# Help !! Orange Goats Milk soap :-(



## Vic1963 (Sep 14, 2009)

My goats milk soap looks like carrot soap .... 

What is the trick to keeping that cream color ?

I used canned goats milk ( All I had) and added the goats milk to the oils and SB to get it blended together before I added the lye water.

As soon as I added the lye water, it turned orange. ( kinda stunk a little too I might add)   I stirred, and stirred.....

My oils were not real hot......and my lye water was not real hot...

Does Goats milk soap always have a funny smell ?

I did CPHP


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## jarvan (Sep 14, 2009)

You will get an ammonial smell and the color does change. I haven't figured out how to minimize the orangey color from what the lye does to the goat's milk. The nasty ammonia smell fades nicely after a few days.


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## Guest (Sep 14, 2009)

I've used canned goat's milk, too, in addition to fresh, so it's not that necessarily.

I always freeze the milk and let the lye dissolve it.  You need to add the lye MUCH more slowly to milk than you would with water.  I've heard adding it too fast can affect the color, although I've never experienced it personally, just heard about it.


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## Cortney (Sep 14, 2009)

I found using fresh frozen goats milk helps keep it a more milky color rather than orange, and adding the lye slowly.


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## Guest (Sep 14, 2009)

oh, and yes, it does have a funny smell, but it's not as strong as soaping with coffee or something!


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## Vic1963 (Sep 14, 2009)

ok, maybe it was adding the lye to fast.......I just poured it in, instead of dribbling a little......mixing......and doing that until I had it all in.

I only made a 1.5 lb batch since this was my first.

Glad to hear that the ammonia smell will go away 

I may try it again another day...  I don't have access to fresh goats milk so that's why I used canned.

I had thought about using cream from the dairy isle....but, decide I might want to research first.


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## artisan soaps (Sep 14, 2009)

..


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## kittywings (Sep 14, 2009)

Actually, I find it's WAY easier to just use 1/2 the amount of water to make the lye solution let it get cold and then add then substitute the other water for cold gm (when using canned at least) at trace.  It never turns orange or smells (that I can think of) for me this way.


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## Vic1963 (Sep 14, 2009)

kittywings said:
			
		

> Actually, I find it's WAY easier to just use 1/2 the amount of water to make the lye solution let it get cold and then add then substitute the other water for cold gm (when using canned at least) at trace.  It never turns orange or smells (that I can think of) for me this way.



Do you do HP or CP ? or would it matter ?


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## Rosey (Sep 14, 2009)

i've never gotten the orange color or smell either. What I do is use part of the water and put the powder (or when I used canned, i poured that in a bowl and put it in the freezer). I mix the lye with the rest of the water and let it cool to RT. Same with the oils. Then I add the slushied goat's milk to the oils, sb it and then I add the lye. No problems here!

I bet that color changes to tan with time.


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## Vic1963 (Sep 14, 2009)

I hope so Rosey... I will cut it tomorrow and put it on the rack for a few weeks and see what it turns in to.


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## SilverMaple (Sep 14, 2009)

Did you dilute the canned milk?  If it's evaporated, mix it 1/2 and 1/2 with water.

I freeze my goat's milk mixture, then slowly (very slowly) add the lye to the frozen milk.  As you stir, the milk starts to melt.  After about ten minutes, you have cool goat's milk/lye mixture.  It does smell a bit of ammonia and can turn a pale orange, but that fades.

Once my soap is at trace, I put it into the molds and stick it in the freezer for a few hours, then it gets put in a cool place for a couple of days  It will still smell of ammonia when cut, but cures out to be creamy and pale.

I've tried mixing the lye with the water, then adding the GM but haven't had luck with this.  Every time I do that, I end up with zappy soap no matter how long I stir. 

Here's one of my GM soaps right after cutting:


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## Vic1963 (Sep 14, 2009)

Its not bright orange......just golden...

I used half the water and made my lye mixture with that.

The other half of the liquid was canned goats milk, and I used a SB to whiz it into my oils before adding the concentrated lye water. 

None of it was real hot ...


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## Fairydittle (Sep 14, 2009)

I make GM soap and use canned Goat milk.  I divide my milk and water in half.  If the recipe calls for 10 oz of GM, I use 5 oz of distilled water and add the lye to it. I use the remainer of GM and add it at trace.  My soap turns out a creamy color.  It has never turned orange.  All of my soap so far has been GM soap.  I do however add the lye to the oil at 95 to 100 degrees.  I find this works good and all my soaps have turned out really well.


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## Saltysteele (Sep 14, 2009)

i made 2 batches this weekend with powdered goat milk.  no discoloration at all, no trouble and no ammonia smell.

didn't mix with water.  just added the powder as i do any other additive, just after light, light trace.  mixed in great, great creamy color and no problems


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## Guest (Sep 14, 2009)

I find to prevent the  orange  color with fresh milk , I almost have to add the lye very very slowly , stirring constantly  , with the lye pitcher in an ice water bath .

