Stick blender and air bubbles

[SoapSap]

My old stick blender died and I bought a new one. It is a very cheap one. Suddenly I am getting a lot of air bubbles in the batter and it must be from the new stick blender. I use the SB very sparingly when I am mixing. Is there something I might be doing wrong that I am missing. I do keep it submerged in the batter.

 

[toxikon]

I use a fairly tall pitcher and I submerge the SB (up about 1/2 way up the rod) in the melted oils and give them a few pulses before adding my lye solution. That seems to keep the air bubbles from sticking around.

 

[jcandleattic]

Do you "burp" the bell? What I do, is when I put my stick blender in my oils, I put it in at an angle, and then gently tap it on the bottom of my pot - this will help release any air that got trapped in the bell when you first submerge it in the oils.

 

[SaltedFig]

[FONT=&quot]The shape of the bell can influence how much air is trapped when the blender is immersed, so the new design might require more attention to burping than your old stickblender needed.

The seal in your stickblender can make a difference as well.[/FONT][FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]
[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=&quot][FONT=&quot]This thread discusses seals: http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=28648[/FONT][/FONT]

 

[shunt2011]

I agree with burping it well. I've also read of some having to drill holes into their bell to help it release the batter and stop the air bubbles.

Also here's another thread on the subject.

http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showthread.php?t=31465

 

[IrishLass]

Like Salted Fig said, the shape of the bell can really affect things. I have 3 different stick-blenders and the best out of them is my Hamilton Beach SB. I never, ever have to burp it and I never, ever get any bubbles with it. Here's a post that I made last year that compared/contrasted the different bell shapes of my three stick-blenders:

I have 3 different brands of stick-blenders- a Hamilton Beach with plastic detachable wand, a Cuisinart with detachable metal wand, and a Kitchenaid with metal detachable metal wand.

My favorite of the 3 is my 2-speed Hamilton Beach with plastic detachable wand. It's the first stick-blender I ever bought for soaping and believe it or not, it is still going strong after 11 years of soaping with it (yes- the same one!). The higher speed option is the perfect speed for my soaping needs (not too fast and not too slow), and the bell housing and depth of where the blade sits in it are designed in such a way that it never needs to be 'burped' and never gives me get air bubbles in my batter.

The design of the bells on my other 2 stick-blenders are very different, as you will notice below (pictured L-R- Hamilton Beach, Cuisinart, Kitchenaid).

Notice how the bells on the 2 metal wands are quite concave/deeper compared to the plastic one, and how the blades sit higher in each.

Also notice how the 'air-slits' are designed in each. The plastic Hamilton Beach has an 'open-ended' design while the 2 metal ones do not (the slits are closed off). The 2 metal ones give me air bubbles and need to be burped, but the plastic one does not:

I only use my metal ones when I'm working with my glycerin liquid soap or HP where the batter can get pretty hot, but I use my plastic one for all of my CP batches where the temps can still get pretty hot, but just not as hot as the aforementioned soaps.

For what it's worth, my least favorite out of the three is the Kitichenaid (pictured on the right).


IrishLass

 

[SoapSap]

Thank you all for your input. This information helps a lot.

 

[dibbles]

For what it's worth, my least favorite out of the three is the Kitichenaid
IrishLass

Agreed. I was so excited to have picked up a Kitchenaid for $11 last year. I used it a couple of times and got way more air bubbles than with my trusty, basic Braun that is probably 15 years old (only 3 years soap making with it). I switched the Kitchenaid for my Cuisinart as my kitchen/food stick blender. A friend gave me a thrift store find Braun like my original, so those are always used first. It's a rare occasion that I make more than two batches without washing up the soapy dishes.

 

[SoapAddict415]

Thanks for the threads Saltedfig & Shunt2011. My stick blender seems to be dying and as a result I've started getting a lot of air bubbles too.

 

[Spice]

Like Salted Fig said, the shape of the bell can really affect things. I have 3 different stick-blenders and the best out of them is my Hamilton Beach SB. I never, ever have to burp it and I never, ever get any bubbles with it. Here's a post that I made last year that compared/contrasted the different bell shapes of my three stick-blenders:





For what it's worth, my least favorite out of the three is the Kitichenaid (pictured on the right).


IrishLass

which one is he Hamilton? Never mind, I read it.