Thick trace

[Nyknits]

Hello knitters & soapers,
I made my 2nd batch of CP soap and realized that I suck at stick blending. Both batches were so thick, they poured like HP soap. I have to find that sweet spot. Any tips? I don’t seem to see the trails everyone else sees when they drizzle on top. I’ll keep practicing

 

[Misschief]

What you'll want to learn is how to spot emulsion rather than trace. For some soaps, medium trace is perfect but if you want to work with colours and design, learning to recognize emulsion is an important skill. Here's a video that will help.

 

[AliOop]

Hi there! A lot also depends on your recipes, fragrances, and temps, not just the stick-blending. If you can post your full recipe with all additives, any fragrance used, and the temp at which you soaped, we can provide more assistance.

 

[Nyknits]

What you'll want to learn is how to spot emulsion rather than trace. For some soaps, medium trace is perfect but if you want to work with colours and design, learning to recognize emulsion is an important skill. Here's a video that will help.

Thank you. I’ll have a look see.

 

[Nyknits]

Hi there! A lot also depends on your recipes, fragrances, and temps, not just the stick-blending. If you can post your full recipe with all additives, any fragrance used, and the temp at which you soaped, we can provide more assistance.

Okay, thank you. I used a recipe provided by Royalty soaps.
75% oo
20% co
5% castor
I replaced 2 oz of water with coconut milk.
The fragrance ( 2 oz) was crafters choice Almond &honey. So heavenly.

 

[WyvernWench]

Try your stick blender in small bursts of 20-25 seconds only. Then use the stick to just gently stir the mix. Repeat until you are just at the level that you want. Those couple of moments of just stirring give you time to catch when it is going into trace.

 

[AliOop]

Okay, thank you. I used a recipe provided by Royalty soaps.
75% oo
20% co
5% castor
I replaced 2 oz of water with coconut milk.
The fragrance ( 2 oz) was crafters choice Almond &honey. So heavenly.

Well, it doesn’t look like it was the fragrance. Normally OO traces very slowly — except for pomace OO. Is there any chance you bought pomace, instead of regular OO?

Also, what were the temperatures of your oils and lye when you combined them? If they were 100 or so, and you weren’t using pomace OO, then it probably is that you are over-blending. Watch the videos for help stopping at emulsion rather than trace.

 

[Nyknits]

Well, it doesn’t look like it was the fragrance. Normally OO traces very slowly — except for pomace OO. Is there any chance you bought pomace, instead of regular OO?

Also, what were the temperatures of your oils and lye when you combined them? If they were 100 or so, and you weren’t using pomace OO, then it probably is that you are over-blending. Watch the videos for help stopping at emulsion rather than trace.

I did use pomace. Many Thanks.

 

[Nyknits]

Try your stick blender in small bursts of 20-25 seconds only. Then use the stick to just gently stir the mix. Repeat until you are just at the level that you want. Those couple of moments of just stirring give you time to catch when it is going into trace.

I will try that. Thank you.

 

[AliOop]

Oh yes, pomace is probably the culprit. I bet you will do just fine with regular.

 

[ravenscents]

It's all about experience, Keep at it.

When I first started I used a laser thermometer and I kept track of the temps and made sure the oils and lye were within 10 degrees. Now I use the heat transfer method and no thermometer at all. I know what I'm looking for.

Add your FO, goats milk and Mica and any other additives at the very last second and use a wisk to blend it all in.

 

[ravenscents]

Oh yes, pomace is probably the culprit. I bet you will do just fine with regular.

I interchange Pomace and regular OO all the time with no difference.

 

[AliOop]

I interchange Pomace and regular OO all the time with no difference.

When I’ve used pomace, it went from 0 to thick trace very quickly, which I understand is more the norm. But maybe it depends on how many unsaponifiables are in one's particular brand of pomace.

 

[Misschief]

Oh yes, pomace is probably the culprit. I bet you will do just fine with regular.

I'm not sure I agree with that. When I first got into making soap seriously, I only used Pomace and had no issues at all.

