Trying a batch of cold process...

[Guest]

I have never had any luck doing CP...but I am giving it one more shot.

I've been stirring for more than an hour looking for trace.

The lye and oils solution is yellow and the consistency of a slightly thin cake batter. So where is this mysterious trace????

Will I be stirring until morning????????

 

[dagnukem]

are you using a stick blender? That makes it trace way faster than by hand.

It also depends on what oils you used. some batchs trace way faster than othrs. Just like some batches have amuch thiinner trace than others.

Sorry my spelling looks so bad, I am typing in the dark - my son is asleep.

 

[Guest]

No..not using a stick.

I ran this thru soap calc....and my measurements were to the letter.

Shea Butter 25.6 oz. 40 percent
Grapeseed oil 12.8 oz 20 percent
Palm oil 12.8 oz. 20 percent
Rice Bran oil 12.8 oz. 20 percent

water 24.32 oz
lye 7.9 oz.

I don't understand why this does not work. I finally got what I THINK was a trace...and poured it into the mold. It was cold but I wrapped it anyway.

 

[Guest]

trace

Don't wake up your son!

 

[ilovedoxies]

I got my stick blender at walmart for 9.99, best $10 I spent!

It saves TONS of time. I can't imagine stiring manually :cry:

 

[WilsonFamilyPicnic]

my first 2 or 3 batches i stirred by hand. after reading soapmaking books and they recommended not using a stick blender because it moves things too fast and you don't really get to learn what trace looks like.....

yeah...after 45-60 minutes standing next to the stove i grabbed the stick blender said "f this" and went to town. i would not consider making soap w/o a stick blender....i was just thinking about getting a second one (since i stole my cooking stick blender for soap and now i can't make pureed soup and soup season is comin'!) and then i'd have a back up soap stick blender just in case! ha ha ha!

 

[Guest]

soap pot

OK..here are the pics of the stirring and pouring...it's now in the mold and I just have to wait and see what happens. I am not sure if I hit trace really or not.







I couldn't resist peeking this morning and it was firming up, at least. Not the watery mess from the last time. Not much of a scent though, even as I added orange ginger fragrance oil.

I will post the pics when and if they come out of the mold....or if I have to pitch the entire thing...Again.

 

[Deda]

I think it looks lovely!

Some scents take a while to develop - you can't always tell for a few days, sometimes a few weeks how a fragrance will behave.

 

[MikeInPdx]

Congratulatons on your first cold process batch. I totally agree with everyone else....get a stick blender....it's a purchase you won't regret.

 

[wendy_m]

My first soap looked exactly like that for about 3 weeks (it was December and I stirred forever.) I ended up pouring it back into the pot and heating it on the stove (a few times.) It finally started tracing, and was fine.

Since then I've used a stick blender (even with the same recipe) and haven't had that problem at all. It traces just fine. Just be careful to use it in short bursts, and to avoid injecting air into the soap.