HELP... made my 2nd batch today.... what went wrong?

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drdave46

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when making my soap today this is what happened: I was making lavendar soap, I added my lavendar FO to the oil, then after I mixed the oil with the lye solution it came to hard trace right away, I mean within 1-2 minutes. I didn't even have enough time to add the color before it got hard. What did I do wrong?

should I wait and add the FO to the batch after trace and NOT to the oils?

I don't know.

thank you

Dave
 
Sounds like your FO seized. Most of the time you can combat that by soaping cooler temps - lye and oils, don't use a SB, just a whisk.

It's a PIA, but it happens all the time. I test every FO or EO in 1lb batch of crisco. Less surprises with bigger batches and more pricey oils.
 
When I add my FOs, I don't turn the SB on, I just use it as a manual whisk while I stir the FO in. After about a minute I turn it on, in short bursts. Knock on wood, no issues yet.
 
How about using an EO instead of an FO? I've used lavender eo many times with no seizures.

Or try adding lecithin, 1 tsp ppo. Add it to your emulsion and incorporate before you add your FO at light trace. Got this tip from soapbuddy. It really slows down the acceleration. It's fantastic!
 
thank you

Thanks for the suggestions, but I have a question: Does it matter if you add FO to the oils first or should you wait and add at trace?
thanks again.

Dave
 
c.a.p. said:
Or try adding lecithin, 1 tsp ppo. Add it to your emulsion and incorporate before you add your FO at light trace. Got this tip from soapbuddy. It really slows down the acceleration. It's fantastic!

Sorry to thread jack, but really!?! I have to try this... bought lecithin ages ago and never did a thing with it.. Thanks for sharing :)
 
I add my FO/EO to the oil before the lye/water. It's just easier.
 
Floral FOs are notorious for accelerating/seizing.

Like everybody else said, soap cool, use a whisk, and don't discount your water.

Floral EOs are less finicky but more expensive, some prohibitively so. And some floral scents are only available in FOs.

Check the following link before trying a new FO - often there is information about how it soaps and any precautions you might want to take.

http://soapscentreview.obisoap.ca/index.php
 
Re: thank you

drdave46 said:
Thanks for the suggestions, but I have a question: Does it matter if you add FO to the oils first or should you wait and add at trace?
thanks again.

Dave

I add at very light trace, making sure it's not false trace, I did one batch with the oil, before the lye water, though, and it turned out just fine.
 
AmyW said:
When I add my FOs, I don't turn the SB on, I just use it as a manual whisk while I stir the FO in. After about a minute I turn it on, in short bursts. Knock on wood, no issues yet.

I do the same thing. I first use manual wisk and if it doesn't trace within a minute or so I then use SB.
 
I'm not sure I understand the whisk thing. So, you stick blend to bring your oils and lye water just to emulsification, not to trace? Then add FO and whisk? I'd be concerned that the FO would cause acceleration before I was able to fully incorporate it into the soap. Did I describe that process correctly? Thanks for your help!
 
Just when it starts to trace, you can barely see the trail, but it stays when it's stirred down (seems like I get false trace a lot, looks like it's tracing but I stir it down with the SB off and the trace goes away, happens a few times in each batch). I turn the SB off, add the FO, and use the SB like a manual whisk to start mixing it all slowly at first then SB to the trace I want.
 
Healinya said:
c.a.p. said:
Or try adding lecithin, 1 tsp ppo. Add it to your emulsion and incorporate before you add your FO at light trace. Got this tip from soapbuddy. It really slows down the acceleration. It's fantastic!

Sorry to thread jack, but really!?! I have to try this... bought lecithin ages ago and never did a thing with it.. Thanks for sharing :)
Yes, it really works! I use liquid lecithin for some of my florals to make them managable.
 
i add at trace..never had a batch seize...knocks on wood...although it has been years:)
 
WOW... IT CAME OUT GREAT!!!

I thought that I ruined my second batch, but when I unmolded the batch it came out great! I can't believe it, the color is perfect and the scent is right on the mark.

When I poured this soap into the mold, not only was it at very thick trace and I had to smooch it into the mold, the color was just a dark cream even though I added blue and fusia coloring at trace. When I unmolded it the soap was a perfect LILAC color! who knew!!!!

Thanks your all your responses and suggestions, now Iknow what to do next time..

Dave
 
SudsyKat said:
I'm not sure I understand the whisk thing. So, you stick blend to bring your oils and lye water just to emulsification, not to trace? Then add FO and whisk? I'd be concerned that the FO would cause acceleration before I was able to fully incorporate it into the soap. Did I describe that process correctly? Thanks for your help!

No, I stickblend to mix the FO into the oils thoroughly, then use the whisk to incorporate the lye water RATHER than using the SB. One hit of the SB in a floral after the lye water is added can get me to heavy trace instantly, especially Lavender. Using the whisk and full water, I can usually get a marble or a swirl, except for that darn lavender. That one I speckle with Grape Pop and call it good.

drdave, glad to hear your batch turned out well after all! Congrats!!
 
Baking Nana - how long does it take you to trace using a whisk? I've heard it can take an hour or more to reach trace when stirring by hand (that sounds like not a lot of fun)! Are you not worried about the lye not being fully incorporated? Just wondering - I want to try this the next time I have a floral FO (and I just ordered a bunch of samples from Peak).
 
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