No time to do a decent swirl

[PhillipJ]

I learned on room temp CP soaping. That's the way I have always done it. I like to add swirls to my soap, but my problem is that the mixture thickens too fast. By the time I get my colors mixed, the main batch has to be scooped out. And I do move along quick when I mix the color.

I use 33% water and fragrance that is well rated for CP. It seems as soon as the lye mixture is well blended it goes thick. Adding the fragrance usually helps thin it out.

My thoughts are to try soaping with warm ingredients and also adding more water. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[AF_SOAP]

If it is thickening to fast on you, then one it hits emulsion start the adding of colors in separate pots and fragrance. Then you should hand stir the colors. I usually avoid mixing colors/fragrance in with stick blender because in my mind you lose time as in you are making trace happen faster with the blender than with say a spoon.

I usually mix colors in when it hits an emulsion anyway. In fact I have had soaps not trace but only reach emulsion and I just pour into the mold and they come out fine. So it is something you could try on a smaller batch.

 

[PhillipJ]

Thanks AF. I'll give that a try. Maybe I get a little too aggressive with the stick blender and should do more spooning. I get really tense when I soap because everything happens sooo fast.

Do you do room temp?

 

[AF_SOAP]

I never usually do unless I am doing designs. (Swirls, layers, swoops). For these I have the lye at 100°F and the oils at 100°F with sometimes bringing it down to 90°F if the fragrance oil is known to accelerate (coconut anything).

If I am just making laundry soap that is 100% coconut I soap whenever everything is ready to go. Lye could still be at 140°F and my oils at 100°F but it works every time. I know its not the preferred way but I only do it for soaps that I do not plan on selling/giving away.

 

[jade-15]

From what I've read, adding full water will slow things down. (Think 'full' is around 38%).

 

[judymoody]

I also mix my soap batter to a bare emulsion and then add colors and fragrances. I soap at about 110-120. Generally I have plenty of time. I have a stick blender that has a variable speed adjustment (an old Cuisinart that I got used on ebay). I use a lower setting and I have more time.

 

[MzMolly65]

YAY!! I'm happy to say I'm finally getting the hang of swirls, emulsions and trace and when to stir and when to stop.

It's finally clicking after about 6 months of practice. When I first started out I SB everything to a light but absolutely positive trace and I also SB in the colour and scent. By the time I poured it was too thick to do any swirling. Now I SB to emulsion/barely trace, add in fragrance .. hand stir which seems to make it more liquid again .. then I separate it, add the colours into each pot .. hand stir until the colour is mixed and pour.

Now I'm pouring a very liquid mixture compared to my old pudding. Sometimes it needs longer in the mold before I can remove it but it's worth waiting. I'm actually adding less water now than I used to. I was at full 38% water before and now I'm using a 2.5:1, water:lye ratio which is around 28% water.