I would also recommend soaking the clay in EO or water for a few hours, so it doesn't accelerate things even more. Honey is deceptively hard to incorporate even if it's mixed with liquids, I would mix it thoroughly into the oils or the lye prior to lye meets oils.
Need Honey & Goat Milk Crash Course!
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I’m going to use %100 GM, frozen in ice cubes, weighed after frozen? I’m going to put the milk cubes in a container inside an ice bath and sprinkle my lye in. I’ll keep out a bit of milk and warm it enough to dissolve the honey. I’ll shoot for 80F for the lye and the oils, maybe 90. After emulsion I’ll add my SL, honey/milk, EO, and clay.
For what it’s worth, as I still consider myself a newbie , I’ve only worked with fresh goats milk. I did exactly what you said with these . One has kaolin clay and the other rose clay. Both have oats and honey. Unscented. I took Zanys suggestion later by putting the milk lye solution in the refrigerator overnight . I added the EO to the oils and then added the cooled lye solution and it worked perfect. I almost always strain the milk lye into the oils to make sure no lumps. I figured this was a good opportunity to add Willie’s picture as he’s part of making this all happen!
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Thanks, I will soak clay with EO. I didn’t realize clay accelerates. I had not had that happen before. And, I’ll premix all of it with the oils before I add the lye/milk
Will blend the honey and clay into the oils well before adding lye/GM. Thank you!
Should I assume a simple swirl would be out of the question? I loves me a swirl! Seems like it could be easy enough to maybe separate some and add a slurry of a different colored clay, no? Ok, maybe no.
No reason you can't do a swirl. I've not had milk or honey accelerate trace.
I thought I’d share @TashaBird what I’ve been workin on this week. These have milk and honey in them, but I went crazy with colors. I use clays and went overboard with 5 different colors so they blended too much. I’m going to try and settle on three. I also get impatient and take out of the molds too soon. I haven’t tried a log mold. I’m sure you’ll do a much better job as you’re so good with colors!
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I like to add my fragrance (whether EO or FO) to my clay and let it "marinate' for several hours or even overnight. I mix up batches of fragrance with clay several days ahead of time. I master batch my lye (with Silk added) also. For me, adding clay to fragrance has been a god send, I have soaps that are years old and still smell lovely. I firmly believe the clay helps with anchoring the scent.
They’re super cute!!! I put my molds in the freezer for an hour or so. Then take em out and let em sweat for 10 mins, they pop right out!
@TashaBird thanks!! I’ll try that next time! I’m starting batch three tomorrow . I’m in love with these owl molds 
I make only goat milk or butter milk soap and I also add honey to several batches and this is what I do.
I freeze my milk in cubes.
I mix the honey in a small amount of warm water and dissolve it completely but let it cool before adding.
I add all of my oils, clay, and honey mixture and stick blend the crap out of it.
Then I measure out my frozen milk and then slowly add the lye and stir it constantly. You don't want to stop stirring it or it will burn the sugars and leave clumps of hard orange pieces at the bottom. So just keep stirring and adding the lye and once it's all in keep stirring until it's completely dissolved. It's going to keep heating up but the ice milk helps it cool down as long as you keep stirring. Once you reach around 88* then add it to your oils mixture and blend to either a light or medium trace. Pour your soap. If you're using a slab mold then you aren't as likely to have overheating. If you're using individual molds you won't have overheating. If you're using a loaf mold then you need to pop it in the fridge or you will end up with a soap volcano.
I do ask what kind of clay you are adding because some clays will cause DOS depending on what's in them.
I freeze my milk in cubes.
I mix the honey in a small amount of warm water and dissolve it completely but let it cool before adding.
I add all of my oils, clay, and honey mixture and stick blend the crap out of it.
Then I measure out my frozen milk and then slowly add the lye and stir it constantly. You don't want to stop stirring it or it will burn the sugars and leave clumps of hard orange pieces at the bottom. So just keep stirring and adding the lye and once it's all in keep stirring until it's completely dissolved. It's going to keep heating up but the ice milk helps it cool down as long as you keep stirring. Once you reach around 88* then add it to your oils mixture and blend to either a light or medium trace. Pour your soap. If you're using a slab mold then you aren't as likely to have overheating. If you're using individual molds you won't have overheating. If you're using a loaf mold then you need to pop it in the fridge or you will end up with a soap volcano.
