Hand Stiring vs Stick Blending

[Cuckoo Bananas]

So I'm onto my 4th batch of soap and have only been hand stiring so far (including a castille batch!) Just wondering what most here do in terms of hand stiring or stick blending or other ...

P.S Sorry if this has already been done before, I did run it through search being a newbie but didnt see anything on it

 

[Rosey]

Stick blending for me!

 

[IrishLass]

I actually do both off and on for every batch, so I voted for other. Having said that, though, I can't imagine ever exclusively hand stirring for an entire soap session. That would be torture for me- like watching paint dry or something. I love my stickblender and my rubber spatula.

IrishLass

 

[Rosey]

Yeah I also stir by hand to make sure I don't get bubbles (or too many, still working on that) but I don't do it by hand only.

 

[Vintageliving]

I've now made two batches. The first, olive and castor, I stirred with a wooden spoon for two constant hours.

The second, bacon fat, I used one beater in a hand mixer. I took short breaks, so it wasn't as hard on my shoulder. Took two and a half hours.

Both soaps are firming up nicely in their molds.

I'm ready for a stick blender.

 

[dagmar88]

I wouldn't know what to do without my stickblender with whisk attachment. Seriously, if I had to stir or hand whip my soap I'd have one monstrously muscular arm

 

[TessC]

I made one batch that I hand stirred from start to finish, just to say that I've done it, and I won't be doing it again.

 

[gekko62]

I made one batch that I hand stirred from start to finish, just to say that I've done it, and I won't be doing it again.

HA! Me too! Blow that for a joke. I admire all the longtime soapers who did hand stir,but I just bet they're all addicted to the stickie now too!

 

[heyjude]

The only time that I don't stickblend is when adding my fo or at the very end before my pour when I want to incorporate anything that might be clinging to the sides of the bowl.

I can't even think about how sore my arms would be without a stickblender especially with larger batches.

Jude

 

[Deb]

I mostly stickblend. Except when at medieval events and demonstrating. Then I bring premeasured amounts and hand-stir.

 

[Cheesecake]

I am a returning soaper. Back in the day, when I first started soaping, they didn't even have stick blenders! Can you believe that?

I would just sit and stir until my arms were about ready to fall off. Soap making was truely an all day venture, and that was for just one batch. :shock:

I LOVE my stick blender. Soaping has really changed over the years.

 

[jennikate]

So far I handstir only. Longest time was 14 minutes to trace. I want a better scale before I look into sb.

 

[honor435]

i have never hand mixed, too impatient, when sb takes less than a minute!

 

[xyxoxy]

I have a SB standing by but my wire whisk seems to get me there in no time. But I also use a 33% lye solution and soap at room temp so those help speed trace too.

I almost never need the SB but I have no hesitation about using it if needed.

 

[cheres]

To me sb is much more efficient. Same results in less time then hand stirring.

 

[artisan soaps]

..

 

[BakingNana]

I did my (first) two batches using the stick blender, but turning it on and off and using it to stir in the off position, like IrishLass. Being new, I was afraid that if I used the stick blender alone I would go too far past trace, but if I had to hand stir only I think I'd find another hobby. So... I voted "other."

 

[rubato456]

i spent $50 on a kitchen aid stick blender and i've only used it a few times. i vastly prefer hand stirring. i feel like i have more control over the process and that things don't go as fast, which i like. usually get a thin trace in about 5-10 minutes sometimes much shorter depending on the fo/eo. oh well.

 

[Sibi]

I'm in the "other" category since I do both. I start with my whisk, give it a few pulses with the SB, return to whisk and so on. Doesn't take me too long to get to trace. This method works just fine for me

 

[xraygrl]

stickblender all the way