Any advise on my recipe?

[not_ally]

Oops, Anna, I meant option no. 1, that is the split method. I know it might seem more complicated, but it really isn't, it is simpler IMO. The only real issue is that the lye is more concentrated b/c it is mixed in half of the normal liquid amt, so you want to be more careful with that.

 

[Annacrazysocks]

Oops, Anna, I meant option no. 1, that is the split method. I know it might seem more complicated, but it really isn't, it is simpler IMO. The only real issue is that the lye is more concentrated b/c it is mixed in half of the normal liquid amt, so you want to be more careful with that.

It's ok, no worries

So just to make sure I understand this, *fake measurments*

If I need 2 oz of lye and 4 ounces of water
I would take the 2 oz of lye and mix it with 2 oz of water and use milk/cream/etc. to substitute the remaining 2 oz?

Then I would mix the lye into the water and pour it into my oils when room temperature, stick blend it and then add the milk/cream/etc?

Also can I force gel phase using CPOP with a milk soap?

 

[Susie]

The process of "splitting" the water amount into water and milk is correct. However, mix the milk into the oils before you add the lye water. Then stick blend to trace.

Most people avoid gel by freezing when using milks.

 

[not_ally]

I think most people may do it the way Susie described. I know Irish Lass (who is another great commenter here, as well as a mod) does it that way as well.

I do it the way you described, pretty much. Ie; mix the lye into the two ounces of liquid, then mix the lye and the oils. I do not SB at this point, I use a whisk to make sure it is not going to go crazy, only use the SB if it seems like the whisking is not getting it to emulsification fast enough. At emulsification I add the milks to the remaining 2 oz of liquid, add it to the batter, and then go back to the SB/whisk combo depending on the speed of trace. If I am going to separate out portions for colors, I do it at v. thin trace because that generally seems to speed things up, and then work as fast as possible.

I have/do CPOP milks, depending on what is in them (if lots of accelerators and I don't know what is going to happen I put them in the freezer until I know they won't gel), how hot they are getting by themselves, and what I want them to look like. If I don't CPOP I usually put them in the freezer/fridge. I am happy with either gel or no gel, but I hate partial gel.

ETA: A note on one of my batches w/milk says: " NB: W/milk/heaters Genny from SMF suggests freezing for a bit first to cool and then CPOPing if CPOP desired for gel. Also could freeze mold in advance." Take it FWIW, I don't think I have ever done the freezer + CPOP combo, although I often put the mold in the freezer in advance if I know I am going to CPOP with a heater.

 

[Annacrazysocks]

Thank you all so much, for being so supportive of me and answering all my questions. I hope that I will have all my ingredients by the end of this month and will be able to make my test batches. I will keep y'all updated as I go.
If I have any more questions I hope it will be ok to ask them in this thread.

 

[not_ally]

Of course. Or a new thread. Ask away - people are super helpful here, and *like* to help.

 

[Annacrazysocks]

Of course. Or a new thread. Ask away - people are super helpful here, and *like* to help.

I'm so happy to have found this forum. Everyone here is so nice. It feels good to be in an encouraging environment. I've been on other forums of different communities and never have I seen any of them welcome new comers with open arms. I think I just found my new favorite place. :clap:

 

[Susie]

We have a wonderful admin/mod team that we have to thank for keeping this a warm, welcoming place! It is wonderful to be somewhere that has a standard of behavior and enforces the rules.

 

[not_ally]

I think you are going to like it here, and we are going to like you, Anna! People do really like to see thoughtful questions and answers like yours. I am not much further out than you - only six months, although soaping like an absolute mad woman the whole time - and I know that thinking about/sometimes researching other people's issues has made me a better soaper.

There is always someone - usually someones - here who have been willing to help *me* when I have questions. Susie is one of them, you will get to recognize the names of the people who reach out and know of what they speak There is a pretty good list of 'em, lucky for us!

