Having problems with piping, is it my hot hands?

[CpnDouchette]

I am finding that no matter how solid my batter, it eventually melts and I just get a puddle dripping out of my piping bag. I've tried using smaller and smaller amounts in my bag but even then, its just not holding shape properly. Husband took the toddler out all afternoon so I could practice and low and behold every rose I piped ended up looking like it was melting.

My recipe varies but around 50% lard, 20% coconut, 20% OO, 5% castor, 5% something else (but usually a liquid at room temp). Lye concentration is around 33 to 38%. 5% SF.

I feel like its my hands heating batter? Is it my recipe?

 

[TheGecko]

Warm hands would be a problem if you're piping Buttercream Frosting, but it shouldn't be a problem with piping soap batter because heat is part of the saponification process and it should thicken the batter. Sorry, wish I could offer more, but while I got a piping kit a couple of years ago, I haven't gotten around to using it

 

[Quanta]

How hot are your oils and lye solution when you mix them together?

Usually, heat makes saponification happen faster, which would mean the batter gets thicker, not thinner. I suspect you're seeing false trace. If you soap too cool, your oils are thickening because they're cooling, not because they're saponifying. Then when saponification starts to happen, it produces heat which melts your oils back to a liquid. Then your batter starts to get thinner and it runs out of the bag. Then as saponification progresses, your batter begins to thicken again. Is that what you're seeing happen?

I haven't started piping yet but I did get a set for doing it. I have practiced making roses with buttercream icing because that doesn't thicken as you go, lol. My family will be tired of cakes soon. I need to research good recipes for piping soap.

 

[CpnDouchette]

I do soap cool, usually around the 90 mark. Because its lard its slow to trace so I leave it a while to set up. Today it progressed slowly, but steadily from light trace through to not even really plopable (scraping from spatula into bag) over an hour or so as I did other things. As a rule i dont mix much past emulsification because I've been caught out before but did this time because I blended TD and mic straight into batter as it was just a practice batch. Could it be false trace? Maybe. I do treat piping batter the same as regular batter and I would expect to see the same in my regular bars but they've all been fine?

 

[Quanta]

When you put the batter in the piping bag, how thick is it? If you scrape the spatula on the rim of the bowl or pitcher, does it stay put or does it run down into the bowl a little?

 

[bookreader451]

It takes quite a while for soap to thicken enough to pipe, longer than you think it will. If it seems thick stir it for a few seconds and then see the consistency. If it thins out when you stir it needs more time to set.

 

[CpnDouchette]

It takes quite a while for soap to thicken enough to pipe, longer than you think it will. If it seems thick stir it for a few seconds and then see the consistency. If it thins out when you stir it needs more time to set.

Yes, it does thin out a bit if I give it a good stir so maybe it does just need even longer. Gosh it's really tricky balance, isn't it - thick enough to hold its shape whilst still being fluid enough to pipe.

 

[cedarstar]

I use a similar recipe for piping but found that if I didn't add additives or a fragrance it took forever to thicken enough to pipe. I had one unscented batch with 50% lard, 25% oo, 15 co, 5% castor that took 8 hours to get thick enough. I have found that adding kaolin will help it thicken quicker for piping. Depending on your topping color, titanium dioxide can help too. I made the mistake once by not adding any additives as I wanted it to move slow since I was piping a few different soaps. Lard is slow moving but it was too slow without the additives.

 

[CpnDouchette]

that took 8 hours to get thick enough

Yikes. Ok. Might have to start being a morning soaper and a night time piper....

 

[lsg]

I usually use a whipped soap to do my piping.
https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-...rocess-soap/make-soap-frosting-soap-queen-tv/
I like to use decorating syringe like this:
amazon.com/Norpro-Cupcake-Injector-Decorating-9-Piece/dp/B0042YYBNC

 

[CpnDouchette]

I usually use a whipped soap to do my piping.

If only I had a spare kitchen aid.... actually, I dont have a kitchen aid full stop.

 

[lsg]

You can use a portable mixer or a stick blender with a whisk attachment. It will just take a little longer.