Without a Trace - help!

[Smebinger]

Hi,
I'm a newbie to the soapmaking world, and I've tried 2 different soap recipes so far, and I can't seem to get the oil/lye mixture to trace. For example the last batch I made consisted of:

6 oz. distilled water
2.25 oz. lye
10 oz. olive oil
6 oz. coconut oil
1 tbsp. castor oil

I literally must have stirred the mixture for about 40 minutes without any sign of trace so I gave up. If anyone has any ideas about what I may be doing wrong, they'd be greatly appreciated!

Not sure if it has something to do with the temperature? I mixed the lye and oils at 84 degrees F. I'm not sure if that's just not hot enough. That's another problem I'm having is getting the timing right on getting both mixtures at the same temp. If anyone has any suggestions/hints on this part of the process, that would be helpful too.

Thanks!

Samara

 

[Lil Outlaws]

I don't do CP so I'm not sure, but I remember reading that if you're stirring by hand, it can take an hour or more? Maybe it just takes time... ??

 

[bassgirl]

The first recipe I came up with did the same thing. Even with a SB it would barely show a tiny trace after about 45 minutes. I poured it anyway and it turned out really nice. But I eventually reworked my recipe to where I get a good trace after only about 3 minutes. The only thing I can think of is I had a very high concentration of OO before, so maybe it was too liquidy? I backed off the OO and it's fine now. But that's only my guess as to why it wouldn't trace.

 

[carebear]

assuming your measurements are accurate you are doing nothing wrong. olive oil moves VERY slowly, especially if you are soaping with cool oils and lye.

stirring predominantly olive oil soaps is for the birds, my dear - get a stick blender (aka immersion blender)

 

[Smebinger]

Okay, thanks for the feedback! I'll give it another go and see what happens.

Samara

 

[mamastone]

With my first batch fo soap, stirring with a spoon, it took me more than an hour of constant stirring to reach a very light trace

 

[Pug Mom]

My first (and only so far) batch went two hours of stirring with no trace! I finally got out my mixer and after another 15 minutes there was a tiny trace (I could have been imagining it too) and so far so good! It has to cure until Dec 1 and then I can try it. Good Luck!

 

[Smebinger]

Thanks - glad to know it's not just me then! I'm going to pick up an immersion blender and give that a try next time.

 

[Soapmaker Man]

If you want, just use your hand held mixer to bring your batter to a faster trace until you get your stick blender. Use only if your hand mixers beaters are stainless steel. Be sure to thoroughly wash them after you finish making your soap. It is not dangerous to use the same mixer to make soap with that you use to prepare your foods with as long as you are sure to clean properly after using for soaping. A dedicated stick blender is the best way to bring your batter to a faster trace though.

Paul :wink:

 

[carebear]

Also use care because hand mixers are a) prone to splattering and b) can easily introduce bubbles into your soap. But if you are careful (and wear your goggles) you can manage.

 

[Soapmaker Man]

Also use care because hand mixers are a) prone to splattering and b) can easily introduce bubbles into your soap. But if you are careful (and wear your goggles) you can manage.

Adding to what carebear stated. As long as your batter is higher than your mixing spades on the hand mixer, there should be no spattering as long as you keep them below the top of the batter. Use a bowl that has high sides also. Again, this is just a quick fix until you can secure a stick blender.

Whatever you use to mix the soap emulsification, always use caution. :wink:

Paul

 

[Dalziel]

im thinking of trying a recipe kinda similar to yours Smebinger, please post updates when you try the stick blender. (pics if poss)

 

[Smebinger]

Yep, I'm planning on picking up an immersion blender this weekend and trying again. I'll let you know how it goes...

 

[Smebinger]

So I tried another batch over the weekend, and did a few things different:

1) I used pomace olive oil in place of the olive oil I used previously.
2) I used a lye calculator (I tried the Majestic Mountain Sage one) and based on this, I increased the amount of lye slightly to 2.3 ounces
3) I purchased an immersion blender

So this time around my soap did trace. Yay, yay, yay! I cut it into bars tonight and it seems to look fine.

One thing I noticed - the bars seemed a little soft when I cut them - not sure what exactly the consistency should be when I attempt to cut the bars or if I should have waited another day (I waited 2 days), or if something else if causing this?

Samara
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[heartsong]

soap

before cutting my bars i gently press on them to test for firmness. my perfect cutting is when it feels and cuts like mild cheddar cheese. if your soap is a little soft, leave uncovered and check it again every 12 hrs-depending on the size of your batch. you dont want it too firm or your edges might get damaged. i hand trim/bevel the edges at the same time, or use my new edger/beveler from paul after the soap is completely dry and hard.

 

[Smebinger]

Okay, cool - thanks for the info. That's very helpful.

Samara