is it just me, or does lard..

[thesoapfairy]

take FOREVER to trace? i almost blew out my stick blender today trying to get the darn thing to set up. also i happily noted that lard from columbus foods (soaper's choice) doesn't have that rotten meat smell when unmolded like the armour lard. yippie!

 

[Yvonne]

I don't think it's lard, my experience is really good soaping with lard, but some other oils can do that. Usually if i add lard, it traces fast and i can get out of mold faster. I buy lard from polish stores, it's some german brand.

 

[Dennis]

I don't think it's lard, my experience is really good soaping with lard, but some other oils can do that. Usually if i add lard, it traces fast and i can get out of mold faster. I buy lard from polish stores, it's some german brand.

Blitzkrieg lard? You know, fast. Yeah, bad joke. My experience has been the opposite. The more lard I use the longer it takes to trace.
I keep the Armour lard in the fridge and have never noticed a bad smell. Is it possible that the lard you used was rancid?
Also use the Columbus and like it.

 

[Yvonne]

I use about 15% of lard, maybe i was just lucky

 

[thesoapfairy]

possibly rancid, or maybe the fact i use about 50% lard in most of my soaps i love the creaminess!

 

[IrishLass]

Lard typically takes longer to trace. So much so that many soapers actually use it to help slow down trace in certain batches.

IrishLass

 

[kharmon320]

I use 30-40% in each batch, but it traces fairly quick.

 

[secondspring]

I made 100% lard soap once and it was sooooo slow to trace!! I hand-wisk, and my arms were sore afterwards! (good workout, though! )

 

[MullersLaneFarm]

Lard definitely will slow trace. It is great to use when you have a known 'seizer'

 

[Maythorn]

I use 40-41% and it looks thin and then I stickblend and trace can sneak up on me. So I would say it shouldn't take that long. Of course if you had lots of canola oil in the recipe or sunflower or soybean that could cause a slower trace.

 

[Clemmey]

100% lard slow to trace

I made 100% lard soap, and it did take forever to trace... I quit at a light trace. Since it is for laundry soap I wasn't too worried. I peeked at it in the oven after pouring and it gelled!! Wohoo, I don't think I have ever seen that phase in my soaps yet. That or I have been to afraid to peek at them after I poured them. It came out great, and I cut it after 8 hours of curing... I am totally getting into this homemade soaping thing!