Which Speed on Stick Blender

[squyars]

Today I made my second batch. One pound with 96% OO and 4% castor oil. I used my immersion blender on low, but after 4 minutes of no trace, I started to panic. After switching to high, still no trace after 2 minutes. As terror started to creep in, I rushed to my trusty Kindle to check the forum. After seeing that OO can slow trace, I went back to mix, only to find that it was beginning to trace. LOL.

So the question I have is...... which speed is recommended when using a stick blender?

I also noted that the blender started to get hot after a few minutes. Is it OK or even needed to turn off the blender a few minutes to allow it to cool?

Thanks for the help.

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[Trinity]

I usually use my stick blender in burst like for a few seconds and stir with it for a few and continue like that til trace. My blender only has one speed so I can't answer the question on low or high but I think you could probably use either one depending on what you are trying to do like with oils and different scents that accelerate trace so try both and you will know which one works the best for you Good Luck

 

[savonierre]

I have 2 speeds and just go back and forth between them.. Glad your soap traced for you.

 

[eyeroll]

My stick blender only has one speed as well so I alternate about 15 seconds blending with 30-45 seconds stirring until it starts to trace. I haven't timed it exactly but don't think it's ever taken more than about 10 minutes to get to a light trace, and I usually use 50-75% olive oil in my recipes.


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[judymoody]

I use the lowest possible speed and alternate pulsing with stirring.

If you are going to use that much OO, cut back on your water and your soap will trace faster. Try a ratio of 1 lye to 2 water, or 1 lye to 1.5 water.

 

[squyars]

Thanks!

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[boyago]

Use what ever speed seems to mixing the best. That doesn't seem too long at all to get trace. As your soap thickens I would ease up on the speed. I suggest pulsing and stirring to keep the motor cooler and yes give it a break when it gets hot. Typically when you feel it getting hot your taxing the motor. I just burned up my old thrift store blender by pushing it too hard (I was being impatient). Sometimes when you cook a motor you can dismantle it and clean the brushes and it will work again but all the blenders I've seen you can't get to the brushes. My new blender I bought from a box store has two speeds the first one is marked by one dot and turns at "holly smokes that is way too fast" and the second has two dots and turns at "What the hey, that's the same way too fast speed". It will violently slam itself into the bottom of the bowl if engaged without a two hand grip and has no problem throwing around a couple pounds of soap with just the suction of the blades. I really need to take it back I'm sure there is something wrong with it.

 

[sososo]

My blender has two speed but I use only the low one for very short amounts of time (4-5 seconds), then I stirr for 10-12 seconds and so on.

 

[PinkCupcake]

I burned up a cheap stick blender on a batch with a high percentage of OO. I love my recipe, but I am slooooowly cutting back the water in it. For some reason cutting back the water makes me nervous, but it takes forever for this recipe to trace.

 

[squyars]

Ha! I just pushed the darn button and let it rip. Running continuously for 30+ seconds at a time. Holy smokes! Good thing I didn't break it and the soap.

Thanks!

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[sistrum]

If I don't hand stir I do the wiz and stir thing with my stick blender on low. I've found that the slower to trace the creamier looking my soaps turn out.

For those of you that think seven to ten minutes is a long time to stir you should have been making soap back before we had stick blenders! I'm sure I'm not the only one here that remembers those days.

 

[kazmi]

I can't imagine making soap without a stick blender Sistrum. My recipes track pretty fast but I imagine doing it by only stirring and think I'd probably have to find another hobby LOL. I give you a LOT of credit especially making castille soap and in large batches Whew! I'd be a lot skinnier.

 

[PinkCupcake]

When I was pastry chef in a nice restaurant, sometimes my mixer would die (the nicest restaurants skimp the most on equipment!) and I would have to make whipped cream by hand every night. I developed some good muscles in my right arm. But I'm not stirring & whisking soap for an hour just for fun!

 

[shunt2011]

Mine has two speeds (Cusinart) and I only use it on low speed with intermittent bursts and stirring in between. Though I usually only mix until emulsified and not at trace. Except when making a really high olive oil (85%) then I may give it a few bursts on high. I do discount my water on that one.

 

[mbeachysoap]

I have an Oster with 250watts .. my other one had less and it didn't work well at all and it also got hot. My Oster was under $20 and it works awesome.