my first seized batch!

[WilsonFamilyPicnic]

so, i have been making largely GM soap and was reading some posts about using canned GM. which i think i understood as some folks made a lye solution with 1/2 the water called for and used canned GM as the other 1/2 of the water called for and adding at emulsification (is this correct Paul oh great GM guru?)

so, here's how it went down...i was making soap for the earth day exchange and i was nervous cause i decide to get fancy scmanchy, gonna add herbs and pumice to make a gardener's soap. so, i made the lye solution, measured my GM, i add the lye solution to the oils and stick blend to emulsify, then add the GM and all of a sudden! its getting super thick, i toss in herbs and pumice and its starting to look like fudge consistency and i am saying to myself "oh crap! its the dreaded stick blender soapsicle!" i yell "honey, get the mold!!!" and we smash it in and stand back to assess the aftermath....

my question is did i wait just a tad too long to add the GM? cause i made a second batch doing the same thing where i just added the lye, gave it 2 stirs and dumped the GM and everything was kosher. oh, ps, i was using a 34% lye solution on soapcalc (yes, i am being a rebel and pushing the limits, but have done a lot of successful batches at 33 and 34% just not in the manner described above!), which as i was thinking about it, by using the GM separately i had a 68% lye solution starting out....

looking for comments or general laughter!

 

[Soapmaker Man]

Sounds like you did everything correctally. I think it was the FO you might have used to accelerate trace on you. Try soaping with GM at about 28 or 29% solution. What I do is add my premixed solution, stir be hand, then add the GM to the emulsification, and whisk to trace. Some recipes I can use a stick blender, but most I just do by hand. More OO takes longer to reach trace too. I really think it must have been the FO that caused accelerated trace on you. :wink:

Hey, this is always a new learning experience every time I soap. I still have major flub up issues too and I have been making GM soap for almost 3 years now.

Paul :wink:

 

[WilsonFamilyPicnic]

oh, yeah, i was going to add lemongrass EO and do a swirl....no dice! it was soap on a stick before i could even think that far.

yes, i did chalk this up to a good experience! i just cut it, i think it will be a nice bar of soap, not what i wanted, but a nice bar.

 

[organicsoapgal]

Congrats!

 

[IanT]

show us some pics when you get a chance!! (if youve got a camera~!)


curious to see what it looks like!!


Ian

 

[Soapmaker Man]

LOL, you should see the neon green bars I made this weekend. I mixed my own scent, was calling it "Men In Trees" since it has cedar wood, patch, ylang-ylang, clove and amber EO's in it. I used my Select Shades colourants, and it was a neon green swirl.

 

[IanT]

well hey if it doesnt work for soap you know you could use it to flag down someone in an emergency or stick it on the front of your bike...kind of like new-age reflective gear!!! lol

 

[WilsonFamilyPicnic]

thanks for the advice Paul! I may go back to doing it by adding lye to the GM for a while, plus I am trading some oil for fresh GM. But I am now intrigued to try soaping a batch at 40 or 50% lye solution to see if I can do it!

Off topic...."Men in Trees" is back on the air!!!!!!! yaaaaay!!!!