SheLion
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Jan 16, 2017
- Messages
- 131
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- 245
Yesterday, while stirring and SBing a batch of soap for what seemed like a stupid amount of time, I got to thinking about what factors affect trace. I see lots of warnings about things tracing too fast but since at the moment I'm only making un-colored batches, a 1 minute trace sounds pretty good to me.
I decided to compile a list of the different factors and their effects (excepting additives like FOs because I know they are not consistent) since I am going to experiment with colors and designs soon, so having an idea of working time with the batter will be good info. With that in mind, I did a forum search. Somewhere in my search results, I happened upon a post that linked to the following write-up about trace. It is clearly written and packed with such good information that I felt it needed more attention brought to it, particularly for newbie soapers that are still learning all this stuff.
http://www.modernsoapmaking.com/controlling-trace-in-cold-process-soapmaking/
I like that it explains how the different types of fatty acids affect trace. That way, if I'm working with an uncommon oil, I can still figure out its effect on trace time by looking at the acid profile of the oil. It also busted a couple of 'myths' that I learned in the soapmaking class I took years ago (and have also seen floating about online in tutorials).
Anyway, I hope others find it useful as well.
I decided to compile a list of the different factors and their effects (excepting additives like FOs because I know they are not consistent) since I am going to experiment with colors and designs soon, so having an idea of working time with the batter will be good info. With that in mind, I did a forum search. Somewhere in my search results, I happened upon a post that linked to the following write-up about trace. It is clearly written and packed with such good information that I felt it needed more attention brought to it, particularly for newbie soapers that are still learning all this stuff.
http://www.modernsoapmaking.com/controlling-trace-in-cold-process-soapmaking/
I like that it explains how the different types of fatty acids affect trace. That way, if I'm working with an uncommon oil, I can still figure out its effect on trace time by looking at the acid profile of the oil. It also busted a couple of 'myths' that I learned in the soapmaking class I took years ago (and have also seen floating about online in tutorials).
Anyway, I hope others find it useful as well.