I do ask what kind of clay you are adding because some clays will cause DOS depending on what's in them.
The clay is a bit of a mystery, honestly. My friend I’m collaborating with provided it. Maybe I’ll skip it.
violets2217
Well-Known Member
i swirled my honey and hemp. I just soaped with everything at room temp... seriously my oils and everything were at 78 degrees which is what my air is set on! Lol! I added kaolin clay dispersed in water and mica in another part and tried out a hanger swirl. I made a 15 pound batch. And everything went pretty smooth! You got this!
Well, I guess I didn’t need a “crash course” since I’m just now getting to making this soap. I’ve been in such a funk! So, everything is measured for 3 loaves, measured in 3 batches, I’m thinking of doing 3 stripes.
So, I’m checking back here because I’m still not exactly sure where/when/how to add the honey.
*** Should I reduce the amount of goat milk that I mix with the lye, and use some warm water to dissolve the honey? Then do I add that to the oils before the lye?
So, I’m checking back here because I’m still not exactly sure where/when/how to add the honey.
*** Should I reduce the amount of goat milk that I mix with the lye, and use some warm water to dissolve the honey? Then do I add that to the oils before the lye?
Will the goat's milk be frozen? And will it be half or all liquid?
Also what oils will you be using? (Sorry if I asked this before)
Also, unless you're using ludicrous amounts of honey, you can probably add water without subtracting from the total liquid.
If the liquid is frozen, you can probably add the honey water to the lye once the lye is dissolved and the mixture has cooled off.
If it's a recipe that will trace slowly, you can add the honey mixture to the oils instead, and blend it in thoroughly, knowing that it will accelerate trace.
If acceleration is a concern, add it slowly to the cooled lye mixture. Or, use half the goat's milk too dissolve the lye, let it cool down, and add the rest of the frozen cubes with the honey.
Edited because I keep thinking of things and forgetting things and don't want to back-to-back post.
Ok, I think I'm done editing now.
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so, as I add the lye to the milk cubes I stir the cubes? Do you pour it through a strainer into the oils, like usual?
I’d like to use all liquid as goat milk, and as much honey as it can handle. I’ve got 3 2lb loaves and I’m thinking 2T each? I’m using my usual soap blend of tallow, RBO, AVO, CO, Castor, in that order.
OMG I”m so nervous! Feels like my first batch. (Or actually my second, first I wasn’t too nervous because i didn’t know what to expect.)
That sounds right, I use honey at 1 TBS PPO.
If you use a chelator dissolved in water, I'll usually dump that in the bottom to help the cube-melting go smoothly. Otherwise, just pour a little lye at a time and move the cubes around as you go.
I believe in you! You can do this!
Tasha, a spanner for you.
reduce the goats milk (gently make evaporated goats milk) to half, cool
soak your clay in plain water (deduct from your liquid amount)
make your lye with plain water, cool, then add honey (IrishLass method - the honey will heat and cool again, you avoid scorching your gm this way)
mix oils
blend into the oils your clay slurry and evaporated goats milk (plus eo's, oatmilk, whatever)
add cooled lye ... (the rest you know)
reduce the goats milk (gently make evaporated goats milk) to half, cool
soak your clay in plain water (deduct from your liquid amount)
make your lye with plain water, cool, then add honey (IrishLass method - the honey will heat and cool again, you avoid scorching your gm this way)
mix oils
blend into the oils your clay slurry and evaporated goats milk (plus eo's, oatmilk, whatever)
add cooled lye ... (the rest you know)
The goat milk is frozen in cubes already.
doesnt matter
it will take about 1/2 hour to reduce to half and cool again (over ice water)
you can make your lye water and do the honey infusion while the gm is reducing
if you have a full plan in your head sometimes its better to not change that, but have a think
using syrups and reductions gives you total control over the temperatures
(honey, gm and oatmilk soap loaves become simple)
it will take about 1/2 hour to reduce to half and cool again (over ice water)
you can make your lye water and do the honey infusion while the gm is reducing
if you have a full plan in your head sometimes its better to not change that, but have a think
using syrups and reductions gives you total control over the temperatures
(honey, gm and oatmilk soap loaves become simple)
