Goatsmilk Methods

[courtneybeard]

Realizing everyone has different preferences and tricks, I'd like to have a few Goatsmilk soapers weigh in with their best methods. I would like to GM CP soap and am still a bit jumpy about it.

I am not sure yet whether it would be best for me to:

1. Use pure slushy/frozen milk in an ice bath in the sink and gradually add the lye.

2. Use a super concentrated - water discounted lye solution and have the remaining "water" portion as goatsmilk added to the oils at trace to reduce burning potential.

3. Or??????

Another query - do any of you CPOP your GM soap? I generally prefer to CPOP to shorten cure time but wasn't sure if that was still possible to do with GM due to the overheating issue.

Thanks!

 

[cwarren]

JMO - I cant add GM before trace without it turning color.. altho color is pretty.. I master batch lye 1:1 and add GM at trace ...

 

[courtneybeard]

JMO - I cant add GM before trace without it turning color.. altho color is pretty.. I master batch lye 1:1 and add GM at trace ...

Pardon my ignorance - what does master batch lye 1:1 mean?

 

[cwarren]

JMO - I cant add GM before trace without it turning color.. altho color is pretty.. I master batch lye 1:1 and add GM at trace ...

Pardon my ignorance - what does master batch lye 1:1 mean?

equal parts lye to /equal parts water
and have in safe container ready to use whenever I need

 

[glenolam]

I am with gratia - I only use GM in my soaps and freeze my fresh milk into ziploc bags in the amount I need for my batches. I take the frozen milk out of the freezer, melt all my oils, and put the milk in my lye pot. It's still usually pretty frozen, but IMO this is the only way to go. I slowly add the lye, breaking the milk up into chunks as it heats up. My GM/lye mix also never gets above 95*-ish, so if you're mixing at a higher temp it might be better to let your oils cool a bit or do the lye/water mix then add the thawed milk at trace.

I've only had it discolor once or twice, and that was because I let the milk thaw out too much. It does take a bit longer to mix the lye and milk, but it's worth it when your "Clean Cotton" scent soap comes out ivory!

 

[IrishLass]

This is just me, but I'm one of those soapers who passionately hates adding my lye to milk, so I use the 'split method' where I mix the lye with 50% of my liquid amount as water, and then add the rest of my liquid amount as fresh, refrigerated goat milk to my oils. That will make a 50% goat milk soap. If I want to make a 100% goat milk soap, I do the same, but I add enough goat milk powder to the fresh goat milk to equal a 100% concentration (and then add it to my oils). My goat milk soaps always come out a creamy, off-white color doing it this way, even when gelled (unless I add honey to them or a discoloring FO).

As you can see from all the different methods, there's no single 'right' way to make goat milk soap. You'll just have to try a few of the different methods to see what works best for you.

IrishLass

 

[nattynoo]

I'm with Irishlass...I'm a splitter. I put 50% of my liquid as water & 50% as the milk.
I do the same for coconut milk.

 

[ewenique]

So far I've just used goat milk powder added to the oils. I have used frozen coconut milk (frozen in ice cube tray) and slowly poured the lye over the cubes. Worked just fine.

 

[Leelalee]

I just did a batch of 50% water/Lye and added the rest of Goats milk at trace. Worked great, no discoloring. I did put the soap in a PVC pipe for a mold and a teeny issue with the soap getting to hot and expanding a bit (my soap has an outie!)

My only issue was the Lye water got wicked hot, went clear and then as it cooled got a little opaque and had some white, floaties. In fact the first batch was so bad that I made a new batch of lye water in a different container and had the same results. Didn't seem to effect the soap though.

 

[LisaNY]

I have been using Irishlass' 50/50 split idea and so far, no problems at all. Super easy! I've done this with GM and coconut milk.

Thank you, IrishLass! )

 

[nattynoo]

My lye gets super hot & steams sometimes even.
For me it goes cloudy then clear.
Also, the white bits that collect on top of the lye, as far as I know from what I've read, are completely harmless.
Someone might give u a more technical aspect on it but as far as I know...harmless specs.

 

[SmellyKat]

I'm with Irishlass...I'm a splitter. I put 50% of my liquid as water & 50% as the milk.
I do the same for coconut milk.

oo oo, I can now say I am part of the group who is a "splitter" also!!

I just bought coconut oil from the grocery store and you mentioned "coconut milk" soap???? What is the % of oils you use for coconut milk soap? Sounds very creamy!!!!

 

[LisaNY]

I'm with Irishlass...I'm a splitter. I put 50% of my liquid as water & 50% as the milk.
I do the same for coconut milk.

oo oo, I can now say I am part of the group who is a "splitter" also!!

I just bought coconut oil from the grocery store and you mentioned "coconut milk" soap???? What is the % of oils you use for coconut milk soap? Sounds very creamy!!!!

I use cm just as I would GM.

I do 50/50 with that as well. Treat is as you would gm - it heats up! I get it in the Spanish section. It is cm in a can - no sweeteners, no guar gum.