How to use milk in cp?

[Lee Wright]

Would like to try oatmeal, milk and honey cold process soap. All of the u-tube tutorials put the frozen milk in the lye. I understand about the reason to freeze the milk if you are going to add it to the lye. Why can't you add the milk to the oils after you mix the oils and lye and come to a light trace? Will the milk still turn at that point? Do you have to add water to powdered goat's milk or can you sprinkle it in the oils after lye is added to oils? Sooooo new at this, please help. Am going to try and find a recipe because I still don't know how to use soapcalc yet. Trying to learn, slow going. Thanks for your input.

 

[shunt2011]

I add milk to my oils. I mix my lye with water 1:1. The remainder of the liquid for the recipe I use milk. Mix my milk in my oils add cooled lye mixture. No problems.

 

[earlene]

Would like to try oatmeal, milk and honey cold process soap. All of the u-tube tutorials put the frozen milk in the lye. I understand about the reason to freeze the milk if you are going to add it to the lye. Why can't you add the milk to the oils after you mix the oils and lye and come to a light trace? Will the milk still turn at that point? Do you have to add water to powdered goat's milk or can you sprinkle it in the oils after lye is added to oils? Sooooo new at this, please help. Am going to try and find a recipe because I still don't know how to use soapcalc yet. Trying to learn, slow going. Thanks for your input.

As Shari said, mixing the milk with the oils is quite a bit easier. You use less milk, of course, but that's not a problem.

The worst problems I've had with my lye solution were the result of using frozen milk to mix my lye. It's doable, but so much more prone to problems that just doing a water & lye solution, then adding the milk either with the oils themselves, or even later, like at trace, for example. If you want a higher concentration of milk, you can use evaporated milk or a milk concentrate or even powdered milk.

I have used powdered GM in the past, but I did mix it well in water first because I obviously don't want clumps of powder in my soap.

 

[Lee Wright]

Thank you so much for your advice. I think you all gave me the confidence to do this. Thank you so much.

 

[Nita]

Seven years ago, I learned to make soap using a recipe (written in cups!) given to me by the first person I purchased raw goat’s milk from. She also gave me my first mold. That recipe called for using frozen GM. I have used frozen GM ever since. I recently tried the heat transfer method with a little water/lye solution and adding my GM to the oils. I like both methods and really did not see a difference in the final product.

 

[lsg]

I sometimes substitute cream for 1/3 of my liquid, using water for the rest to dissolve the lye. I add the cream to the soap at light trace.

 

[zolveria]

I soap colder when i use milks etc.. I also add the powder milk to oil and make a paste and add it at light trace..
you sub some of the milk out with water as said above.. or freeze you milk before hand..
this goes the same for all powdered milks and yogurt. I also do this with Hemp protein it heats up fast

 

[ItsForrest]

You said: "All of the u-tube tutorials put the frozen milk in the lye."
Be careful! Always add the lye to the liquid. NEVER pour your liquid into the lye!
This can cause the lye liquid to explode out of your container.

I have had good results substituting 100% of the water with fresh goat's milk.
I do not freeze the milk. I have tried mixing lye with frozen liquids or ice cubes but don't like to do it that way. Using part ice in the water is ok but not all ice. I use a 1 ltr paint mixing container to mix the lye and milk. The container is sunk in a mixing bowl full of ice. I add the lye a bit at a time and watch the temp with the thermometer. When using milk I like to keep the temp under 100f.
Note that it cools faster when stirring to get more liquid against the cold sides of the container.
Yes, it does take a while to do it this way but even when I tried mixing the lye into frozen liquid, it got hotter than I wanted and I put it in an ice bath anyway. Now I just skip the freezing step and mix the lye/liquid in an ice bath.

I ended up with this method because I wanted to use 100% fresh milk substitution, not powered or just part milk and part water.

I have not tried powdered milk but I understand that it must be mixed with water before adding to the soap or you end up with un-mixed pieces of milk powder in your final product.

 

[Primrose]

I do a 100% substitution of goat milk for water, because I have my own goats and want to utilize as much milk as I can. I use the frozen method and haven't had any problems.

Just goes to show that there's many many ways to skin a cat!

 

[Spice]

You said: "All of the u-tube tutorials put the frozen milk in the lye."
Be careful! Always add the lye to the liquid. NEVER pour your liquid into the lye!
This can cause the lye liquid to explode out of your container.

I have had good results substituting 100% of the water with fresh goat's milk.
I do not freeze the milk. I have tried mixing lye with frozen liquids or ice cubes but don't like to do it that way. Using part ice in the water is ok but not all ice. I use a 1 ltr paint mixing container to mix the lye and milk. The container is sunk in a mixing bowl full of ice. I add the lye a bit at a time and watch the temp with the thermometer. When using milk I like to keep the temp under 100f.
Note that it cools faster when stirring to get more liquid against the cold sides of the container.
Yes, it does take a while to do it this way but even when I tried mixing the lye into frozen liquid, it got hotter than I wanted and I put it in an ice bath anyway. Now I just skip the freezing step and mix the lye/liquid in an ice bath.

I ended up with this method because I wanted to use 100% fresh milk substitution, not powered or just part milk and part water.

