rdc1978
Well-Known Member
I wanted to do a CP process with a freestyle zig zag swirl like how they have on soaping 101. I have done this soap before and it came out really pretty. The last time I did it I used the same fragrance oil that I used this time, namely Bamboo Mint from Brambleberry, which I LOOOOVE.
This time, terrible disaster! I mixed my lye water and oils with the oils at about 100 and the lye at about 112 (I think). I stick blended in short bursts maybe twice and it was at a stage between emulsion and light trace which was great for me. I whisked in the fragrance oil and literally as I started to split the batter into colors it went to like medium/thick trace. I've had something similar happen to me when I soaped with baby breath f/o (Brambleberry) and another one from brambleberry which are all supposed to perform well in CP soaps.
What am I doing wrong?
Here is my recipe (superfat 7%)
55% olive oil - 19.25 oz
30% coconut oil - 10.5 oz
7% palm oil - 2.45 oz
3% castor oil - 1.05 oz
5% rice bran oil - 1.75 oz
Lye Water was at 33% lye concentration
Lye - 4.88 oz
Water - 9.91oz
Sodium Lactate - 2 teaspoons
Fragrance Oil - 3.00 oz
I normally soap at 90 degrees, but figured that maybe soaping at that low a temperature was what was responsible for my baby breath soap going to thick trace so fast. Could that be it?
I'm also wondering if maybe there is something going on with my stick blender, its cheap, but I feel like I've used it to successfully make other bars of soap. However I notice that when I look at soapers on youtube they stick blend a LOT longer than I do. I need maybe like 2-3 seconds before my batter is at emulsion or near enough to emulsion that I can whisk it the rest of the way there. But could it be that?
I have also very recently changed over to using a lye concentration instead of a % to oils when using soapcalc. Could that be it?
I'm so freaking frustrated right now, I barely had time to do something that might be a spoon swirl and I just know the soap is going to be a hot mess. Any help would be much appreciated. I want to soap this weekend but I'm getting scared that everything is going to be a darned mess!
This time, terrible disaster! I mixed my lye water and oils with the oils at about 100 and the lye at about 112 (I think). I stick blended in short bursts maybe twice and it was at a stage between emulsion and light trace which was great for me. I whisked in the fragrance oil and literally as I started to split the batter into colors it went to like medium/thick trace. I've had something similar happen to me when I soaped with baby breath f/o (Brambleberry) and another one from brambleberry which are all supposed to perform well in CP soaps.
What am I doing wrong?
Here is my recipe (superfat 7%)
55% olive oil - 19.25 oz
30% coconut oil - 10.5 oz
7% palm oil - 2.45 oz
3% castor oil - 1.05 oz
5% rice bran oil - 1.75 oz
Lye Water was at 33% lye concentration
Lye - 4.88 oz
Water - 9.91oz
Sodium Lactate - 2 teaspoons
Fragrance Oil - 3.00 oz
I normally soap at 90 degrees, but figured that maybe soaping at that low a temperature was what was responsible for my baby breath soap going to thick trace so fast. Could that be it?
I'm also wondering if maybe there is something going on with my stick blender, its cheap, but I feel like I've used it to successfully make other bars of soap. However I notice that when I look at soapers on youtube they stick blend a LOT longer than I do. I need maybe like 2-3 seconds before my batter is at emulsion or near enough to emulsion that I can whisk it the rest of the way there. But could it be that?
I have also very recently changed over to using a lye concentration instead of a % to oils when using soapcalc. Could that be it?
I'm so freaking frustrated right now, I barely had time to do something that might be a spoon swirl and I just know the soap is going to be a hot mess. Any help would be much appreciated. I want to soap this weekend but I'm getting scared that everything is going to be a darned mess!