What's so different about this batch

[Jaaret]

Hello, all,

I made a fresh batch today and it took much longer to trace than my previous batch. It is taking a lot longer to harden, too. I think it is due to the bees wax. I would love your hypotheses on why the saponification speeds were so different. Both batches had lye added as a 40% solution in water.

Batch 1, made last week:
612 g. (30%) Coconut Oil
612 g. (30%) Palm Oil
204 g. (10%) Apricot Kernal Oil
204 g. (10%) Avocado Oil
163 g. (8%) Ilipe Butter
143 g. (7%) Castor Oil
102 g. (5%) Bees Wax

Trace time about 30 minutes. Solidified within a few hours.

Batch 2, made today:
612 g. (30%) Coconut Oil
612 g. (30%) Palm Oil
204 g. (10%) Sweet Almond Oil
204 g. (10%) Olive Oil
184 g. (9%) Ilipe Butter
122 g. (6%) Sunflower Oil
102 g. (5%) Castor Oil

Trace time over an hour. Still a little soft after several hours.

Everything else was pretty much the same including the temperature that the lye was added to the oils. What do you think made the difference? My hunch is the beeswax...

Thanks in advance,
Jaaret

 

[ChrissyB]

HI
From my experience beeswax makes a harder bar, you only need a little bit (say 5%) for it to make a harder bar.
Is the temperature different today from the other day?WArmer perhaps?

 

[Jaaret]

Temperature

The temperature was pretty much the same. We keep the thermostat set at 20 C (68 F). The second batch is pretty darn hard now. Perhaps just another soap making mystery...