Kitn


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## kittywings (Sep 14, 2009)

Vic1963 said:
			
		

> Do you do HP or CP ? or would it matter ?



It's the heat that turns the sugars in the milk orange/brown so hp's probably not a good idea.

As for the diluting question.  It says on the can to dilute 1/2 and 1/2 with water, so by making the lye solution with 1/2 the water needed and adding the cold gm at trace, you're making a 100% gm soap.

Here's a pic with my most recent gm soap (honeysuckle scented- loveit!), I just unmolded and cut a minute ago... it's got a little bit of yellow pearl mica in it (I am too tired/lazy to take a pretty picture right now).

This is also the soap that I almost forgot to add the gm, meaning I poured it then had to un-pour it add the gm and then pour it again... I think that's why my sides aren't totally smooth, but oh well at least there's no orange,  yay!


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## Healinya (Sep 14, 2009)

I have made it using - ice cold fresh gm in an ice bath, frozen slush in an ice bath, and adding gm after mixing lyewater with oil - but never by adding the gm to the oil before adding the lye, so I would wonder if that could do anything? 

And I agree with the others - the slower you add the lye, the faster you stir, and the colder it is when you mix it (and have your oils ready to go) will have the least discoloration. you'll still smell ammonia, but it fades quickly and you'd never know it was there.


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## Half Caper Farm (Sep 14, 2009)

FWIW, my one and only experience (so far!) with making goat's milk soap - I froze the fresh (straight from the goat   ) milk to hard slush, and added the lye crystals very, very slowly.  The milk container was in a sink full of cold water and ice packs.  It got to a bright yellow, about the colour of my rubber gloves, but that faded to a nice light tan in the mold.

I never noticed any ammonia smell. 

And where on earth do you find _canned_ goat's milk!?!


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## holly99 (Sep 14, 2009)

Half Caper Farm said:
			
		

> And where on earth do you find _canned_ goat's milk!?!



Canned goats milk is pretty easy to find for me. It's in the baking section by the evaporated milk. 

This is the brand I usually see:
http://meyenberg.com/core/products/evaporated


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## holly99 (Sep 14, 2009)

Oh, and my sister-in-law makes a GM HP but she adds a frozen water/powdered GM mixture at the end of the cook. It turns out very nice.


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## Saltysteele (Sep 14, 2009)

in the event anyone was wondering, WSP is a vendor with powdered GM.

some may sneer at using powdered GM, but myself, i would think powdered would be better.  we've all seen what lye can do.  it can dissolve silk.  think of all the things lye can destroy, especially in such high strength in the lye solution.  if powdered, added into the oils when the lye is already losing strength and is diluted, it seems to me would be the best point.


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## Vic1963 (Sep 14, 2009)

holly99 said:
			
		

> Oh, and my sister-in-law makes a GM HP but she adds a frozen water/powdered GM mixture at the end of the cook. It turns out very nice.



Thanks Holly....., I am gonna try it again.......maybe make sure everything is cooler temperature wise.... add the lye slower, and stir faster. 

I appreciate all the tips and comments.......,  I am sure I will get it to work...or die trying...LOL


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## Guest (Sep 15, 2009)

Saltysteele said:
			
		

> in the event anyone was wondering, WSP is a vendor with powdered GM.
> 
> some may sneer at using powdered GM, but myself, i would think powdered would be better.  we've all seen what lye can do.  it can dissolve silk.  think of all the things lye can destroy, especially in such high strength in the lye solution.  if powdered, added into the oils when the lye is already losing strength and is diluted, it seems to me would be the best point.



there are many vendors with powdered gm out there . I only use powder now , the ease of use is such a bonus . I really can't tell the difference in soap made with fresh gm or the powder .

Kitn


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## ChrissyB (Sep 15, 2009)

I would have added your milk portion of your liquid at trace, not into the oils before the lye.


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## kittywings (Sep 15, 2009)

I just bought some powdered gm from lotioncrafter... I think?


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## Healinya (Sep 15, 2009)

Before adding lye






After adding lye





No other colors added





Not a good picture, but these are them


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## Vic1963 (Sep 15, 2009)

My soap was a light caramel color this morning.......I can live with that.

I am gonna try again tho when i get some time.   Making sure everything is at a much cooler temperature.


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## Guest (Sep 15, 2009)

ChrissyB said:
			
		

> I would have added your milk portion of your liquid at trace, not into the oils before the lye.



Good idea and I saw a video on the net where the lady was doing HP
and added the milk at the end (when she wanted the mixture cooler)
added milk and FO then.


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