ETA: Here's a link to an external search engine, which I have found easier to use than the one here (it is set up to search this site in the link, so you can put your search terms in right away). Try it and see, I think it is pretty good:

http://sitecomber.com/search.php?domains=www.sitecomber.com&client=pub-1307489338039489&forid=1&ie=ISO-8859-1&oe=ISO-8859-1&cof=GALT%3A%23008000%3BGL%3A1%3BDIV%3A%23FFFFFF%3BVLC%3A663399%3BAH%3Acenter%3BBGC%3AFFFFFF%3BLBGC%3A150567%3BALC%3A000000%3BLC%3A000000%3BT%3A0000FF%3BGFNT%3A0000FF%3BGIMP%3A0000FF%3BLH%3A0%3BLW%3A0%3BL%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fsitecomber.com%2Flogo-490x90.jpg%3BS%3Ahttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.sitecomber.com%3BFORID%3A11&hl=en&channel=5823071447&q=&sitesearch=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.soapmakingforum.com&sa=Search&safe=active

 

[not_ally]

Also, use that link to search for lard! You are in the UK, I think? Not sure how easy/cheap it is to get there, but it is plentiful and v. cheap here, and it is amazing stuff, my very favorite oil - makes a great hard, conditioning, white bar with decent lather. I use it at b/w 60 and 75% usually. Susie is a lard freak, too.

If you have a Hispanic community nearby you might want to check the stores there as it might be available more cheaply and in larger sizes (it is used heavily in Latin cooking). It is called "manteca" in Spanish. Perhaps some of the UK soapers will chime in, I know Sonya-em, one of our UK'ers, uses lots of lard in her soaps.

 

[Annacrazysocks]

Also, use that link to search for lard! You are in the UK, I think? Not sure how easy/cheap it is to get there, but it is plentiful and v. cheap here, and it is amazing stuff, my very favorite oil - makes a great hard, conditioning, white bar with decent lather. I use it at b/w 60 and 75% usually. Susie is a lard freak, too.

If you have a Hispanic community nearby you might want to check the stores there as it might be available more cheaply and in larger sizes (it is used heavily in Latin cooking). It is called "manteca" in Spanish. Perhaps some of the UK soapers will chime in, I know Sonya-em, one of our UK'ers, uses lots of lard in her soaps.

Actually I'm in Texas hahaha not sure why it said I'm in the UK. If im being honest I am Mexican and every year around Christmas and Thanksgiving we make tamales so I might just steal some to soap with.

 

[not_ally]

Hi Anna, not sure why I thought you were in the UK! Just confused, I guess. Christmas tamales, I love them. I live in Highland Park, in LA, a v. Mexican neighborhood, it is awesome to have so many food items, not to mention the super cheap lard Also I lived in Mexico for several months a year for a 4 year period, in the most beautiful place in the world. San Miguel de Allende, GTO, not sure if you have heard of it. I dream of ending up there .....

 

[Susie]

In Texas, you can find lard at almost every grocery store around where I live, so it should not be difficult to locate.

 

[Annacrazysocks]

Hi Anna, not sure why I thought you were in the UK! Just confused, I guess. Christmas tamales, I love them. I live in Highland Park, in LA, a v. Mexican neighborhood, it is awesome to have so many food items, not to mention the super cheap lard Also I lived in Mexico for several months a year for a 4 year period, in the most beautiful place in the world. San Miguel de Allende, GTO, not sure if you have heard of it. I dream of ending up there .....

A lot of towns in Mexico are so humbly beautiful. My family originated in Zacatecs. We own a ranch over there. I wonder if I can get goat milk through customs. Haha!

If there were a way to send you a tamale through the mail without them molding, I would

 

[Annacrazysocks]

In Texas, you can find lard at almost every grocery store around where I live, so it should not be difficult to locate.

I personally live in the dfw area, there are TONS of Hispanic markets in the area and the Manteca is always really really cheap.