Help adding FO to HP that's thick as dough

[wetshavingproducts]

So at 190* my recipe has the consistency of dough. What's the best way to add fragrance to it?

Stand mixer? Power wand? Potato masher? Sodium lactate?

While it works completely fine unscented, we all know scent is the spice of soap.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Obsidian]

I use a heavy stainless spoon and stir until my arm wants to fall off. Using sodium lactate will keep your HP more fluid but if you add it now, you still have to stir like mad to get it mixed in.

 

[wetshavingproducts]

Hmm, doesn't seem too comfortable.

What about if the batch was 5lbs?

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Did you use SL?

 

[Seawolfe]

Greater minds than I always advised me to:
1) Use full water in HP recipes
2) Add the superfat before the EO to help cool the sticky batter down and make it more workable

Always worked for me I've heard SL helps a lot as well, but have never tried it myself.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

.................2) Add the superfat before the EO to help cool the sticky batter down and make it more workable

Always worked for me I've heard SL helps a lot as well, but have never tried it myself.

I go one further and add the eo to a little of the SF to really help mixing it in - also means less EO is left behind in a container................

 

[Seawolfe]

I've done that as well - either one works, anything to get the lump of soap below the flashpoint of the EO, yet still workable enough to mix and mold.

Edit to add: I've never tried it, but I suppose the dough hook attachment on a hefty Kitchen-Aid type stand mixer could work, if the stand mixer were strong enough to handle 5 lbs of dough, or better yet taffy, it should also work on soap batter. I don't dare risk it, for fear of having to replace hubbys beloved stand mixer

 

[My3monkees]

I started out doing HP soaps.
I second using full water at all time.
I also added my superfat at the same time as my fragrance.
It's been awhile but I think I usually used a stickblender to work it in.
I never used SL and never had a problem mixing in my fragrance.

 

[seannasmommy]

So at 190* my recipe has the consistency of dough. What's the best way to add fragrance to it?

Stand mixer? Power wand? Potato masher? Sodium lactate?

While it works completely fine unscented, we all know scent is the spice of soap.

Thanks in advance.

My first 2 HP batches became dough, partly because I didn't run my recipe through soap calc first, and it was short on water, and also because I cooked it too long. I also think my crock pot was too hot on low. Most experienced people on here told me 45 min to an hour was enough, and between the increased water, using the warm setting instead of low, stopping the cook much earlier, and adding my superfat after the cook, my third batch was perfect As for fragrancing the first 2 "dough" batches, I just kneaded in the fragrance and color by hand. It seemed to do ok. How did yours do?

 

[wetshavingproducts]

Well, it's a shaving soap, so it's both high on stearic and low on SF (just there for margin of error). And the water I've settled on is 2.5:1. Maybe I'll try 3:1 for a 1lb batch.

Really small test batches of 250g isn't too hard to scent, but there's not a lot to mix, which makes it easier.

Kneading by hand isn't an option since by the time it cools to the point I can touch it without burning, it hardens up.

I'm going to try sodium lactate before I get a stand mixer. SL is a fraction of the cost, even though a stand mixer would be pretty useful for actual baking/cooking.

 

[DeeAnna]

"...the dough hook attachment on a hefty Kitchen-Aid type stand mixer could work..."

Yes, it does. And the paddle attachment works too. Tried 'em on my big Kitchenaid with good results. I might not do 5 lb at one go -- maybe split it up into two or three parts. Just keep it on low and mix only enough to get the fragrance incorporated, unless you want a whipped texture. I have also hand kneaded fragrance into my shave soap, but it's more like firm waxy clay when it's cool. I'd say the KA does a better job and faster, but there's more cleanup after the job is done.