Teach Soap

I tried hand stirring a couple weeks ago and it was brutal. I don't want to do that again. It wasn't really working.

What do you all do to bring a small batch of soap to trace?

How small of a batch? I use my stick blender even on 1 pound batches. Just make sure the container you are mixing in is deep enough to submerge the blender or you will get air bubbles.

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Haven

In Kevin Dunn's "Scientific Soapmaking" - he has you making very small, one bar batches of single oils to learn oil properties. I have not done this, but what I want to pass along is: he has you shaking the batter (container has a lid on it), not stirring it. If you do what he says and buy laboratory-grade glass containers (that withstand lye) you can see the batter emulsify.

I would not spend the $$$ on the glass, but the right plastic container might work.

He points out that if you do this, to let some of the pressure out of the container every 30 seconds or so - just open the lid for a second.