My first two 'tragedies' both in the same batch!

[Whillow]

Pssst, @Whillow, no need to use Google, just follow @KiwiMoose. She's like a soy wax evangelist.

Thanks for that info tidbit...

 

[KiwiMoose]

Pssst, @Whillow, no need to use Google, just follow @KiwiMoose. She's like a soy wax evangelist.

Hear ye, hear ye! The soy has arisen! I was converted by others who went before me though...

 

[Kiwi2:)]

So I can't get my regular GW415 soy wax at present, and I've been using a replacement and then that went out of stock too. So tried a new one today called 'S100' All Seasons wax - has anyone else heard of it or tried it? Anyway, let's start with the saga....

It's cold here today, only 10 degrees all day. Blended my lye with the beer ( yes it's a beer soap). Rested it in a cold water bath in the sink so as not to let it overheat.

Melted hard oils ( with new soy wax) and noticed the new wax took longer to melt than my usual one. but still melted ok.

Added beer/lye solution (37 degrees) with oils (46 degrees ) and noticed when mixing that it had a grainy appearance - not like ricing but very very fine. Stearic spots! I thought. It thickened quite quickly and I thought to myself - this is what i imagine a false trace is. Having not used that particular soy wax before I immediately thought that it must have been too cool for it and so I blended the bejeezus out of it to ensure it was both a real trace, and to try and get rid of the stearic spots. I poured off a little into another container for the top which I always colour white.

Then to main pot added a bit of 'red wine' coloured mica which I usually use to boost the colour. The mica did not effect the colour one iota! It was like I'd added a clear liquid. Anyway, didn't want to worry about it given the other factors, so I blended it well enough to mix everything and until it was very thick trace, then poured.

Went back to the little jug and added the TD and stirred the bejeezus out of that, but didn't want to use the blender because it was such a small amount I was worried I would get soap on a stick. I stirred very briskly for ages and ages to ensure it was well blended but it still seemed a little grainy in texture to me. I just thought "oh well - it's the 'head' of the beer so it will look frothy". Poured, textured the top, took the photo (below). And then saw the FO sitting there in its little measuring jug. NEVER in my 2.5 years of soaping have i left out the fragrance oil. However, it was only the portion for the top of the soap ( because the FO discolours so I made a different blend of cedar wood and sweet orange EOs for the top). It won't matter because there is enough FO in the bottom to still small ok - but that fact that i forgot it really irks me!

Anyway, can you all please cross your fingers for me that it doesn't separate? That is my main concern if it was a false trace. I think I blended it well enough not to be, but I don't want to have a separated mess on my hands.

What do i do with the little bit of EO I've measured? Throw it away? I'll try to pour it back into the empty cedarwood bottle but I don't like my chances...

Hi - oh dear! That was the soy wax I found I have used the S100 when I couldn't get anything else (I usually use super creamy soy wax from NZ Candle Supplies) but I'm only using soy at 7% so perhaps the effect wasn't so pronounced in my batches. Looking back at my notes I did note that it took longer to melt but all of the batches seemed to be okay. I'm sorry to hear you had a problem and hope it cures out fine - I do like the frothy effect on the top though, it's cool - one of those happy accidents! Sorry about the EO - they're so expensive it hurts when something like this happens!!

 

[KiwiMoose]

Hi - oh dear! That was the soy wax I found I have used the S100 when I couldn't get anything else (I usually use super creamy soy wax from NZ Candle Supplies) but I'm only using soy at 7% so perhaps the effect wasn't so pronounced in my batches. Looking back at my notes I did note that it took longer to melt but all of the batches seemed to be okay. I'm sorry to hear you had a problem and hope it cures out fine - I do like the frothy effect on the top though, it's cool - one of those happy accidents! Sorry about the EO - they're so expensive it hurts when something like this happens!!

I was using the super creamy for a while, but for some reason i thought it was making my soaps less hard that usual? Not sure if it was my imagination or not. None of them have cured as long so that could one the reason - I can't actually compare apples with apples.

 

[Kiwi2:)]

Hmm - you could be right about Super Creamy -I think the soaps made with the S100 are harder. Have just bought 5kgs of pure soy from The Sourcery (15% discount nothing to sneeze at! That seems harder than the SC soy so I'll see how that soaps!

 

[KiwiMoose]

Would be good to know thanks @Kiwi2:) I don't tend to shop at the Sourcery because she tends to be dearer than others and I don't like her website I also note that she has poor product descriptions - went to look at her soy wax but she sys nothing about melt point etc.

 

[penelopejane]

Hi Kiwimoose,
It sounds like the new soy you are using has a higher melt temp than the old.
Next time you use it, to avoid the stearic spots, try heating the soy wax then mixing in a little of your other oils and wait to see if it is clear. If not, heat this mix again just a bit until it is clear (it will gradually bring down the temp while staying clear). Keep adding your oils until the mix is clear and SB it before adding anything else. Wait for it to cool to your desired soaping temp - but you will want that to be about 42*C. Then mix as usual.

Good luck