First Batch

[TheMadScientist]

I just made my first batch of soap today, using a cheap stick blender I bought at Walmart. While mixing my batch, I heard a crackling sound coming from the 'batter' when the blender was immersed (not the whole time though) and wonder if the blade from this blender is stainless steel after all. Anyone else experience this?

 

[Obsidian]

I've never had that happen. Is your blender head metal or plastic? If its plastic, I wonder if maybe it just got a bit hot and crackled. Its easy to check if your blades are stainless, look and see if they are discolored at all. Stainless won't change color when exposed to lye.

 

[TheMadScientist]

Crackling

It's a metal shaft,the blade is not discoloured. I was mixing in a plastic bowl though. Weird.

 

[jules92207]

Could it be air bubbles while stick blending? Also inside the stick, where the rod meets the machine, if it gets too hot it can melt the inside - watch for that too. It could have been cracking that plastic.

 

[TheMadScientist]

Thank you, yes the blade was very hot when I took it out, it was steaming! Maybe it was air bubbles, I'll see if it happens again next time.

 

[AutumnBreezeSoaps]

We also got ours from walmart ($19.99) and never had a problem yet but we only made three batches so far. Let us know how your next batch turns out while using this.

 

[TheMadScientist]

I will

 

[Obsidian]

Thank you, yes the blade was very hot when I took it out, it was steaming!

Yikes, how hot was the lye solution and oils when you mixed them? I've never had mine get hot enough to steam, not even when making HP.

 

[pamielynn]

Remember to go in short bursts. You can't run it like a regular hand mixer.

 

[CanaDawn]

Never had mine get that hot either...how hot was the soap when you started mixing?

 

[TheMadScientist]

The soap was 120 degrees. Only the stick blender was steaming where the blade was.

 

[jules92207]

Yea short bursts, that should help. And you may want to get a back up in case it dies on you in the middle of a batch.