 

[AliOop]

@Misschief and @ravenscents it sounds like I am the outlier here, perhaps, but I've read others having trouble with pomace tracing very quickly on them, as well. Perhaps it does depend on the brand? I had gotten mine from the olive oil producer that was very close to where I lived at the time. I've never tried any other brand, nor ever had OO trace fast on me since I stopped using it.

 

[Nyknits]

It's all about experience, Keep at it.

When I first started I used a laser thermometer and I kept track of the temps and made sure the oils and lye were within 10 degrees. Now I use the heat transfer method and no thermometer at all. I know what I'm looking for.

Add your FO, goats milk and Mica and any other additives at the very last second and use a wisk to blend it all in.

To be honest, I just went by feel. Egads! Both the oils and lye solution containers felt warm. Not hot. I added my milk and fragrance at the end but, I used the stick blender again. I’ll just whisk it in next time. Thank you.

 

[Nyknits]

@Misschief and @ravenscents it sounds like I am the outlier here, perhaps, but I've read others having trouble with pomace tracing very quickly on them, as well. Perhaps it does depend on the brand? I had gotten mine from the olive oil producer that was very close to where I lived at the time. I've never tried any other brand, nor ever had OO trace fast on me since I stopped using it.

My HP soaps were made with regular olive oil. I don’t remember what possessed me to buy pomace. I think I just wanted to try it. I like to try and experiment with as many things as possible. That goes with everything, not just soaping. Now I’m curious to see how regular olive oil will perform in my cp soap. I appreciate all of you.

 

[DeeAnna]

Just to give my perspective -- n my experience, 20-25 seconds of stick blending at one go is too much stick blending all at once. I recommend a burst of stick blending for 2-3 seconds per burst, with 30-60 seconds of hand stirring between bursts.

Using this "less stick blending is more" approach, I might stick blend a batch of batter for 10-20 seconds TOTAL. Usually the soap is generally at a stable emulsification or even at very light trace at that point.

If I'm using several colors, I will divide the batter at that time into portions for coloring and stick blend each portion for another 2-3 seconds to get the color well mixed.

If I intentionally want the batter to be even thicker yet, I might stick blend for longer periods, but usually the batter is fine without a lot of extra blending.

 

[Nyknits]

Just to give my perspective -- n my experience, 20-25 seconds of stick blending at one go is too much stick blending all at once. I recommend a burst of stick blending for 2-3 seconds per burst, with 30-60 seconds of hand stirring between bursts.

Using this "less stick blending is more" approach, I might stick blend a batch of batter for 10-20 seconds TOTAL. Usually the soap is generally at a stable emulsification or even at very light trace at that point.

If I'm using several colors, I will divide the batter at that time into portions for coloring and stick blend each portion for another 2-3 seconds to get the color well mixed.

If I intentionally want the batter to be even thicker yet, I might stick blend for longer periods, but usually the batter is fine without a lot of extra blending.

I really have to hold myself back from trying all your suggestions NOW. LOL I’m soaping again on Friday and am soaking in all your tips. Many thanks.

 

[TheGecko]

Stick Blending was one of the things I really struggled with in the beginning. The bulk of my problem came from watching YouTube soapers and not understanding that they are making larger batches than I was and so of course, five pounds of oils/butters takes longer to mix than one pound.

Then came understanding of ingredients, percentages and temperature. Some ingredients 'trace' faster than others...like Pomace Olive Oil vs regular Olive Oil. Your percentage of Soft Oils vs Hard Oils...the more Hard Oils, the quicker your 'trace'. And of course, the temperature that you soap at; the hotter your oils/butters and lye solution, the often times the faster the trace. On the flip side, too cold and you think you have trace, when in fact you don't even have emulsion because your hard oils have started to solidify.

It's all about find that 'sweet spot' for YOUR circumstances and that takes time (and good notes).

I just started Master Batching my oils/butters and lye solution a couple of months ago and so it's been a bit of a learning curve, one that will continue for the next year as I go through Fall, Winter and Spring.