Slow tracing recipe with lard as majority oil

[Dahila]

My lard is slow trace also, and I soap at 38 C

 

[DeeAnna]

I've seen what Megan describes -- I was making a recipe high in solid fat and it got cooled down early on before saponification really got going because I was using frozen beer to make my lye solution. When the cold lye solution met the solid fat, the fat quickly solidified and gave every appearance of being in trace, but it didn't really go through that first emulsion stage that I normally see. This appearance of "trace" was kind of an instant switch from not-thick to thick. I kept mixing because it just didn't seem right. As saponification started to warm things up again, the batter suddenly got looser to the point of not looking like it was in trace at all, and then the batter emulsified properly.

If I had poured the soap at the first appearance of "trace", I suspect it would have separated in the mold into messy fat and watery layers with bits of soap mixed throughout. It would not saponify completely, much less overheated. That's what I'd call an example of false trace.

 

[IrishLass]

Ditto what DeeAnna said above. That is what I refer to as a false trace/pseudo trace, too.


IrishLass

 

[lenarenee]

First off I do not believe in a false trace, but that is my opinion. Many will totally disagree. It is something else that happens, both times this has happened it has been when it was a gm soap. Both times I soap it cool, put it in the freezer, where it still decided to overheat and form a cavern which you would expect to see alligator teeth in. This cavern was filled with a thick layer of fat not oil. I have really been a bit stumped as to the cause and went back to soaping high lard soap at 100 degrees. I soap with lard regularly in varying percentages up to 100% and have only had it happen twice. If it is what people think is a false trace it would have been a problem through the entire soap not in just an overheated cavern

Thanks cmzaha.

That certainly is a bizarre thing to happen...hope it doesn't happen again .

 

[lsg]

Question for lsg, cmzaha: are you talking about a false trace?

I've made 8 two pound batches of 70% lard soap, soaped very cold, and water discounted, and they all turned out beautifully. Have I just been lucky? I don't sb to trace, only to emulsion.

Yes, that was what I was referring to. Some new soapers have trouble differentiating between false trace and the real thing. I am glad your soap turned out well.

 

[cmzaha]

I will say one thing about false trace. I have had false trace but it didn't last long at all. I was soaping too cool and poured cold lye solution in and blended it immediately into thick trace. Then it heated up and loosened up. I think that is maybe false trace? Ok more than one thing sorry.

I do believe that is what people call a false trace. I guess I recognize what it is, to cool and thickening to quick not a false trace. I usually wait it out until it starts to gel then move on.

 

[lenarenee]

Yes, that was what I was referring to. Some new soapers have trouble differentiating between false trace and the real thing. I am glad your soap turned out well.

Thank you! In the future though I think I'll soap that really recipe a little warmer due to the experiences you and cmzaha had.