Tiny Air bubbles within soap after cutting

[Southernsoaper]

Hey,

Does anyone have a anytips with avoiding air bubbles in the soap? I am using a loaf mold, and my recipe is 20% shea butter, 15% coco oil, 60%olive oil pure, 5% castor oil, 1 part lye and 2 parts water, 6% super fat, 5% EO, 0.05% honey (oil weight).

I tamped the molds down after pouring, and the batter seemed pretty fluid and right at light trace.

Now I will say my immersion blender has a bad habit of trapping air bubbles, but I do try my best to burp the blender before blending to get rid of trapped air. Now that I say that, I might look into another immersion blender model.
But for the current time. Has anyone else has this issue and/or found a fix?

Thanks

The picture is of the soap end, uncut

 

[Relle]

I think you answered your own question about tapping the mould after pouring, give it a good wack and burping your stick blender. You can fix the holes by getting a butter knife and smoothing it over or patching with more soap and smoothing with the knife. It also looks like you cut too soon.

 

[dibbles]

You could try putting your stick blender in the oils before adding the lye solution, burping it, stir well and run the SB for a bit, then stir well again (don’t remove the SB after first putting it in the oils). As Relle said, give the mold a few good taps. After cutting you can ‘spackle’ any visible holes.

 

[squidstings]

You could try putting your stick blender in the oils before adding the lye solution, burping it, stir well and run the SB for a bit, then stir well again (don’t remove the SB after first putting it in the oils). As Relle said, give the mold a few good taps. After cutting you can ‘spackle’ any visible holes.

Keep the SB head submerged!! yes!! However, even that won't prevent bubbles completely. Especially if you use high speed. You'll still get some cavitation due to the speed of the blade.

The thinner the molding consistency, the better chance you'll have of getting rid of most of the bubbles.

 

[Servant4Christ]

Another thing you may try is testing the internal seal of your stickblender. I saw a YouTube video about this and tried it. That's how I figured out the internal seal on my last stickblender was broken and allowing air in my batter no matter how much burping, whacking, handstirring, ect I did. On the positive side, I've learned how to fix some of those pesky holes immediately after cutting the bars using the inside portion of an end piece and a flexible paring knife.

 

[Southernsoaper]

Another thing you may try is testing the internal seal of your stickblender. I saw a YouTube video about this and tried it. That's how I figured out the internal seal on my last stickblender was broken and allowing air in my batter no matter how much burping, whacking, handstirring, ect I did. On the positive side, I've learned how to fix some of those pesky holes immediately after cutting the bars using the inside portion of an end piece and a flexible paring knife.

Thank you so much!! That’s what it was!! I never would have guessed a broken seal. Man this community is awesome ha. Thanks again very much

 

[Servant4Christ]

Thank you so much!! That’s what it was!! I never would have guessed a broken seal. Man this community is awesome ha. Thanks again very much

I'm glad my experience can help someone else diagnose faster. It took me MONTHS to figure out the problem.

 

[Hope Elisabeth 68]

Hey,

Does anyone have a anytips with avoiding air bubbles in the soap? I am using a loaf mold, and my recipe is 20% shea butter, 15% coco oil, 60%olive oil pure, 5% castor oil, 1 part lye and 2 parts water, 6% super fat, 5% EO, 0.05% honey (oil weight).

I tamped the molds down after pouring, and the batter seemed pretty fluid and right at light trace.

Now I will say my immersion blender has a bad habit of trapping air bubbles, but I do try my best to burp the blender before blending to get rid of trapped air. Now that I say that, I might look into another immersion blender model.
But for the current time. Has anyone else has this issue and/or found a fix?

Thanks

The picture is of the soap end, uncut

I recently bought all-clad immersion blenders when they were on sale for $89. The holes are situated in such a way and the bell kind of flat, so that they basically do not get bubbles much at all. I love them and highly recommend them! Muddy Mint uses them as well.

 

[AliOop]

I recently bought all-clad immersion blenders when they were on sale for $89. The holes are situated in such a way and the bell kind of flat, so that they basically do not get bubbles much at all. I love them and highly recommend them! Muddy Mint uses them as well.

I LOVE my AllClad! The one weakness is the silicone seal holding that flat "ceiling" inside the bell. Apparently that can come loose from continued exposure to fresh soap batter. When I make soap with mine, I keep a container of warm soapy water right next to me. Giving it a whir in that removes the batter as soon as possible. So far, so good.

 

[Hope Elisabeth 68]

I LOVE my AllClad! The one weakness is y the silicone seal holding that flat "ceiling" inside the bel. Apparently that can come loose from continued exposure to fresh soap batter. When I make soap with mine, I keep a container of warm soap water right next to me. Giving it a whir in that removes the batter as soon as possible. So far, so good.

OOH! Thanks for the tip! They are too expensive to keep replacing them; I'll do that as well.

 

[squidstings]

New consideration... I just noticed that the Titanium Nitride coating on my stick blender, blade is gone. And my new HP KOH dish soap is all sparkly. Last night when I was washing the blender, I noticed sparkles coming off the blade onto my fingers.
Apparently, If one wants to remove the such a coating, KOH and NaOH, plus heat and usually H2O2.
I haven't used (has been exposed by being in the same sink as something but no heat) H2O2 on the blender, however, HP may not be agreeable with coated blender blades. Lye plus heat is 2/3... Explained foaming?
I can't find any other explanation for a blade un-coating itself.

For those who've been using soap tools with food. Titanium Nitride (the coating I've seen most) doesn't cause much other than "irritation" of exposed areas, if at all. Including ingestion. However, Titanium is "not thoroughly tested" for such things.

No clue what it'll do to the soap, chemically. But the process could be, unexpectedly interesting.