Coconut Milk - my observations

layserbrat · Jun 22, 2013

I have used about three different brands of canned coconut milk and use it at a 2:1 ratio of CM : Distilled Water. The brands that did not contain anything but CM and Water thickened up my batter as quickly as the brands with Guar Gum and other ingredients. I mix the lye with the Distilled water and mix it into the oils. Then I blend to trace. I was adding the CM at this point, but tried adding the EOs first this time. Didn't make a difference. It was pudding thick when I poured into the mold.

All in all I still like this ratio in the final product and finding CM without added ingredients is getting harder and harder...

I do know it is a mad dash to get it to the freezer before it starts heating up!

I would love to hear how others fair with Coconut Milk. It is my new favorite ingredient! By the way, these observations are for CP....

three_little_fishes · Jun 22, 2013

I just used canned CM for the first time last night. Seems like it turned out well, but I won't know for sure until I cut tomorrow night. Like you, I added at trace. I also used agave, so yes, it was a mad dash to the freezer! What I used had the guar guar gum. You're right, finding it with no additives is hard!

Ginka · Jun 22, 2013

I made my first batch, using CM last night. it was light CM with GG ( I forgot to check). Used 100% of CM, diluted lye in it instead of water ( like in reguler recipe), and it thickened like a pudding. When I added oils and started to stick blend it was fine. Oils diluted it enought to make it workable. I made facial bar with green clay and Tangerine and Pepperming EO. It allowed me to add all my ingredients and pour in to the mold. I covered it in hopes to jell, but not sure. I took a pick an hour and a half later, it was hot but no jell ring in the middle.
Now, 12 h later it looks fine. Hard top and sides, but a bit softer at the bottom. Itching to unmold, but will excersice my will power, and let it harden another 12-24h.

roseb · Jun 22, 2013

The coconuts on my palm look ready, so I'll have to try my next batch with fresh coconut water. Hope it's worth all the work of peeling those coconuts!

DeeAnna · Jun 22, 2013

My coconut milk soap also traced fast -- 2-3 minutes. The recipe had high oleic safflower, palm, coconut oil, and a tish of sunflower and castor. 30% lye solution, 6% superfat, CPOP method, no fragrance.

I used a thermocouple to monitor the temperature (because I'm a geek and like to know these things). That showed unusually large swings in temperature as I initially hand mixed the batter for about a minute. I normally see a fairly gradual even rise in the batter temp with other recipes.

In hindsight, I would try to increase the time to trace by getting the initial batter temp below 100 deg F. Another option would be to include more water in the lye solution, but I'd do that only if reducing the temp doesn't help enough.

Maybe adding CM at trace works great for others, but I personally will either stick with adding it to my water to make the lye solution or or I will stick blend the CM into the oils right before adding the lye, as I do with pine tar when making pine tar soap. That lets me focus on getting the batter mixed thoroughly and poured before it gets too thick.

Skatergirl46 · Jun 22, 2013

Thank you for this DeeAnna. You just answered a question that I had about the addition of the CM to the batch. I'm planning on making some of this maybe next week. Are you doing this CP or HP?

thebarof · Jun 22, 2013

I almost always add coconut milk and or aloe vera(juice) to my soaps. I have ice trays that always stay in the fridge. my current get is espresso, aloe vera and coconut milk.

When I add my liquids they are frozen, and if not enough liquid for the batch I add enough water per my recipe.

to date i have not had a problem with an overly quick trace, except when I make my shampoo bars, which I add butters and more hard producing bar oils.

I stop mixing the batch right at first trace if I want a liquid pour, and when I am done pouring is starts to thicken enough to smooth or play with the top.

I have been soaping for 3 and a half years, and started due to my sons sensitive skin, and now we only use handmade soaps as they are far superior.

I have just recently started playing with butters, and I do notice an accelerated trace when I use them. but so far it hasn't been an issue.

but also only recently I have been playing with natural colors in my soap for designs, so I will no doubt start to see a finer difference.

DeeAnna · Jun 22, 2013

Hey, SkaterGirl --

CPOP method is more or less cold process. I pour the traced batter into my mold then put the mold in a 170 deg F oven for about an hour. For any recipe I am not sure about, I keep a close eye on it for the first 30 minutes -- check it every 10-15 minutes.

Most of my soaps, including the CM recipe I described above, gel in the oven and do just fine. I even did CPOP with pine tar, but it gelled after I took it out of the oven because it was so cool going in.

Hope this answers your question!

newbie · Jun 22, 2013

I always add the coconut milk to the oils and stick blend them together before adding the lye water, as some of the others do. I think it's easier to watch for trace and decide how much you need to blend to get the level of trace you want. You can give it a few blasts with a stick blender after lye is added and then change to hand stirring to control it better, same as using a trickier FO. I think it gives you more time to do what you'd like and might prevent mad dashes to the freezer!

Candybee · Jun 22, 2013

Have any of you tried the Silk brand coconut milk instead of the canned? I quit using canned a long time ago. No guar gum. No problems with overheating. I add to my oils just before trace.

thebarof · Jun 22, 2013

I only use silk brand coconut milk.

I always have that on hand, it is also great for cereal, my sons favorite drink, and excellent for making curry. lol

The only canned milk i have used was goats milk, didn't like the smell or the color. I have has the real thing so that may have helped my dislike.

DeeAnna · Jun 22, 2013

I haven't soaped with Silk coconut milk, but I got curious and did some checking into the ingredients. The Silk product is a fairly dilute version of coconut milk, so I can see why it would cause fewer problems when soaping.

Silk Coconutmilk contains "Water, Coconut Cream, Evaporated Cane Juice, Calcium Carbonate, Natural Flavors, Carrageenan, Cyanocobalamin (Vitamin B12), Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D2." Source: http://www.shopwell.com/silk-coconutmilk-vanilla/non-dairy-drinks/p/2529300123

Looking at this list, the first ingredient is water and the third ingredient is a water based sweetener, so there is a fair amount of water added to the basic coconut cream. Per cup, this product contains 5 grams of fat, and only 90 calories per cup, per the listed source. Carrageenan is a thickener similar to guar gum.

In comparison, the "Golden Star" coconut milk I have on hand at the moment contains only coconut milk and water, with 140 calories and 22 grams of fat per HALF cup.

We don't drink Silk products, although my mom does and likes it. If I had some on hand for other reasons, I might try it in soap, leaving any additional sugar out -- the Silk probably provides enough sugar for a soap recipe. But IMO, it really isn't quite the same as "real" coconut milk.

layserbrat · Jun 23, 2013

Golden Star was the first brand I used and had no real issues. Problem is, I found it in Walmart and now they seemed to top carrying it. Did a search and haven't really found it anywhere else....

E. T. A.: Found it at Walmart online....they will ship it to the store....12 for about $32....I also found it directly from the manufacturer....$15.50 for 12, PLUS, shipping, which from CA to PA is $15.50.... Same as WM ship to store....

Candybee · Jun 23, 2013

Just because water is listed in the ingredients in Silk brand coconut milk doesn't mean that it has a high amount or that its watered down. It really is thick and creamy and tastes more milky than canned. I've tried several brands of canned coconut milk and once I tried the Silk brand I liked it so much better in my soap. Thats why I use it. Also, you can get unsweetened which I usually buy as I prefer adding locally produced honey in my soap.

DeeAnna · Jun 23, 2013

I don't mean to cause offense, Candybee. As I said in my post, I might try Silk in soap if I had some on hand for other purposes.

Coconut Milk - my observations

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