Thoughts? (Trace and recipie)

[Mockingbird Ramble]

I just tried a lard (44%),coconut (25%) Olive oil (33%) recipe with coffee as my liquid (190g) and lye (71 g).

Added lye/oils at 110-115 degrees. And coffee grounds at trace.

I stick blended for 20 minutes and got a whipping cream consistency, my first two batches traced to pudding like consistency in 5 minutes or less.

What did I doooo? I Poured into my mold and set it away. I have a batch of the oatmeal/lavender that did the same thing to me, no issues now that it is curing but that was a different recipe.

Could it be the lack of palm oil that my first two batches had?

roblem: is the face I am making as I try and figure this out.

 

[Seifenblasen]

What temperature do you soap? Palm oil usually will help your soap trace faster. I have not used lard before (only tallow). While lard may not trace as quickly as palm, 44% lard and 25% coconut will still give you a nice, hard bar once the soap is saponified and cured.

Ir your soap "batter" is not separating, I would pour it.

 

[CaliChan]

I normally get to trace after about 10-15 minutes. You didn't do anything wronbi regularly soap with those oils its very normal. I don't get to a thick trace though I stop blending at a light trace so that I can design the soap how I want it. If you trace thick then you run the risk of air bubbles in your soap x.x

 

[Kansas Farm Girl]

My lard soaps tend to get to heavy trace in about 5 min. I don't use palm very often and only use 15-20% coconut. But I pour my hot lye/water into unmelted oils and let the lye/water melt the oils. I have noticed that this method gets me to thick trace rather quickly.

 

[Mockingbird Ramble]

I soaped at 110, 115.

Cali, the first two batches could have, had I not banged the tar out of my mould after!

Kansas, so you mix the lye solution and pour it over cold solids? I might give that a try, any specifics I you can share? Does this work with small batches 1-2 lbs?

 

[Lindy]

I find that Palm speeds up trace significantly.

 

[Mockingbird Ramble]

That is good to know Lindy, is it normal not to see a thick trace?

 

[Lindy]

I prefer to not let my soap get to thick trace. I like to pour at light trace which allows me time to play. However, if I am making something that is not being coloured then I will let it go to medium trace....

 

[Kansas Farm Girl]

I soaped at 110, 115.
Kansas, so you mix the lye solution and pour it over cold solids? I might give that a try, any specifics I you can share? Does this work with small batches 1-2 lbs?

Yes, this works for small batches too. I mix the lye into the water and stir until it's clear again but still hot and pour it over the oils that I have combined and smushed together but not melted then stick blend for a few minutes. My recipes trace fast doing this you have to have your EO/FO ready to go and any colors you are going to do. I am sure you can stop before you get to heavy trace, I just have a bad habit of not doing that. My recipes tend to be heavy with lard or beef tallow, I don't know if that makes a difference or not. Try it but you may want to do an unscented/uncolored batch the first time to see what happens.

 

[Mockingbird Ramble]

Currently to poor for colors and stents, so I will be trying this method for my next batch. Down to 18 bars of soap, to low!