Goat milk soap advice, please

[celticjanis]

I make 100% goat milk soap (no water). I use Milky Way plastic soap molds , the 3 cavity ones. Anybody know what temp to pour for these molds? Do you insulate your goat milk soap? At what temp to you pour? Should I gel when using these small capacity molds?
Thanks!!!

 

[shunt2011]

I don't use those for CP. they cannot go in the oven, they will melt. I don't think you will get them to gel in them either. Not enough mass.

 

[celticjanis]

Yes. I do CP, top.

 

[CTAnton]

I believe a temperature above 135F or so spells danger for Milky Way Molds. I've warped a few and have gelled soaps in them without an issue once I watched my temps closely. If you want to gel them I'd soap warm and heat the oven to no more than 100+...with a good thermometer and not to rely on what the oven is telling you...I've also warmed up a large cooler with a hair dryer, checked the temperature and put the soaps in there to gel. Gelling is often a personal preference and I know plenty of milk soapers that prefer to NOT gel...

 

[CaraBou]

I used to love making GM soaps but It's been a while now...

When I was in the swing, I always tried to prevent scorching, gelling and overheating. I soaped as cool as I could, and often used frozen GM cubes. I never insulated; in fact I often refrigerated or froze the molded soap trying to prevent overheating. But I always used a loaf mold, not cavity molds, so it's a different situation. You probably don't need to worry so much about overheating with single cavities (although 100% milk may still get cookin'; I only used 50%). I definitely would not CPOP (oven process) your milky way molds, but if you want to experiment, you could try insulating to see what happens, especially since it sounds like you make small batches. But I'll tell you, I loved my ungelled GM soaps... they're such creamy goodness!

Hmmm, why did I stop making them??

 

[soaplady30]

I have used these molds for some specialty soaps and I think any usual pouring temp should be fine. I dont think you are going to get a gel in these molds because of the small volume of soap in each cavity. I make goat milk soaps and prevent gel by putting outside in the cold weather and in front of an air conditioner in warm weather. I do gel my non milk soaps but prefer the milk soaps non gelled.

 

[zolveria]

I take 2 ounce of my oils and mix it with my goat milk powder then add that at trace to my oils..
Have not failed yet.. It does however discolors. But i dont mind.. I also add oatmeal and honey to my soap

 

[penelopejane]

I take 2 ounce of my oils and mix it with my goat milk powder then add that at trace to my oils..
Have not failed yet.. It does however discolors. But i dont mind.. I also add oatmeal and honey to my soap

It is probably the honey that is discolouring your soap. If you mix the goats milk (whether it is liquid or powder) to your oil and not to the lye it shouldn't discolour the soap.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

It is probably the honey that is discolouring your soap. If you mix the goats milk (whether it is liquid or powder) to your oil and not to the lye it shouldn't discolour the soap.

Would hot process still discolour?

 

[CaraBou]

GM soaps do discolor a little. Or at least that was my experience. But it's a nice tan "organic" look. Honey will discolor too, but to more of a gold.

 

[LindaT]

The best that's worked for me when making milk based soaps it to keep the milk cold. I freeze the milk into cubes and then take the cubes and put them in a bowl and then sink that bowl into an ice bath. I slowly add the lye to the frozen milk cubes a little at a time and stir, stir, stir. It takes me about 15 minutes or so to melt about 9 ounces of frozen milk cubes (I make small batches of soap).
Ahead of time I have my oils and butters melted for my recipe and let them return to room temp.
Once my lye is all mixed into my frozen cubes which are now melted I proceed with making my soap.
After I pour my batter into my mold I put it in the refrigerator. I don't want it to heat up and I don't want it to gel.
I let mine sit in the fridge undisturbed for about 24 hours. When I want to unmold it I let it sit out about 15 minutes so it begins to warm up and I find it pops out pretty easy.

 

[shunt2011]

I use milk in all my soap. GM, CM, Buttermilk. I use just enough water to mix my lye and add powdered milk to canned milk to make full milk and add that to my oils before the lye. I get a light cream colored soap or white if I add TD to it. I also gel all my soaps with no issues.

 

[Hazel]

Would hot process still discolour?

I'm guessing but I think it would discolor. I tried to hot process GM and it turned out to be a mess. I ended up having to dump the batch. Ouch! I wasn't concerned about discoloring so I didn't do anything in the hope it wouldn't discolor. Perhaps you could use TD?

Some things I painfully learned - use water for lye, add powder to GM to make it 100% or use canned GM and temper milk before adding it into crockpot. (I should try again.) However, I'm sure there are people who've successfully HP'd GM soap.

 

[CaraBou]

HAZEL!!!! Where have you been???????????

 

[Hazel]

Surprise!!!

First, I was driving down a dark country road, my engine died and then there was a bright light coming down from the sky. I felt myself floating upward... hmm...I sense disbelief filtering through cyberspace.

Okay, okay! I was feeling overwhelmed and took time off because of family/personal, etc. Aliens sound more interesting.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

And sometimes preferable to some things we have to face!

I can imagine the cook would discolour the milk. I might try an extra thick milk solution after the cook......might have to play with that

 

[Hazel]

I bought a can of GM today and will try to HP a batch this weekend. Cross your fingers!

 

[penelopejane]

Would hot process still discolour?

I don't know I only CP.
My soap has a high % OO so is a creamy colour after saponification with or without GM. But, after a long cure it is as white as other soaps without GM.

 

[Hazel]

Would hot process still discolour?

Well...HP GM batch is dark tan. However, some of it might be due to the agave syrup I added to the lye solution. I'll try again today and report back.

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Cheers, Hazel. How is it with the syrup? Sounds interesting