| Hi miscindy, I tried my 1st cp batch today. = Congrats! 1st of all, I forgot to use distilled water. = Unless your water is terrible (you wouldn’t drink it without filtering) then you probably don’t need distilled water. 2nd I used a scale that was not digital, but had .5 ounce markings.
This is probably the first mistake the new soapmakers do by not using a proper/accurate scale. The smaller the recipe, the more critical the measurements need to be. The spring scales are the worst; they’ll measure different every time! I used a 1# basic recipe with olive, coconut and superfatted with 1 TB castor oil.
Posting amounts of each ingredient, sometime helps if others check your numbers (I rarely check other’s recipe numbers). I stirred by hand for 45 minutes. The recipe said it should trace in 10-20 minutes.
I got nothing!
= Go to a second-hand outlet and by yourself a Braun stick blender, and save your wrist. After 45 minutes I poured it into the mold. Do you think it will turn out? Is there a way to save it? What do you think I did wrong?
It does take some experience with identifying trace, the soap has a (hard to explain look) and thickness to it when it comes to trace. The "look" comes before the feel/thickness.
Depending on what the soaper wants to do with the recipe, like splitting up the batch, sometimes Iding this early trace comes in handy. Let your soap cure for a few weeks before using it, I know you want to try it; the longer the soap airs, the longer it will last you. Check on the internet on how to do a "tongue test"; I did this test for probably the firstyear(?) when I first started making soap. Let us know how you like your new found hobby. | 