I have not tried powdered milk but I understand that it must be mixed with water before adding to the soap or you end up with un-mixed pieces of milk powder in your final product.

how much time do you use between a "bit at a time"?

 

[ItsForrest]

how much time do you use between a "bit at a time"?

I pour about 1/4 or 1/5 of the lye in at a pour. Give it a good stir and let it cool down again.
Here's a pic of the last batch I just labeled a couple days ago. The milk didn't scorch so either the honey or the fo or a combination of both gave it the color.

 

[Spice]

I pour about 1/4 or 1/5 of the lye in at a pour. Give it a good stir and let it cool down again.
Here's a pic of the last batch I just labeled a couple days ago. The milk didn't scorch so either the honey or the fo or a combination of both gave it the color. View attachment 31000

I made GM last night and my soap is a creamy color, not white, I thought I smell ammonia, then I thought it was in my head because the lye didn't have a strong odor of it, or any for that matter.
What I found out during my batch making:
I needed to keep my lye from moisture in the air, so I found a jar with a lid
I needed two spoons, one for lye and the other to stir my lye and milk,
I placed a gallon of regular water in the frig the night before so that I could have cold water with my ice
I put my my small mold in the freezer and had a fan on it when I pour the batter against over heating.
I used 10 mins between lye pouring into milk, and my milk never got past 80, was mostly in the 70.
I used Alknet for coloring and lavender eo

I just went back to take a pic and everything has changed??? The alknet was a brown color, now it's turning purple and the creamy color was more yellow, now it's turning lighter. Will see what's up tonite, I took a pic now, will take one tonite.

 

[penelopejane]

I made GM last night and my soap is a creamy color, not white, I thought I smell ammonia, then I thought it was in my head because the lye didn't have a strong odor of it, or any for that matter.
What I found out during my batch making:
I needed to keep my lye from moisture in the air, so I found a jar with a lid
I needed two spoons, one for lye and the other to stir my lye and milk,
I placed a gallon of regular water in the frig the night before so that I could have cold water with my ice
I put my my small mold in the freezer and had a fan on it when I pour the batter against over heating.
I used 10 mins between lye pouring into milk, and my milk never got past 80, was mostly in the 70.
I used Alknet for coloring and lavender eo

I just went back to take a pic and everything has changed??? The alknet was a brown color, now it's turning purple and the creamy color was more yellow, now it's turning lighter. Will see what's up tonite, I took a pic now, will take one tonite.

Is it still in the mold?
No matter how low a temp you mix at the temp rises as it saponifies (unless it’s in the freezer) so the colour will change a bit. I find the split method (no freezer) gives a lighter colour than mixing the milk and lye even with frozen milk. YMMV as I guess the recipe also has an effect.

 

[Spice]

Is it still in the mold?
No matter how low a temp you mix at the temp rises as it saponifies (unless it’s in the freezer) so the colour will change a bit. I find the split method (no freezer) gives a lighter colour than mixing the milk and lye even with frozen milk. YMMV as I guess the recipe also has an effect.

 

[Spice]

View attachment 31018

Not in the mold.

 

[Spice]

I pour about 1/4 or 1/5 of the lye in at a pour. Give it a good stir and let it cool down again.
Here's a pic of the last batch I just labeled a couple days ago. The milk didn't scorch so either the honey or the fo or a combination of both gave it the color. View attachment 31000

what fo did you use?

 

[ItsForrest]

what fo did you use?

I used Crafters Choice Oatmeal, Milk & Honey FO from WSP. I will definitely use it again.
Just looking at the product info on the WSP site. This fo does contain vanilla so it most likely gives the soap the color. I don't mind it though. I think the color works for the soap.

 

[Spice]

I used Crafters Choice Oatmeal, Milk & Honey FO from WSP. I will definitely use it again.
Just looking at the product info on the WSP site. This fo does contain vanilla so it most likely gives the soap the color. I don't mind it though. I think the color works for the soap.

As long as the soap feels good, then its all good. I like you cigar wrap too.

 

[dixiedragon]

I think some people like to use 100% milk and no water, so that's why they use the frozen milk. I like the "Milk in oil" method.
http://www.lovinsoap.com/2013/02/th...d-honey-cold-process-soap-milk-in-oil-method/

I like to use canned milk vs fresh, because canned milk has less water and more proteins and fat.

ETA: Don't let this intimidate you, but be aware that by adding honey and milk, you're adding extra sugars that might make the soap misbehave. I think that OMH fragrances also contribute to this. Soap at a lower temp (unless you are using beeswax).

 

[Spice]

I think some people like to use 100% milk and no water, so that's why they use the frozen milk. I like the "Milk in oil" method.
http://www.lovinsoap.com/2013/02/th...d-honey-cold-process-soap-milk-in-oil-method/

I like to use canned milk vs fresh, because canned milk has less water and more proteins and fat.

ETA: Don't let this intimidate you, but be aware that by adding honey and milk, you're adding extra sugars that might make the soap misbehave. I think that OMH fragrances also contribute to this. Soap at a lower temp (unless you are using beeswax).

what is OMH?