# Hand-stirring soap - no trace?



## Ezekiel's Garde

What can I do, aside from getting a stick blender? I poured it into the mold, and it is now pretty firm, but there are some little bubbles of oil that have come onto the top. Should I wait until I can get a stick blender and then reheat it and try to get it to trace then? Will it be okay if I just leave it in the pan until it firms up even more and just let it cure extra long?

FWIW, it was a goat milk soap and an extremely teeny batch (only 2.2 oz lye for the whole batch and only 7 oz goat milk). I hope it works, because it is a pretty goldy-tan color, not too bad, considering I made sure to stir it in a little at a time to make sure it didn't go orange on me. 

TIA!!!

Oh, and I'd love to have a foolproof goat milk soap recipe, if anyone has it. Especially one that I can hand-stir, as I really don't want to spend the money on a stick blender just right now.


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## Maura

How did you use the milk? Using milk takes a different process when combining with lye than water does. How much trace shows will also be dependent on what your oils are. If your batch was 100% olive oil, it will be hard to see the trace.

I bought a stick blender at a charity shop for $2, so you can probably get one pretty cheap if you want. Some people make little batches in a blender. The other alternative is to make larger batches. I never make such small batches. I use the entire container of lye, organizing the amounts of all other ingredients based on how much lye I am using. This way, I never have to measure out the lye, just pour the whole can into the water and stir (I place a paper towel over the top to keep the fumes in the container).


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## Ezekiel's Garde

Okay...

I measured it out and partially froze it. Added my lye VERY slowly (and didn't turn it orange!). At the same time, I melted my oils (olive oil, palm oil, coconut oil, and a tiny bit of jojoba oil) together. Got them cooled to around 120, and the lye mixture was around 110-115. Combined and stirred for a long time. It went opaque pretty quickly, but never reached what I would call even a light trace. I finally added the scent (lemon EO) and thought that might cause it to accelerate, but that didn't do it either, and I just poured it into my mold. It is finally completely set up. I am going to probably cut it tomorrow and cure the bars for a really long time, just to make sure.

Do you have a dependable recipe for soap using 100% goat milk as the liquid? This was my first attempt at goat milk soap. I've made "regular" soap before, but that was a long time ago. I would prefer smaller batches right now, as I am buying all my ingredients in small bits from the store (can get coconut oil, soybean oil, canola oil, palm oil, etc, but they're from the grocery and lye from Tractor Supply) and am just learning, really. I hope to be able to make larger batches of goat soap and sell it at local craft fairs and/or farmers markets.

I am thinking of stopping at the local Goodwill store to see if they have any stick blenders cheap.


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## fransean

How long did you stir if for? 
Are there any visable pockets of lye?
How much EO did you add? Could the bubbles be EO and not base oils?


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## Ezekiel's Garde

Stirred for about 40 minutes straight. Then I got a whisk out and whisked quickly for another 10. Then left it but kept coming back to stir. It was very well incorporated. It did still smell like lye, but no obvious pockets. Bubbles were probably essential oils, not base oils. It now smells like soap (rather lemon, since that was my scent) and it lathers okay, at least from what I got off my knife when I cut it into bars. I have it curing now. Can't wait!!! I'm going to check the local Goodwill today when I'm out on errands to see if I can get a cheap one. If so, then I'll try a batch with lavender essential oil. . Of I can't get it to work using a stick blender, then I'll look for a different recipe.


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## linn

I wouldn't give up on it. If you have an old crock pot, try putting it in there on low and stirring every so often. When the soap mixture thickens and develops the consistency and looks kind of like Vaseline, it is ready to glob into the molds.


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## Shazza

linn said:


> I wouldn't give up on it. If you have an old crock pot, try putting it in there on low and stirring every so often. When the soap mixture thickens and develops the consistency and looks kind of like Vaseline, it is ready to glob into the molds.


Is that how thick you mix your soap all the time linn or is that just for this particular situation?


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## linn

Not my CP soap, but if I do HP soap in the crockpot I cook until it looks like Vaseline and then add 1/2 cup instant nonfat milk and stir that in well. I picked up that hint from Ponte Vedre Soap. It makes the soap smooth right out and makes it easier to pour. They gave that suggestion to use when re batching, but I use it with my HP soap also.

http://www.pvsoap.com/instructions_for_rebatch.htm


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## MullersLaneFarm

Amy,
Hand stirring will always take a long time to trace. Using oils like lard and olive will make it take forever!!

All the recipes on my site I use with milk.

I melt my oils first, then add the liquid oils, then add lye (dump method) to frozen chunks of milk until all the lye is incorporated, pour immediately into waiting molds


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## halfpint

Depending on what is in your batch, hand stirring usually takes somewhere between 1-2 hours. Unless you are using Pine Tar, which should only be hand stirred and will trace within 1-4 minutes.

If you are using a very small batch, you may want to try a blender. I got one at the thrift store that I use for soaps and crafts only for about $2. Sometimes they have stick blenders but the ones I've seen have not been cheap and I could purchase a new one for the same amount. If you watch the Drug store ads, I've seen them several times for around $5.

Dawn


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## Beeman

do you have a drill? I use a paint stirring attachment for a drill, about $2 at Wal-Mart.


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## Gailann Schrader

I used a hand-blender for YEARS before I got a sb.

If you are going to do more of this? Milk is a little difficult as the cream wants to "clot" for lack of a better word (...try colostrum! It REALLY clots) I would suggest hp in the crockpot to finish it. Nothing is more frustrating than bubbles of oil/lye. Nothing. 

It's not safe to sell or give because you can't be sure it's not lye pockets buried in the soap bars. Lye and eyes don't mix at all...


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## samm

i use goats milk in my soap...matter of fact thats the only liquid i have ever used...
i freeze it, and while my oils are heating and melting togather on the stove i let the milk get melty, so its kinda chunky but with slushy stuff in it too, i set the bowl with the milk in it into a larger bowl with ice and a small amount of water in it, that all goes into the sink. i take the oils off the stove and let them start to cool down, i then sprinkle the lye into the milk and use a rubber spatula to mix it up with...i takes a while to finally get the lye sprinkled into the milk, and mixed up, but take your time. it pays off with creamy white soap...i use a stick blender that i got at goodwill for 2 bucks...i picked up another one last week, for when the first one burns out..lol....anyhow it takes about 20 or alittle more minutes to come to trace with the stick blender.....bless your heart if you are stirring by hand...my arm would cramp and fall off...if you were closer id give ya one of blenders. i like my soap recipie, it aint smelly goody but i like it on my skin...if ya like i will send it to ya......samm


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