To: Anyone who soaps, especially hand/mixer stirrers

[Bettacreek]

I've been making soap for about two years now. I started out as cheaply as possible, using a fork to stir. It usually took 6-8 hours per batch. I couldn't find stick-blenders, and more importantly, online it was just too expensive for me (yeah, I couldn't afford the ten bucks or so, don't laugh), so it was just an accepted suckish part of making the "delicious" soap! I finally upgraded to a little hand mixer (4-function mixer, and I used the "whip" attachment) that was three bucks. It shortened my mixing time to two hours, which was simply fantastic! Three bucks, a pair of batteries and I managed to make soap in 1/3-1/4 the time! After dropping my little mixer into my batter, I saved it, but decided that it'd be a good idea to have a back-up. I also decided that I was going to finally try a stick blender. After sinking $140+ into soaping junk, $10 was a drop in the hat. I just made a batch, since I had a few hours... It took me TWENTY FREAKING MINUTES!!!!!!!!!! I am seriously so ecstatic that I'm getting five more of the mold trays (makes 4 bars each) and splitting each little section into a different scent... In an hour and twenty minutes, I can have four different batches of soap in the molds! And, oh my goodness, it won't be nearly as much of a PITA to make a big 7lb batch of soap! I love, love, LOVE the stick blender!

Moral of the long-winded story: If you don't have a stick-blender, GET ONE!

 

[freemotion]

Yup, I had that same delighted shock when I first tried one! Then after a few batches I dropped it and broke it..... So the next time they showed up at the local discount store, I got two. Paid for quickly when I sold the next half a batch of soap.

 

[valmom]

Yep! That cheapo stick blender is the best invention for soap. I actually find it easy to go over and have the soap try to set up in the pot it takes so little time.

 

[Bettacreek]

I'm sorry, I probably sound like a kid, but seriously this revelation was like a 10x orgasm!!! Lol. I'm such a geek I guess. I will have to get another one for back-up lol.

 

[Lady Henevere]

That sounds like a much better option than a fork! I have only made one batch of soap, and did it in a stand blender; it took about 30 seconds of mixing. I'm sure this is workable for small batches only, but for my little family it works great. I'm looking for a silicone baking pan to use as a mold for my second batch (for the first one I used a milk carton).

 

[Bettacreek]

I just realised in my excitement that I forgot to add some of the end stuffs... Lol. Oh well, at least it was a smaller batch (8 bars vs 28). It'll still work. I can gift it to people who don't need the schnazzy extras.

 

[Neko-chan]

That's partly why lye soaps are putting me off. My aunt enjoys making them, but I'm leery of the mixing process for lye soap. I'm starting out with melt and pour, and going from there.

 

[Farmfresh]

You DO have to watch those stick blenders for overheating however. I have killed two that way so far. :/

Now I blend... then stir a bit... then blend... then stir a bit, it also makes it easier for me to see when the soap finally traces.

 

[savingdogs]

I never made soap the hand stirring way, I got an imersion blender at the Goodwill for 5 bucks.

I can tell I've come close to burning out the little motor though. I have to kinda turn it on and then right off, on and right off, in like a pulse, and use the thing to stir in between. It works great, though, I was having the problem of coming to trace too quickly.

 

[valmom]

Yup, I do the pulse and stir method, too. Pulse long enough to get a color change, stir until the color disappears, pulse again. I haven't even come close to burning out my cheapy WalMart blender, and it still goes really fast!

On a hijack- does anyone have tips for soaping in the summer? It is so humid here that the soap sweats instead of curing! I tried putting it down in the basement where we run a de-humidifier, but the mice decided they smelled like food and nibbled the soaps! I have thought about making a cage for the soap to keep mice OUT of the soap, but they get into awfully small spaces.