yorkiegirl
Active Member
- Joined
- Jul 24, 2013
- Messages
- 30
- Reaction score
- 0
when doing cp if you keep the lye and milk under 65 will the lye dissolve good? I am trying to keep the mixture cool and it looks like little bits of lye in the milk. TIA
goat milk ?
- Thread starter yorkiegirl
- Start date
Help Support Soapmaking Forum:
Are the bits floating on the surface and/or floating freely within the liquid? Or are the bits lying on the bottom of your container like sand after you stop stirring for a bit?
If the first, the bits are probably soap that is forming as the lye reacts with fat in the milk. Sometimes there's a little curdling thing going on too with the milk solids and the lye. Might not look great, but it will be fine.
If the second, it probably ~is~ lye, so keep stirring until the bits are gone. It will take longer at 65 F to dissolve than at hotter temps, but the lye will eventually dissolve with patience and stirring.
If the first, the bits are probably soap that is forming as the lye reacts with fat in the milk. Sometimes there's a little curdling thing going on too with the milk solids and the lye. Might not look great, but it will be fine.
If the second, it probably ~is~ lye, so keep stirring until the bits are gone. It will take longer at 65 F to dissolve than at hotter temps, but the lye will eventually dissolve with patience and stirring.
Stinkydancer
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Dec 9, 2009
- Messages
- 592
- Reaction score
- 41
It could be what they call lye lint as well. I've had that happen a couple of times. I strained it out and all was well with the world. Someone told me I got it from washing my lye pitchers with dish soap. Not sure if that was it but as soon as I started using vinegar instead of dish soap, it never happened again. It was weird though.
There is really no reason to try and keep your lye and goat milk that cool. It's going to heat up anyway when you add it to your oils. Heat is part of the process. Are you only using liquid oils you don't have to melt? Just add your lye slowly to your milk you don't even have to freeze it. It's much safer than ending up with un dissolved lye in your soap.
Saswede
Well-Known Member
If you're uncertain about whether of not your lye is dissolved in the milk (or any opaque liquid, where you can't see what's on the bottom of your container), the best thing to do is use your thermometer to check whether the temperature goes up when you stir. Because dissolution of lye is exothermic (gives off heat), if there is any lye dissolving as you stir, the temperature will go up.
So if there no temperature change when you stir the lye/milk mixture, the bits you see are probably saponified fat from the milk ...... (as DeeAnna suggested).
Sent from my iPad using Soap Making
So if there no temperature change when you stir the lye/milk mixture, the bits you see are probably saponified fat from the milk ...... (as DeeAnna suggested).
Sent from my iPad using Soap Making
