asking for advice

[Marilyn Norgart]

i have what may be a dumb question--I usually soap at 110 or a little lower. when I am going to do 4-6 colors I try to go lower than that. I use lard coconut oil and safflower. I have noticed when I go down to 90 degrees on these pours the soap can get gloppy on me. I am kinda leaning to it not being a FO issue cuz I use FOs that don't accelerate. could that maybe happen if the soap gets to cool with using lard? I poured 6 colors today at 110 and I didn't color for the white cuz my soap is white and that is the only one that thickened a bit on me. to me that says maybe I need to stay a bit higher than 90 degrees but need some advice

 

[lsg]

IMO lard can start to thicken at lower temps.

I found this temp chart--
Lard.
Melting point backfat: 30–40 °C (86–104 °F) leaf fat: 43–48 °C (109–118 °F) mixed fat: 36–45 °C (97–113 °F)

 

[Marilyn Norgart]

IMO lard can start to thicken at lower temps.

I found this temp chart--
Lard.
Melting point backfat: 30–40 °C (86–104 °F) leaf fat: 43–48 °C (109–118 °F) mixed fat: 36–45 °C (97–113 °F)

thanks that helps a lot. how do I know which lard I am using? I am using the stuff that is double labeled--one side is a Spanish name--sorry I cant think of the names and I am to darn tired to even get up. but I guess it doesn't really matter as the temps are all pretty close. guess I will soap a bit higher and just move faster

 

[dibbles]

What % of lard are you using? I usually have around 35-45%, most often 40% and I don't find that it gets thick too fast. I just blend in very short bursts to emulsion and I don't normally add my FO/EO until it gets to that point - then just stir it in. I disperse micas in a bit of oil and stir those in as well, with the exception of white and black which need a quick burst with the SB. I just made a batch of 80% lard (highest I've ever done), and it stayed fluid for a very long time. I was doing a small batch, split into 4 with different FOs and colors, and it probably took me 30 minutes or better to get it all done. My starting temp was around 100.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

My lard based recipe (60%) thickens up quite frequently when I soap. I’m so slow and my soap batches are so small (1-2 lbs of oils to start and often portioned out from there) that even if I’m starting with the temp above 100F the batter can cool down to the low 80s pretty fast. I get it back to thin emulsion or very light trace by letting it sit in a hot water bath for a few minutes. In my mind it’s a reversible “false trace.” As far as I can tell, the cooling and warming hasn’t affected the quality of the finished soap. I’m still a relative newbie though, so keep that in mind.

 

[KiwiMoose]

I don't use lard, but i face the same issue with soy wax in my soap. If I soap too cool in an attempt to gain more time for multiple colours and swirls, I usually end up with gloopy gloop. So i have to find a happy medium in there somewhere. It's all on a wing and a prayer round here because I've never taken temps.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

I don't use lard, but i face the same issue with soy wax in my soap. If I soap too cool in an attempt to gain more time for multiple colours and swirls, I usually end up with gloopy gloop. So i have to find a happy medium in there somewhere. It's all on a wing and a prayer round here because I've never taken temps.

Have you tried warming your soy batter when it does that to see if it thins out a little?

 

[Dawni]

I mostly HP, and I use lard regularly. I take my soap to trace inside the pot, with the heat on, using heated up oils and hot lye (mixed n left alone just til it isn't cloudy anymore), so you can say that if this were CP I'm soaping hot.

With my 60% lard soap it takes forever to trace. I tried hand stirring this once, because I often don't use the SB (figuring the heat is enough for most my recipes) and it took forever and a day lol

I also don't take temps, sorry.

 

[Marilyn Norgart]

I don't use lard, but i face the same issue with soy wax in my soap. If I soap too cool in an attempt to gain more time for multiple colours and swirls, I usually end up with gloopy gloop. So i have to find a happy medium in there somewhere. It's all on a wing and a prayer round here because I've never taken temps.

I am convinced its a combo of my lard and soaping to low (I think I need to take into consideration that my AC is on too) at least I am going to try staying higher and see what happens. I am just going to have to move faster to get the swirls--I have enough of the pour spout containers and they actually seem to make me move a little faster cuz it gets the soap where I want it easier (if that makes sense)

 

[Marilyn Norgart]

What % of lard are you using? I usually have around 35-45%, most often 40% and I don't find that it gets thick too fast. I just blend in very short bursts to emulsion and I don't normally add my FO/EO until it gets to that point - then just stir it in. I disperse micas in a bit of oil and stir those in as well, with the exception of white and black which need a quick burst with the SB. I just made a batch of 80% lard (highest I've ever done), and it stayed fluid for a very long time. I was doing a small batch, split into 4 with different FOs and colors, and it probably took me 30 minutes or better to get it all done. My starting temp was around 100.

off hand I don't know the percentages I use 13 oz lard--9.5 oz safflower and 8.5 coconut. I was going to go run it thru a soap calculator but I am feeling kinda lazy today I usually SB to emulsification--I have started adding my scents in while SB (still not sure if I like doing it this way yet) and I have my micas mixed in oil ready to mix it at emulsification. I have also been trying the heat transfer method. I think I have decided that if I am doing a solid color this method works best but I don't care for it when doing swirls. I used to mix the scents in with the mica mix until it started melting my little plastic cups I use to mix my micas in

 

[dibbles]

Your lard is right in line with the percentage I use. I don't use the heat transfer method, so I have nothing to offer you there. When you SB to emulsion, is that in bursts or for longer? I do 1-2 second bursts and then stir for 15 seconds or more. So maybe you are stick blending until you see emulsion, but it was still too much and gets things moving along. I'm reaching here - but that's about all I've got! Other than your lye concentration. If you have a high lye concentration, it can slow trace to a crawl. But if you are using a FO that misbehaves even a little, or normally doesn't accelerate in a lower lye concentration, it can accelerate.

 

[Marilyn Norgart]

When you SB to emulsion, is that in bursts or for longer? I do 1-2 second bursts and then stir for 15 seconds or more. So maybe you are stick blending until you see emulsion,

I SB in bursts and stir in between but I probably do longer bursts than you do. I have somewhat of a mental block when SB and have to really fight to not over do and I have a hard time with emulsion sometimes--I am not confident enough with that yet but I am working on it--I keep telling myself that I haven't stopped too soon yet. and I think by going down to 90 degrees its harder cuz there always seems to be a little oil on top but I think its just cuz I am going to low on the heat. thanks