Lumpy mixture

[KiwiMoose]

Que disastre! Was trying to do the ever-elusive ombre soap and I'd only just poured the first layer into the bottom, and the white soap that I was adding to the main colour had already thickened and started to get big lumps in it ( 1cm - 2cm in diameter)! I added my next bit of batter and had to stick blend very cautiously - enough to get the lumps out, but not so much that it would cause soap on a stick. I continued on like this for about seven layers until I finally finished pouring.

Really unsure as to what would cause this - the FO said if anything it slows trace. I added 5ml each of Lime EO and Patchouli EO which I don't think would have made a significant difference to that.

The recipe is the one I always use, and I was soaping at the same temp I usually do ( guesstimated as I've never taken temps). My first thought was that the mixture got too cool and it was the hard oils/wax solidifying, which seems to be the most likely, but honestly - it's so hot here today I hardly think that would be the case? And the batter seemed to be still quite warm through the bowl.

Anyone care to suggest how this could have happened?

Anyway - it's in the mold now, and I will show the cut pics tomorrow, most likely with big white lumps though it...

 

[shunt2011]

Was the fragrance something new. Sounds like it riced. I've had a couple cause ricing and had to beat it back into submission. One was smaller lumps but the other was larger. Sounds like you got it to submit somewhat.

 

[Cellador]

Yup, it sounds like ricing to me too. Ricing and acceleration often occur together with a certain FO, but sometimes it's only one or the other.

 

[KiwiMoose]

Good news! The pour was successful - after cutting I can see no lumps. However the ombre wasn't as effective ( gradual) as i would have liked due to me having to work more quickly. But still a perfectly good bar of soap. The fragrance was called 'Saigon Summer' but I have no idea where my NZ supplier got it from. Has anyone heard of that fragrance and know which American supplier stocks it?

 

[jcandleattic]

Really unsure as to what would cause this -

I'm glad it ended up working out, but did you use TD to whiten the white portion? Because TD can/will thicken much faster. For me what helps when using TD is to mix it with water up to 24 hours in advance because that TD will soak up that water like crazy, then you can keep adding until it's fully liquid and stays that way.
It especially sound like this could be the case more so than ricing due to it seems to have only happened to the white portion, or is that not correct?

 

[KiwiMoose]

I'm glad it ended up working out, but did you use TD to whiten the white portion? Because TD can/will thicken much faster. For me what helps when using TD is to mix it with water up to 24 hours in advance because that TD will soak up that water like crazy, then you can keep adding until it's fully liquid and stays that way.
It especially sound like this could be the case more so than ricing due to it seems to have only happened to the white portion, or is that not correct?

Hi - in accordance with the suggestions in my other thread about colouring, I added TD to the entire batch before splitting and colouring. I quite often use TD but haven't really come across this lumpiness before.

 

[jcandleattic]

Okay, then yeah, as others suggested, probably a bit of ricing. Glad it turned out for you, even if the gradient isn't as defined as you would like.

 

[Dawni]

For me what helps when using TD is to mix it with water up to 24 hours in advance because that TD will soak up that water like crazy, then you can keep adding until it's fully liquid and stays that way.

Like clay?

I've noticed that the stuff that accelerates trace, in HP, those stuff thicken up already cooked batter no matter how fluid it started out as.

TD, red clay, charcoal, kaolin... So far those are the ones I've experienced thickening with. When I'm separating batter for swirls and one color is any of the above, that part is majorly gloppier than the others, thus, spoiling somewhat whatever swirl I had planned.

Thanks for the tip

 

[jcandleattic]

Like clay?

I've noticed that the stuff that accelerates trace, in HP, those stuff thicken up already cooked batter no matter how fluid it started out as.

TD, red clay, charcoal, kaolin... So far those are the ones I've experienced thickening with. When I'm separating batter for swirls and one color is any of the above, that part is majorly gloppier than the others, thus, spoiling somewhat whatever swirl I had planned.

Thanks for the tip

It happens to me with anything that will soak up water, so yes, everything you mentioned, and more.

 

[CatahoulaBubble]

I feel like it's caused by the soaper's curse. If I plan out what swirls or colors or patterns I want to do my soap immediately tells me to eff off and gets thick and gloppy. If I don't plan it out then my soap takes forever to come to trace and I would have plenty of time to do whatever swirl I wanted if I only had my colorants already on hand to mix up.

 

[KiwiMoose]

I feel like it's caused by the soaper's curse. If I plan out what swirls or colors or patterns I want to do my soap immediately tells me to eff off and gets thick and gloppy. If I don't plan it out then my soap takes forever to come to trace and I would have plenty of time to do whatever swirl I wanted if I only had my colorants already on hand to mix up.

That's it!