Can this work?

[Tara_H]

Please excuse the messy screenshots, trying to do this on mobile.

I want to pour one final slab for the Dutch pour, but it's going to be a big one, almost 1kg of oils, so I don't want to use super expensive ones.

I've got it to a place where it seems not terrible, and hoping to balance the low bubbles with added sugar. Curious to see if this also generates enough extra heat to offset the child environment here.

Can this produce a reasonably usable soap or am I being delusional?

 

[amd]

Curious to see if this also generates enough extra heat to offset the child environment here.

Did you get autocorrected? I'm not sure what this means.

I don't think I would use tallow - I think it may speed up trace, at least that was my experience when I switched from lard to tallow in my recipe. I think you would do better with lard if the intention is to have a slow moving recipe for the dutch pour - if I understand your need. Is this for only the slab, or is it also for the batter to blow? I also wouldn't worry about the bubbles, I know several soapers who do 100% tallow and their soaps lather wonderfully in my hard water (I can't stand to use them because I can smell the beef, but that's my weird nose).

 

[Tara_H]

Did you get autocorrected? I'm not sure what this means.

Haha yes, sorry! That should have been cold environment...

I can't get lard here but I've used tallow a lot; generally the problem is it cooling down and setting rather than getting to trace too fast! I was thinking I would do this for the slab and see how it behaves, then if it's uncooperative I would try something else for the decorative layer. But I'd like to make sure it will be at least a usable soap. Sounds like you're saying there's no obvious issues?

(And yes, I've washed the tallow a lot! Not a massive fan of the smell either but it's heads and shoulders above the rest in terms of being cost effective and easy to get.)

 

[amd]

The only thing I see of concern is the linoleic and linolenic properties. I'm trying to remember what we recommend for combined to get a good soap - I'm thinking it was 15 or 17%, gawd my memory is crap these days. 16% might be ok. If it is 15%, I don't think having the 1% difference is really going to matter. Sorry, I feel like I'm talking circles. I would try the recipe, is my point. See how it behaves for the slab. If you are using a fragrance, I would reserve a bit before you add the fragrance so that way you can see if the fragrance affects it or not. I think for this challenge we will need quite a bit of working time.

 

[Tara_H]

Sounds good, the guidance I saw was to aim for below 15 to avoid DOS; like you I figured I could hopefully get away with the 1%
If I get an early start in the morning I'll try and get this done before work so it's set up for the weekend. Fingers crossed!

 

[Tara_H]

If you are using a fragrance, I would reserve a bit before you add the fragrance so that way you can see if the fragrance affects it or not.

I don't know how I missed this yesterday but that would have been a good idea!

Just finished pouring the slab with this recipe, it behaved very nicely! I got it to emulsion/start of trace, then added mica and SB'd it a bit more. Stirred in the sugar and then fragrance (patchouli, eucalyptus and rosemary, but at very low doses, I just want a hint of outdoors without being too smelly) and continued stirring with the spatula for a good while and it stayed nice and liquid.

What I'm thinking right now is that if I warm the slab very slightly before doing the pour, and use this recipe, there should be no reason for any premature solidifying and I might finally get to execute an actual plan