glycerin liquid soap--avoiding melting the stick blender

[soap_rat]

Hi all:

I'm eager to try making liquid soap and the glycerin method seems easy and fast. However, I've read the warnings and laments about plastic stick blenders melting in the glycerin. Does it have to be that hot? I already have a backup stick blender in plastic. I'd rather spend $ on EOs, not a stainless stick blender.

Does anyone successfully keep the glycerin temperature below temperature X, so the stick blender doesn't melt?

Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

[IrishLass]

The thing with the glycerin is that it needs to be hot, hot, hot in order for the KOH to dissolve easily and completely (I bring mine to a boil). My advice is to forego the stickblender and just use a stainless steel whisk instead. I've made 4 batches of glycerin LS so far and all were made using my whisk instead of a stickblender. It worked pefectly fine for me each time. I know of a few others that use a whisk as well, and there's even one that uses a silverplated fork! Of course, I don't get virtually instant paste this way like what is shown in the youtube video tutorial, but it still works wonderfully. I just whisk until I see tiny bubbles floating up from my pot in the air around my head (takes about 5 to 10 minutes tops), cover, and let it sit off the heat until it becomes paste all on its own about 6 hours later or so. Easy-peasy.


IrishLass

 

[soap_rat]

Oh, thank you IrishLass! You saved me from trying to dissolve the lye in glycerin that was too cool. I'll heat that stuff up and do it with a whisk.