One soap is too hard, my other soap is too soft, help me get to just right

[cinjim]

good morning, I made a batch of soap today and used the lye calculator so I was cautiously optimistic. when oils and lye reached a temp between 100 - 110 degrees (f) I mixed. Using a stick blender which only seems to have one speed of high the soap became like a thick brownie dough very quickly, bypassing trace all together. Is is because I stick blended while mixing the lye into the oils? I pushed the soap out of the bowl and into a mold spreading it like I would very thick brownies and stuck it in the fridge to cool or something. Please help.

On another note, last week I made soap and poured it into individual molds and the recipe said to put the soap into the refrigerator after pouring so I did and then took it out after 24 hours and put it in blankets to continue to set. fast forward a week and I am still waiting to be able to unmold this soap. I can push on it and it will indent and it won't come out of its mold. it is individual molds rather ornate and cute on the top and the soap is stuck in them.

Please Help

 

[xmasdeer]

Today I had to rebatch soap. I used the same recipe in 2 different soap calculators and one came out horrible, after a week it was still very oily. Today I added more lye and mixed it into the melted and hot rebatch. It looked horrible until I stick blened it, but then it set rapidly. I added yellow to the grey rebatch and the result was like a mess in baby nappies. This will be used by us now, not for friends chrissy presents.
Maybe your calculator was slightly out. I use 2 calculators for the same recipe and now seeing the result from one being horrible, will be staying clear of that one. The few batches I have made that have worked out have all been stick blended right after pouring lye into the oils. This soap making is more complicate than I thought it would be, but still fun.

 

[shunt2011]

good morning, I made a batch of soap today and used the lye calculator so I was cautiously optimistic. when oils and lye reached a temp between 100 - 110 degrees (f) I mixed. Using a stick blender which only seems to have one speed of high the soap became like a thick brownie dough very quickly, bypassing trace all together. Is is because I stick blended while mixing the lye into the oils? I pushed the soap out of the bowl and into a mold spreading it like I would very thick brownies and stuck it in the fridge to cool or something. Please help.

On another note, last week I made soap and poured it into individual molds and the recipe said to put the soap into the refrigerator after pouring so I did and then took it out after 24 hours and put it in blankets to continue to set. fast forward a week and I am still waiting to be able to unmold this soap. I can push on it and it will indent and it won't come out of its mold. it is individual molds rather ornate and cute on the top and the soap is stuck in them.

Please Help

You're going to have to give us more information. Post your recipe including lye/water. It being thick would be trace still. Putting soap in the fridge is going to take longer to remove. Gelling will make it harder quicker. But, again it depends on the recipe.

 

[Misschief]

One suggestion when you're asking for help... post your recipe. It will help in figuring out what's going on.

You really don't have to refrigerate your soap, you know. There's only ever been one batch I kept cold (in a snowbank), an oatmeal, milk, and honey soap. All my other batches stay at room temperature. I don't usually gel my soaps.

(shunt posted while I was still typing)