False Trace

[cmzaha]

I would really like to know what is considered a false trace. I cannot say I have ever had a trace I would call false... If a soap accelerates that is not a false trace. If a soap seizes it still is not a false trace just seized soap that has to be dealt with and soap will still form if when just a good emulsion is reached. Seperation and/or ricing can also occur, but that is usually due to overheating and fo issues, not a trace issue. So I have always been confused about what a person considers a false trace.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

I don't have huge amounts of batches under my belt, but I have also not come upon this.

From looking at the thread with "The Castile", there are instances where the emulsification has broken down. Not due to heat or anything, but something in the nature. It makes me think that in 'normal' soap it is not so common that it is truly a false trace but, as you said, more of an issue from something else like heat or FO or so on.

 

[purplefan]

Very interested to hear what others think.
I have several designs where I start separating into colours and pouring when the mixture is just barely emulsified, mixing with a whisk, have not had any problems doing this as yet, but there is always a first

 

[Lion Of Judah]

IMO : false trace is when your mixture seems to be tracing but instead its your hard oils that are solidifying again meaning you may be soaping at too low a temperature. which in my train of thought could also mean your batch did not emulsify properly starting the saponification process which may cause it to separate in the mold.

 

[AustinStraight]

That's what I think, hard oils solidifying.

 

[Obsidian]

I always hear about false trace but has anyone actually experienced it?

 

[cmzaha]

IMO : false trace is when your mixture seems to be tracing but instead its your hard oils that are solidifying again meaning you may be soaping at too low a temperature. which in my train of thought could also mean your batch did not emulsify properly starting the saponification process which may cause it to separate in the mold.

I will buy this...:smile: I would think could happen with stearic acid along with coco butter, kokum, illipe etc. I admit it has never happened but I make sure all hard butters are melted well. If I use a large percentage of hard oils and it is a cold day I do soap this at a slightly higher temp than my normal room temp which is around 80 degrees fahrenheit.

 

[AustinStraight]

I've never had false trace. But, I mostly make bastile soap these days (I use slightly different bastile recipes, but they generally contain about 60-70% olive oil). I have 2 pounds of premixed bastile oil in a soda bottle and that oil is liquid, whereas the coconut oil next to it is rock-solid, so I don't think false trace will ever be a problem with it.

 

[eyeroll]

I always hear about false trace but has anyone actually experienced it?

Bueller? Bueller?

 

[Ruthie]

I've only had one false trace but as memory serves me (which isn't always too well!) it was when my temps were too high. I do not recall all the details. I just remember that in the mold the oils started to separate out.

Perhaps I should rephrase this. I sometimes soap very cold and the oils do start to solidify. So I guess that is false trace. But I know it is lying to me so I ignore it and keep blending.

 

[heather s]

My regular recipe has a lot of cocoa and shea so I can have a hard bar without using any palm and keeping my coconut under 25%. It is a tricky recipe especially when I use accelerating eo's.
I have to soap pretty hot and fast. I also love spicy eo's like cinnamon and for those if I soap too hot they seize...but when I try to cool it down a bit first it also "looks like" it is going to seize but never gets rock hard....just very very thick very fast. That is the false trace. The butters are causing the whole thing to solidify.
It is a tricky and sometimes frustrating recipe but the end result is worth it

 

[heather s]

Haha I wrote "without using any lye" that should say palm!!! lol guess I wouldn't have any trace, even a false one if that were the case ;-) I edited it

 

[judymoody]

I have gotten false trace when I've soaped too cool. It looks grainy rather than smooth. If you hand stir it a bit, the exothermic reaction will get going and pretty soon the soap batter thins out and gets smooth. You can then whisk or SB it to get to your desired consistency.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Bears out then that a hot false trace is actually trace, but then overheating causing it to separate. Solidifying oils at low temps seems to be the false trace.