# goat milk replacing water in CP soap



## Raha (Mar 22, 2012)

Dear Soap-makers,
I got local got milk from the farmer's next door and wanted to use it in my soap. Do I replace it with the water I use and mix it with NaOH? How does this effect it's properties when mixed with NaOH and is the fat content significant enough to cut down on my oils?
Thank you!
Raha


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## judymoody (Mar 22, 2012)

Do a search and you will find a ton of threads on goat's milk soap.

Most people don't adjust their recipe to compensate for the fat in the milk.

Some people do 100% goat's milk, some dissolve the lye in the minimal amount of water needed and then add the balance as goat milk.

Goat milk soap is prone to overheating so keep an eye on it in the mold.


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## youreapima2 (Mar 23, 2012)

Don't cut back on your oils. The GM is going to SUPERFAT your recipe. Some ppl dissolve lye in the GM; I learned that when you do this you want to be sure that you have an ice bath around your lye container to keep it from scorching.

The following advise was given to me when I asked questions pertaining to GM soap.

***You must first freeze the milk. The process of adding the lye to the milk should take no less than fifteen minutes so as not to scald the milk***


substitute all the water for the GM, but freeze the GM. Add the lye to the frozen (in ice cube tray) GM. Takes a while to mix and dissolve, so be patient.

***You can look up the GM label to decide how many extra grams of fat you are adding to your soap****  My GM had 7 total grams of fat 7 grams = 0.2469 ounces

I hope that this helps Raha. 
Personally I love GM soap, they have great moisturizing properties.


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## Raha (Mar 25, 2012)

Some people do 100% goat's milk, some dissolve the lye in the minimal amount of water needed and then add the balance as goat milk. 

What is the minimal amount of water for 284 g. NaOH?

Also, if I do it this way, then must I freeze the GM? I'm actually intimidated to freeze first time around..

Also, since the milk is raw and will be exposed to heat then I don't need to pasteurize it, correct?

Thank you!
Raha

p.s.  I did look at the array of topics on the search engine about GM but with limited internet connection and time, I am grateful for anyone who is willing to help <3


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## fiddletree (Mar 25, 2012)

You don't need to pasteurize the milk, but you _really_ need to freeze it.  I only recently started using gm instead of water (discovered a goat farm in my village), and I'm completely in love. It really does live up to all the hype. I freeze the goat milk, and let it thaw enough so it isn't rock hard, but not slushy, so that I can mix in the lye.  If it turns orange you've added the lye too fast, it needs to be added in a minute trickle.  I don't change my recipe, with my oils I have a 7% SF, and don't discount for the fat in the soap, since fat contents aren't always the same in the milk.

edited to say that I just saw your last post.  I haven't ever done a water/milk combo, but I know that some people actually heat up the goats milk to be the same temp as the oils, stick blend it in, and then add the water/lye solution.  Personally, I figure that if I am going to be using goats milk, I will use it for 100% of my liquids to get as much goaty goodness as I can, but it is a bit more of a pain to work with, compared to water.


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## Raha (Mar 25, 2012)

Thank you! 

So you're saying freeze & thaw it but before it gets slushy start adding the NaOH and mixing it in. (What happens if it turns orange--can you still use it or not??) Also, can someone pls. answer:


> Some people do 100% goat's milk, some dissolve the lye in the minimal amount of water needed and then add the balance as goat milk.



What is the minimal amount of water for 284 g. NaOH? 

Grateful!
Raha


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## Raha (Mar 28, 2012)

Making the goat milk soap today!

I was thinking either 

1. add min. amount of water 216g to 284g NaOH but am worried it's too little.
OR 
2. add NaOH flakes to frozen goat milk and then add the 216g water.

Thoughts?

Thanks,
Raha


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## Raha (Mar 28, 2012)

Well, fiddletree, you were right! I added the lye too fast and it turned orange. Does that turn my soap orange  :shock: ?

I hope it's still okay to use...the soap-making continues.

Sincerely,
Raha


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## fiddletree (Mar 28, 2012)

It won't hurt you if it is orange, it will just stink more while you make it and for the first week or so, and will discolor the soap.  It is perfectly usable!


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## MullersLaneFarm (Mar 28, 2012)

Raha,
Like fiddletree, I freeze my raw, whole milk prior to soaping.  When I receive my milk, I'll pour it into a ziplock bag (about half full).  Then place it on its side and freeze it.  You can easily stack a lot of bags of frozen milk this way.  Alternatively, you can freeze the milk in an ice cube tray, then store in a freezer bag.

When making soap, I work with my oils first, weighing, melting the solid oils, then pouring in the weighed liquid oils.  Only then do I do anything with my frozen milk and lye.

I chunk up my frozen milk into 1 inch or less pieces.  Weigh the milk, then weigh the lye.

Here is where I differ from fiddletree.  

I'll dump about 1/3 - 1/2 my lye into my frozen milk and stir to incorporate.  The milk starts to thaw, but there are still frozen chunks.  I'll add the rest of my lye and stir some more.  Then I'll take my stick blender (make sure it is fully submerged!) and use it to break up the remaining frozen milk. 

Then it is immediately poured into the waiting oils.

I've been soaping since '99 and exclusively with 100% milk soaps since 2002.

This method always works for me.


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## Raha (Mar 30, 2012)

Thank you for your responses!
Do you notice that NaOH + GM = really thick pudding texture?
I want to write more later!
Thanks,
Raha


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## MullersLaneFarm (Mar 30, 2012)

Raha said:
			
		

> Do you notice that NaOH + GM = really thick pudding texture?



No.

I suspect that you are using too high of NaOH concentration with your milk or that you are letting the lye solution sit and start to saponify before pouring into your oils.  I use between a 32%-35% lye concentration.  (32% lye: 68% milk up to 35% lye: 65% milk).

I have a couple pictures of my lye solution on my soapmaking page.  (They are the 2 pictures below the SS pots.)  The first is just frozen milk and lye, the one below that is frozen, pureed aloe vera and frozen cream.  This is after my 2nd 'dump' of lye after I've stirred it in.  This is when I take the stick blender to it then immediately pour into the waiting oils.


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