quick to trace!

[Shells kitchen]

hello to you clever lot
i've been making CP soaps for a couple of years now and have only mucked up a couple of batches I think! I made a vanilla soap yesterday- vegetable oil, coconut oil and beeswax. It traced almost immediately! I tried to stir it as much as I could risk, before putiing it into the mould. It had set in a few hours- looks and smells OK- but surely this isn't right?!!
Can anyone advise me- will it be ok and why would that have happened- did I have the temperatures wrong?! Thanks in advance, Shell.

 

[carebear]

it's hard to say if you had the temps wrong without some information about your temps...

beeswax can speed trace
high temps can speed trace
some FOs can speed trace
highly concentrated lye solutions can speed trace

it's either one or some or all of the above. but in order to pinpoint it we'll need to know more about each.

 

[beautifulbay]

It could very well be the beeswax. I use it often, because we raise bees.

It always speeds up trace...it is also one of the fastest oils to cool, so if it starts to cool down too quickly, it will thicken up almost as soon as you add your oils. You'll notice how it coats everything, and how clean up is much more difficult?

in most cases, the soap comes out ok, but try melting your beeswax last and then adding it to your oils while still warm. ...it may help some.

 

[Shells kitchen]

quick to trace

many thanks for your quick replies- mmm maybe it is the beeswax- i did mix them at the same temperatures i always do and usually it takes alot longer!! i will try your method next time and add the melted beeswax last.
quite nice not to spend the afternoon stirring so i might use beeswax again! :wink:

 

[Saltysteele]

.............. try melting your beeswax last and then adding it to your oils while still warm. ...it may help some.

sweetness! that's an awesome tip, BB

Thanks

 

[Guest]

I have had this happen when the beeswax and lye mixture wasn't quite warm enough . Instant mess .

That is a great tip about melting the beeswax last .Thnx

 

[Ishbel]

Also remember anything with vanilla is a b**ch and can really mess up any lovely oil combination! its usually so quick to set, you have to be an olympic athlete to catch up with trace and tramp it down into the mold :x

 

[CookieChan]

What if you put it in the mold and then add the vanilla scent just in case it will seize?

 

[Ishbel]

That might work but I would be worried that the FO would not mix evenly

 

[carebear]

What if you put it in the mold and then add the vanilla scent just in case it will seize?

I think it could be difficult to get it mixed completely in the mold, and maybe can mess up the liner (if it's lined). I have blended in the mold in an emergency but I don't recommend it.

 

[Saltysteele]

lol

where i mix everything is across the kitchen from where i keep my molds. wonder if they make a cordless stickblender, so i can blend on the move lol


seriously, though, about the accelerated trace- does adding extra water, or the other methods of decelerating trace, work with accelerators like beeswax or vanilla?

 

[carebear]

I've never found vanillas to accelerate trace, except one floral vanilla.

but yes, extra water may help somewhat no matter the cause. just may not be enough.

 

[Guest]

I haven't found a vanilla accelerate trace yet and I seem to love buying FO"s with vanilla :wink:

 

[hestia]

There are times when I've used an FO that accelerates trace. I found that in most cases it can be SB'd into submission. On occasion I've added a couple of Tblsp of water to get it to "release". Now, I add my EO/FO to my oils and make sure they are well blended before I add the lye. Things go quickly, yes, but I've only wound up with uncooperative soap once. My fault - multi-tasking is not my forte. Oh, and if you do wind up with a particularly thick batch, spoon it into your mold, don't pour. You will never get all the air pockets out!