stick blender question

[Zing]

Soap peeps,
I burp and burp and burp my stick blender repeatedly. It seems that every time I use it - which is sparingly, I stir a lot -- the batter gets more and more frothier. Yesterday, the entire top of my oil mixture was tiny bubbles. I made a pink soap yesterday. I repeatedly dropped my mold, shook it side to side, etc. to get rid of the air pockets. I still ended up with air pockets!

Is it time to replace my stick blender? Or is it time to replace the user?

 

[dibbles]

That happened to my beloved, ancient Braun stick blender. I finally had to face the fact that it needed to go. Fortunately, a friend gave me one just like it she wasn't using so I had a backup. If your blender hasn't always done this, I'd say it's probably worn out.

 

[lenarenee]

I've used 3 sb'er over the course of 8 years and never thought I had a problem with air bubbles. I've made 6 soaps with sb #3 and they have all turned out noticeably sleeker, creamier, or ....something despite using the same recipes. Even the non-soaper in the house noticed before I said anything. I think this new stick blender just doesn't pump the air into the mixture like the others now seemed to have. There's just no other variable that explains the difference. I think the bars were full of teeny tiny air bubbles that visible to the naked eye, yet made a minutely aerated bar.

 

[ScentimentallyYours]

I've used 3 sb'er over the course of 8 years and never thought I had a problem with air bubbles. I've made 6 soaps with sb #3 and they have all turned out noticeably sleeker, creamier, or ....something despite using the same recipes. Even the non-soaper in the house noticed before I said anything. I think this new stick blender just doesn't pump the air into the mixture like the others now seemed to have. There's just no other variable that explains the difference. I think the bars were full of teeny tiny air bubbles that visible to the naked eye, yet made a minutely aerated bar.

Is the bell on #3 a different shape from the first 2? My ancient Braun finally died and I had to replace it. All 3 of my stick blenders, despite burping, have pulled air into the batter. I have mostly given up and gone to hand stirring unless I don’t care about small bubbles throughout the soap.

 

[Johnez]

I've used 3 sb'er over the course of 8 years and never thought I had a problem with air bubbles. I've made 6 soaps with sb #3 and they have all turned out noticeably sleeker, creamier, or ....something despite using the same recipes. Even the non-soaper in the house noticed before I said anything. I think this new stick blender just doesn't pump the air into the mixture like the others now seemed to have. There's just no other variable that explains the difference. I think the bars were full of teeny tiny air bubbles that visible to the naked eye, yet made a minutely aerated bar.

Curious what SB #3 was now. And the first 2 as well. Hmmm.

 

[Ladka]

I don't use a bell stick blender (I don't have one) but use an immersion stick blender with a 4-part whisk.

 

[Vicki C]

Curious what SB #3 was now. And the first 2 as well. Hmmm.

Yes! @lenarenee - Please share the brand and model of SB #3?

 

[Cheeky Goat]

It’s your stick blender. It’s introducing air through the seal. When immune starts to do this, if I can’t repair the ring, it’s time for a new one, and that one becomes the TD blending SB.
Oddly enough, I did a short video on this the other day, as mine had finally died.

A Cheeky PSA: Air bubbles have many causes…

 

[Zing]

Thanks everyone for weighing in, and especially to @Cheeky Goat for that PSA!

 

[Cheeky Goat]

No problem.
I was trying to show a friend what it looked and ‘sounded’ like, as I have odd and very accurate hearing, and can hear the smallest change in things, but when I tried to explain it, I sounded crazy.

So the video made me look less crazy (at least I hope so!)

 

[Zifnab]

I know exactly what you mean

 

[ScentimentallyYours]

It’s your stick blender. It’s introducing air through the seal. When immune starts to do this, if I can’t repair the ring, it’s time for a new one, and that one becomes the TD blending SB.
Oddly enough, I did a short video on this the other day, as mine had finally died.

A Cheeky PSA: Air bubbles have many causes…

The video is helpful for when the seal goes. 2 of my 3 SBs had no seal in the bell. I have had air introduced by new stick blenders creating a whirlpool that pulls air into the liquid. Speed and volume of liquid seem to be critical to whether or not air is introduced. I think I could experiment with liquid and some dish detergent to see what factors introduced air besides the seal???

 

[Johnez]

The video is helpful for when the seal goes. 2 of my 3 SBs had no seal in the bell. I have had air introduced by new stick blenders creating a whirlpool that pulls air into the liquid. Speed and volume of liquid seem to be critical to whether or not air is introduced. I think I could experiment with liquid and some dish detergent to see what factors introduced air besides the seal???

This sounds like a great experiment. Are you using the dish detergent because it's clear?

 

[ScentimentallyYours]

This sounds like a great experiment. Are you using the dish detergent because it's clear?

No, I was going to use it because I figured it would be most likely to have the bubbles show up easily if air is introduced.

 

[lenarenee]

Curious what SB #3 was now. And the first 2 as well. Hmmm.

@Vicki C

First one: Hamilton Beach turbo twister. Met an early death; never had a chance to grow up and I don't miss it.
Second one: Hamilton Beachhttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003NQE8B0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1. A horrifically LOUD one!
Third one - and truly the charm! Cuisinart Smart stick version 2018 with the flat bell and the extra holes. The one pictured here. Many of the colored ones have a different bell. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079NXBWDR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1. It's quiet, solidly built, easy button to get the shaft on and off.

 

[KiwiMoose]

Everyone show us your blender bells! I'm interested to see what types are out there. I've been using this one since 2018. So far so good - however I'm not sure how particular I am about air bubbles. I don't think I have many?

 

[ResolvableOwl]

Everyone show use you blender bells!

https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/“stainless”-steel.83915/Blending works very well, I rarely need more than a few bursts on the lowest setting until stable emulsion/thin trace (the speed throttle is worth its money). No air bubble issues so far with soap batter. I usually tilt the mixing pot so that I can insert the SB at about a 45° angle.
The rust issue hasn't appeared ever since above post. It could well be the case that the SB was touching some other metal object which actually had caused that stain.

 

[Vicki C]

@Vicki C

First one: Hamilton Beach turbo twister. Met an early death; never had a chance to grow up and I don't miss it.
Second one: Hamilton Beachhttps://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003NQE8B0/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1. A horrifically LOUD one!
Third one - and truly the charm! Cuisinart Smart stick version 2018 with the flat bell and the extra holes. The one pictured here. Many of the colored ones have a different bell. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B079NXBWDR/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1. It's quiet, solidly built, easy button to get the shaft on and off.

Thank you!

 

[user 49910]

The reason nearly all stick blender add air bubbles to the soap is an issue with the high spinning blades or "props" in hydraulic terms.

It's called cavitation. It is where the spinning of the blades create a vacuum and cause bubbles to occur. This is why nuclear submarines have specially designed props to dramatically reduce or eliminate cavitation to reduce sound levels to avoid detection by hydrophones.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary: the formation of partial vacuums in a liquid by a swiftly moving solid body (such as a propeller) or by high-intensity sound waves

 

[Susie]

I have always tilted my bowl to be sure the SB is down in the deepest part of the batter. Keep it tilted and rock the bowl to ensure even mixing. I use one that has a bell like shown above. Never could get the other bell design to stop giving air bubbles.