soap not tracing

[Bubbles 1990]

I am very new to soap making. I have only made it three times ( all failed).
My recipe is:
900 mls water ( i use rain water from my tanks)
295g lye
615g coconut oil
800 mls sunflower
800 mls Olive (Pomace)

I was told that this recipe was meant to trace in 40 mins but after 3 hours it is at its peak which is to half as thick as I think it should be.

My lye is pearl and is supposed to be 99% pure.
After adding 30% more lye the result was better (thicker) but no where near satisfactory.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers.

 

[Dragonkaz]

Hi Bubbles ... have you run these oils through a soap calculator?

I checked your oils on the one I use and it recommends -
797.4 gm water
312.88 gm sodium hydroxide

How long are you leaving your soap in the mould before checking to see if it's hardening?

I recommend you work with a much smaller amount of oils to begin with ... just in case the soap doesn't work out.

 

[carebear]

What were the temperatures ( approx) of the oils and lye solution when
You started, and with what are you stirring/mixing?

 

[lsg]

You are combining weights and volumes, you need to convert this formula to grams (weight) and run it through SoapCalc. One gram does not equal one ml of anything except pure water.

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/Does_1_gram_equal_1_ml


http://www.soapcalc.net/calc/SoapCalcWP.asp

 

[carebear]

Oh just reread the originL post. You cannot just add "30%more lye"!!!
you need to use the proper amount and not excess or you can end up with quite a dangerous product!

 

[Bubbles 1990]

Ok,
I left the soap in moulds for 24 hours undisturbed without any signs of thickening.
I was stirring with a stainless steel whisk.
The lye was about 65 degrees celcius when I combined it with the oils and the oils were at about 35 degrees. The recipe did not specify temperatures.
I will try Dragonkaz's measurements and see how I go tomorrow (in Australia currently 10:30pm) and see how I go. Thanks for your help everybody.

 

[judymoody]

Your lye is way too hot. That can slow trace for a LONG time. Oils and lye should be between 35-45 degrees Celsius for optimal results.

And never ever add extra lye like that! That recipe, as amended with 30% extra lye is dangerously caustic and should either be rebatched with additional oils to make a balanced recipe or it should be discarded.

I also agree with the earlier poster that you should use a smaller recipe. My test batches are about 800 grams of oil and make 8 good sized bars of soap.

Good luck with your next try!

 

[Finchen]

I agree to what the others wrote.
A stick blender can be also very helpful.

 

[yoenoess]

and also water, you use rain water?? is it clean enough

 

[busymakinsoap!]

Bubbles I think it might be best to do a little more research before you jump in and make another batch. It will save you time, money and sanity!

I researched for a couple of weeks before I actually began soaping. Its a science and its very specifiic and there are so many variables. Lye is extremely dangerous and to 'just add 30%' is a huge mistake.

I found You Tube really good, i watch loads of vids on there. Soap Queen TV does a 4 part soap making tutorial and I think she provides a recipe. I wouldnt however advise following just any recipe, there are a lot of duds on the internet, make sure its from a well known soaper/site.

Once you have made a couple of these batches you could then move on to soapcalc and start modifying to suit your needs

 

[Midnight Rowan]

1 more point:

As far as I know, 99% lye won't do the job... it has to be 100% sodium hydroxide, with no additives. (More experienced people, please correct me if I'm wrong)

 

[soapbuddy]

I would just chuck it and start over. You have too many things going on with your soap. It's also possible that your olive oil is not pure.

 

[TJ]

and also water, you use rain water?? is it clean enough

Rainwater is supposed to be softer. I've only used distilled though so can't really say I have any experience, but that is what I was told and what I have read/heard.
Most people who use rain water live out in the country though, where there is less pollution/smog in the air.

 

[TJ]

1 more point:

As far as I know, 99% lye won't do the job... it has to be 100% sodium hydroxide, with no additives. (More experienced people, please correct me if I'm wrong)

My lye is not 100% and works great! And also Brambleberry's lye they sell specifically for soap is not 100% either. I'm not sure what else is in there to make it not 100%... but it still works just fine.

 

[Relle]

Bubbles 1990,not sure where you are in Oz, but if you can get to a Woolies shop, go to the cleaning aisle and get the caustic in the white container with the red lid. Its $3.89, thats what I use and haven't had any troubles. Maybe it could be your tank water ?

I also researched for 4 months before making any soap. The more information you have the better. Take notes, lots of notes and read and re- read them to get it into your head. Thats what I did. I still only make 1000gram batches at this stage.

Relle.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

Mechanix Brand Caustic Soda is the one we use.

I researched for months and months before I made soap because I was wary of doing something dangerous. :wink:

 

[carebear]

1 more point:

As far as I know, 99% lye won't do the job... it has to be 100% sodium hydroxide, with no additives. (More experienced people, please correct me if I'm wrong)

99% is absolutely fine. Just avoid anything with aluminum chips!

 

[Elly]

Follow this link to find info on sodium hydroxide available in Woollies and Bunnings, it is only 98% SH but it is recommended for soap making by manufacturer. Please be very careful when using lye it is a dangerous chemical make sure you use the right amount or the soap you make may cause harm. Best of luck

http://www.pascoes.com.au/products.php? ... 2&level=14

 

[Bubbles 1990]

Hi guys,

Thanks for all the help.

This afternoon i made a much smaller batch using the measurement that dragonkaz gave in regards to the lye verses the water, also had the temp of the lye and oil around 40 celius.

I also decided to try a stick blender to bring the feeling back to my arms.

The new improved recipe and alteration to my methods worked perfectly. My soap traced in no time.

My origional recipe came from a reputable source, so I am quite shocked that it could be that wrong.

Thanks heaps everyone.

 

[carebear]

Its not unusual to find major errors in published formulas, or those from friends. It's so easy to switch digits, or swap measurements! That's why one of the primo rules of soapmaking is ALWAYS run the numbers yourself. Don't ever rely on the lye amount someone else tells you - check it out! It's a common problem, which is why we always ask for amounuts when people post a question like yours!