Soap Batter becoming very thick?

[Anthony0327]

Hello,

So I made another batch of soap. Has anyone ever had the issue of the soap batter becoming thick? Could it have been I mixed the lye solution with the oils while it was too hot ( wasn't paying attention and mixed the lye solution to the oils while the oils had a temp of near 190)? It was very thick where I had to scoop it out rather than pour it into the mold.

Thanks,

Anthony

 

[isha]

Yes. It looks like the temp was too high. Which lead to accelerate trace..
Try to keep the temp between 110-120.. Keeping oil n Lye water at 10 deg difference..
Temperature plays Major role in soaping.
Check this
https://www.soapqueen.com/bath-and-...erature-affects-cold-process-soap/#more-51454

 

[cmzaha]

Not trying to dispute Isha, but oil and lye do not need to be at a 10 degree difference. Higher temps can accelerate trace. What I do is melt my oils until just clear and use room temp lye solution, since I masterbatch my lye. Your recipe can play a big part in how fast you get trace. Lard will help slow trace especially is OO is also used, hard butters and palm oil will trace much quicker. If you post your recipe it will help us help you. Sorry I do not go by a lot of what Ann Marie of SoapQueen says, she is a supplier wanting you to purchase her supplies. There is really better info here and other sites. Soaping 101 is a good source of info

 

[Arimara]

Temperature control can help or hinder whatever efforts you make with a soap. I also melt oils until they are not solid but I do not always use room temp lye. I like to keep the lye around 100 degrees or so mostly. That way I'm not stick-blending for too long.

 

[isha]

Not trying to dispute Isha, but oil and lye do not need to be at a 10 degree difference. Higher temps can accelerate trace. What I do is melt my oils until just clear and use room temp lye solution, since I masterbatch my lye. Your recipe can play a big part in how fast you get trace. Lard will help slow trace especially is OO is also used, hard butters and palm oil will trace much quicker. If you post your recipe it will help us help you. Sorry I do not go by a lot of what Ann Marie of SoapQueen says, she is a supplier wanting you to purchase her supplies. There is really better info here and other sites. Soaping 101 is a good source of info

Good to be always learning .. I too feel soaping 101 has better info than soap queen

 

[dibbles]

Temperature probably had a lot to do with it. Did you use a fragrance or essential oil?

 

[DeeAnna]

If I am using fats that need to melt (lard, tallow, palm, butters, etc.) then I want them to be warm enough to be fully melted, but no hotter than necessary. I want the batter temperature after the lye and fats are mixed to be no warmer than 120 F (50 C) and preferably around 100 - 110 F (38 - 42 C). If I am using all liquid or mostly liquid fats, then it's fine to soap a little cooler.

There are safety reasons why you don't want to put cool/cold lye solution into very warm/hot fat -- and the OP was close to that danger zone with the fats around 190 F.

If your ingredients are somewhere around the temps I listed above, however, that is safe and that is all that is needed. It is not necessary to have the lye solution within 10 degrees of the fats.

Another thing that causes soap to thicken up too fast for new soapers is too much stick blending. But in the situation the OP describes, the fats are much too hot and that caused the problem.

 

[lsg]

I prepare the lye/liquid first. When I use butters, I melt them in the microwave and then put the other hard oils in the hot butters, so they melt. I then add the liquid oils, blend well and then add the lye liquid.

 

[shunt2011]

I do the same as lsg. Works great every time. I don't take temperatures as it's not really that important. As long as my oils are clear and my lye is usually room temp or just warm

 

[isha]

I followed ur advice n did the same as isg in my last batch..

 

[SparksnFlash]

Oh my, I think we've all been there a time or twenty. I agree with posters. Probably high temp or an FO that accelerated. The worst for me is then I'm not patient enough to thoroughly mix the glops in the mold and have a bunch of air pockets. Grr

 

[isha]

I followed ur advice n did the same as isg in my last batch..

Here my tomato puree n calendula soap. Unmoulded after 2 days still very soft.

 

[SoapEh]

I made a layered soap a while back and split the batch into several mini-batches; my intent was to be able to mix and pour each layer, wait for it to set up enough, and then mix the next one, so I'd get straight lines in the final soap.

I wasn't paying careful enough attention and mixed one layer way, way too hot -- around 165F, rather than the intended 110F or so. The batter set up FAST, yowza.

For me, with that particular soap, temperature was the only difference (other than colour, and I don't think they typically affect trace). So in my limited experience YES, definitely, temperature can cause a batch to accelerate.