Stir vs SB (stick blender) HP

[Biglou13]

thanks for tolerating all my newb questions/ issues

I’m going to make first batch tonight. I’m trying to decide how much or how little volume to make. I would like to make a smaller batch but doubt stick blender would be immersed in given pot and small volume.

I’ve also read where some will make such a tiny test batch HP soaps. Where I doubt SB would even be immersed.

I understand larger batches will require SB. But can you get away with just stirring or using whip with smaller batches? I also think about how soap was made historically pre stick blender.

My thoughts then wander to SB mixing a tiny test batch vs gallons. The action of a SB is exponentially greater in a small batch vs large batch. Is it possible to over mix/ blend especially with very small test batches?

 

[jcandleattic]

Yes, of course you can hand stir the batter. Just make sure it is at trace before you start your cook. It is possible to over mix, but with HP it's not as much of a problem as it is with CP.

 

[dixiedragon]

Stirring will be fine. In CP the stick blender is doing a lot of the work but in HP the heat is doing it.

I suggest watching Soaping 101's YouTube video on hot process so you can see what it looks like.

 

[earlene]

thanks for tolerating all my newb questions/ issues

I’m going to make first batch tonight. I’m trying to decide how much or how little volume to make. I would like to make a smaller batch but doubt stick blender would be immersed in given pot and small volume.

My thoughts then wander to SB mixing a tiny test batch vs gallons. The action of a SB is exponentially greater in a small batch vs large batch. Is it possible to over mix/ blend especially with very small test batches?

Yes, but actually it doesn't matter what size the batch is; you can SB too much with any size batch. When you do start using a SBer, use short (3-5 second) bursts and stir in between. Over SBing can not only move your soap batter too fast, but can also burn out the motor in the SB.

As for size of a small batch. I wouldn't go below about 500 grams total batch size (that includes the water in the lye solution.) One reason: accuracy of weights - it's hard to get accurate weights when you use tiny batches, unless you have very accurate scales that measure to the hundredth of a gram.

When I make a small batch of soap, I use a smaller vessel, which is taller with a smaller diameter so the SB can fit into the batch with sufficient depth to cover the bell of the SB with no chance of splashing.

Some oils take longer to come to trace, so I would advise checking your recipe for the amount of total oleic acid in the batch. If it is very high in oleic acid, it will probably take longer to come to trace with only using a whisk or a spoon. One exception to that that I have experienced is when the oil used is POMACE Olive Oil. It traces very quickly compared to regulat olive oil and I never use a SB with soap using at lesat 50% pomace OO.

 

[Biglou13]

Thanks all
I have seen some of soaping 101’s videos and will will watch more
I decided to go with 500 gms

 

[Andrew]

my shaving soap test batches are 100g of oils each. I stick blend all of them. I have tried to blend them with a whisk or spatula, but they do not work as well.

 

[Biglou13]

my shaving soap test batches are 100g of oils each. I stick blend all of them. I have tried to blend them with a whisk or spatula, but they do not work as well.

You must have a really small pot ? Or a very shallow stick blender?

 

[Andrew]

no... plastic measuring cups from walmart for 4 oz pucks.

 

[Biglou13]

my shaving soap test batches are 100g of oils each. I stick blend all of them. I have tried to blend them with a whisk or spatula, but they do not work as well.

no... plastic measuring cups from walmart for 4 oz pucks.

Are you Hot processing?

 

[Dawni]

Someone once gave me advice here when I was new and encountering the same problem. I HP way more than CP.

The suggestion was to SB in a small, deep container.. Deep enough to submerge the SB, and then transfer the batter into your pot and cook. The only downsides are you waste some batter, you'll have more containers to clean, and you'll have to watch temps and trace a lil more closely than you would if you were doing everything inside the pot, with hot oils and hot lye (which is what I do).

Or, if it's not a very big, heavy pot, you can tilt it slightly to one side until your batter submerges your SB. I do that but I make sure either side will have support, in case it slips from my hands or something. Or I put something underneath the tilted side, again making sure it doesn't slip.

 

[penelopejane]

I don't have the patience to handblend batches of soap. In the old days they would handblend for hours. I always use a stickblender. Learning about SB to emulsion is one of the very best skills you can have.

I make 100g of oil batches and SB them in small plastic disposable cups for testing colours and FOs. I only make CP soap.

 

[Andrew]

Are you Hot processing?

While I tend to hot process my testers, I cold process all of my production batches. They look better to me and it is actually a lot easier and quicker to make.