Yep still trying to figure out something about our soap making a couple weeks ago. I couldn't sleep last night so I got up and read some in the Soapmakers companion and something she said in there about unsaturated and saturated got me to thinking. So I started making some notes. The 1st batch took a long time to trace but the second batch started tracing before we could even get it all stirred up.
Our 1st batch of CP soap was made with a store brand shortening and I believe it's called Best Choice brand. Then when we started making the 2nd batch we didn't have quite enough of that left so we used some of Walmarts brand shortening which is GV. On the GV brand it has soybean oil and cottonseed oil in it but since we tore the label off the other shortening container I don't know what was in it. BUT it was really pretty and white and then GV brand is really off white in color and looks totally different than the Best Choice brand did. So I am thinking it was the difference in the shortenings (that made the 2nd batch trace soooo fast)along with there were different name brand olive oils in each batch as well. The 2nd batch had Flippo Berio extra light and the 1st batch was also extra light but it was Master Choice imported.
So I think I am going to stay with the best choice store brand rather than GV brand because of it wanting to trace soooo fast. ALSO we started stirring in the lye and water faster in the second batch than we did on the 1st batch so that probably paid a part in this to. Anyway just wanted to ask would the shortening being different brands cause it to trace faster. IF I am remembering right the Best Choice brand had tallow in it.
Anyway I made some notes like everyone said to do so we will know what we used and how it reacted. It's very neat learning all of this stuff!
Our 1st batch of CP soap was made with a store brand shortening and I believe it's called Best Choice brand. Then when we started making the 2nd batch we didn't have quite enough of that left so we used some of Walmarts brand shortening which is GV. On the GV brand it has soybean oil and cottonseed oil in it but since we tore the label off the other shortening container I don't know what was in it. BUT it was really pretty and white and then GV brand is really off white in color and looks totally different than the Best Choice brand did. So I am thinking it was the difference in the shortenings (that made the 2nd batch trace soooo fast)along with there were different name brand olive oils in each batch as well. The 2nd batch had Flippo Berio extra light and the 1st batch was also extra light but it was Master Choice imported.
So I think I am going to stay with the best choice store brand rather than GV brand because of it wanting to trace soooo fast. ALSO we started stirring in the lye and water faster in the second batch than we did on the 1st batch so that probably paid a part in this to. Anyway just wanted to ask would the shortening being different brands cause it to trace faster. IF I am remembering right the Best Choice brand had tallow in it.
Anyway I made some notes like everyone said to do so we will know what we used and how it reacted. It's very neat learning all of this stuff!
