one batch where you take the temp of the palm up to 160-170F or even 180F before you add the other hards fats and oils. That should take care of any triglycerides in the palm oil that are relatively more resistant to melting.

maryloucb · Oct 5, 2022

I've had success in heating my shea/cocoa butter up to 170 to help eliminate stearic spots. I don't use palm, but I think it's the same concept.

AliOop · Oct 5, 2022

I've only used BB palm after receiving it as part of a destash purchase. It was QUITE spotty, and some of the bits just would not melt, period. But I must admit that I didn't measure the temp, so I can't be sure if I reached the recommended temps mentioned above.

After those darn little white blobs ruined the look I had planned for one batch, I ended up straining all the unmelted bits out of the next batch. It definitely had less spots, but there were still some. That batch is now gone, but since I often get stearic spots with my tallow bars, I'm going to try the extra heat. So, thanks @Zing for asking the question and thanks @Mobjack Bay and @maryloucb for answering!

KiwiMoose · Oct 5, 2022

I blame the new palm! Naughty BB palm! And it made you increase the heat to compensate, which in turn caused acceleration, so you couldn't do your Ione swirl, so that's a double bad in my book.

Vicki C · Oct 5, 2022

I had some troublesome palm - only solution I found was to heat it up HOT until it was clear and then strain it through a fine mesh paint strainer - there would still be white particles to strain out. Now I use hydrogenated palm which (I think?) was mentioned by @earlene. Works well but it’s not RSPO, at least the one I found isn’t.