Carbonated Soap?

[KudzuGoddess]

So I work very hard to make sure I don't have air in my soap, pour down the spatula, burp the stick blender, all the things, but I am still getting a ton of air in my soap. It seems to start after I start blending with my KitchenAid (is this brand known to cause issues?) immersion blender, I put the stick in at an angle, burp the blender, and start blending. In a matter of seconds I get a million tiny bubbles that even sometimes foam, it's almost like my olive oil is carbonated. I have heard that stick blenders wear out but I thought that was just the motor, could it be the gasket around the blade letting air in? Is it the olive oil? I am using a pretty big bowl for the size batch that I typically make, would it help to get a smaller bowl to increase the volume in the container? The picture is my "lemon" soap with carrot juice in the lye water to make it yellow, but it does this regardless of the recipe or additive. If you look closely at the pic you can see the end result looks terrible. I should also mention this is a new problem. I have been making soap for about six months now and this has only just started within the past month. What do you kind soapers recommend?

 

[DeeAnna]

"...would it help to get a smaller bowl to increase the volume in the container? ..."

A smaller bowl should have a smaller volume? If you choose a bowl that has a smaller diameter, the batter will be deeper in the bowl and more fully cover the bell of the stick blender. That will help the stick blender not incorporate as much air into the batter.

And another thought -- it may be that you're overusing the stick blender. If you hand stir more, this lower intensity mixing may help the bubbles come to the surface of the batter.

 

[KudzuGoddess]

Great tip! I do get a bit stick blender happy. Thank you for the clarification on the bowl thing, yes, big bowl - batter is not as tall is what I mean. It does always cover the blender though with at least an inch to spare. Not sure if that matters. I will try a bit more hand mixing though, thank you!

 

[Andy7891]

Are you sure those are air bubbles? I see the a little hole underneath the "u" in "rub" that I would believe is an air pocket. That's what my bubbles usually look like, little pockets of air. I have a KitchenAide as well and it seems to perform the same as the other immersions blenders I have tried. I don't think I've seen it in any of my soaps. Sure it's not clumps of something like titanium dioxide? Or it looks almost like dew. Quite a mystery. Hope I helped.

 

[KudzuGoddess]

You did help! Thanks! Good to know that another soaper has not experienced this problem with the mixer. Unfortunately, there is no titanium dioxide in my recipes. I thought they could be steric spots, but on closer inspection you can pop these bubbles, there is nothing in them.

 

[Andy7891]

Dang. If you can post your recipe, that may help me or someone else figure out what is going on. I know they make these devices that help people extract all the air from epoxy and/or other molds. It's like a pressurized container. Just so you know. It's overkill I know haha. I think the soap looks good though. "Flaws" and all, it'll still get you clean!

 

[artemis]

What do you use to cut your soap? I have seen pictures of this type of texture on soaps that were cut with a wire.

 

[KudzuGoddess]

I do use a wire. But I think I have some pictures of some that I cut with a wire that didn't look like this. Actually now that I think of it, I'm not sure. I've got a loaf of Castile soap waiting to unmold and will cut some with a wire and some with a knife and see what we get. Thanks for the tip!

 

[dibbles]

I bought a KitchenAid stick blender several years ago and quickly swapped it for the Cuisinart in my kitchen. It made tons of tiny bubbles in my soap batter no matter what I did, and there was no air trapped in the bell. Air bubbles in my puree obviously isn't as worrisome to me as air bubbles in my soap . I also think using a narrower, deeper bowl will help.

 

[Obsidian]

I also bought a kitchen aid SB only to replace it soon after. Its too powerful and made a huge amount of bubbles, even creating froth on the surface.
It also tended to splatter when using and I had my face splashed a few times. I prefer my cheap 20 SB.

 

[amd]

I have this one

That I do not recommend. It is a bubble machine. The one I regularly use I got at a kitchen supply store, it's fantastic. My other smaller one for small batches I picked up at a thrift store.

 

[SoapSisters]

My stick blender also makes bubbles. I try to not use it and instead usually just hand-mix with my whisk. If I have to use the stick blender, I make sure I only reach light trace. Then I have time to use the whisk and mix out the bubbles.

 

[Becky1024]

I used to have a Braun stick blender and now use a Kitchenaid. Never had bubbles with the Braun but have bubbles with the Kitchenaid. I think it’s the shape of the bell. I have to be careful to burp it and keep the bell well below the top of the liquid.

 

[Iluminameluna]

At my son's friend's house, in San Antonio, I was using his Kitchen Aid SB, and I got used to the froth in my soaps. I just learned to tap dance my molds across the counters before I set them to harden.
Now I'm in Juneau, WI and I've bought a Hamilton Beach, just like the one I left back home and it's great. Cheap, but it does the job without a lot of froth or bubbles. And no dancing! Also, the mixing bowls are the same ones I use regardless of where I'm living: $1 beaked plastic bowls, with handles and rubber rings on the bottom that keep them in place while you mix. They're Dollar Tree basics, come in red and white, and hold up for years. I know this because my oldest 3 bowls are now 5 years old and still holding up.