Teach Soap

I was wondering with the goat milk do you have to use less water according to how much goat milk you use? Also do you have to add the goat milk directly to the lye water or can you add it in at trace? Someone told me if you add the goat milk directly to the lye it can make it curdle.

There are different methods that people use. Some soaps are made with 100% goat's milk instead of water. The goat's milk is either slushy or frozen. The lye is added directly to the frozen milk. It doesn't curdle, but the milk could be scorched if it's not frozen. In this instance no other liquid ie: water is added.
You can also dissolve your lye in minimum water required (according to a lye calc), then add the rest as milk as soon as the lye water cools off a bit, so you don't scorch the milk. Or add the rest as milk either to your oils or at the thinnest trace.

_________________
Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

Ok thank you so much! Would this also be the same if I were to use coconut milk?

_________________
Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

I almost always use GM - and here is what I do and it works for me. Put the stopper in my sink, set my lye pot (SS) in there,put a little ice in the sink around the pot and run a little water so that the lye pot is sitting in ice water - not too much - don't want it to float. Add more ice or more water if it's needed. Then I slowly add my lye to the GM - very slowly, stirring until it dissolves before adding more. I don't take temps when I soap, just as soon as I am done w/ the lye GM solution I start heating my solid oils and as soon as they are ready I add the lye solution. I know I probably should take temps, but I just never have.

Anne

_________________
Contented goats give special milk; it's mostly cream and smooth as silk

If you haven't made milk soap before, I suggest that you get a thermometer til you are familiar with the process.

_________________
Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

If you need a thermometer newegg.com is an excellent place to look. When I first started making cold process soap I used candy thermometers until my husband found me a nice laser one that was inexpensive there. They have a huge range priced from really expensive to pretty cheap. Also most of their stuff is free shipping and they always have sales. The one my husband bought me at the time was actually a bit expensive but it was listed as one of their "shell shocker" deals (EXTREMELY discounted) and we got it for really cheap. I think it was originally $70 something and we got it for $20 something. Their sales and deals change every day. Plus they have a way better selection that any place would in-store.

If you have Harbour Freight near you, they have a laser thermometer for around $10.

_________________
Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.

I have a stainless steel meat thermometer already. It is not supper fancy, but will get the job done. Is the temp to have the lye water solution and oils at when you add the goats milk 95*F ?

_________________
Irena
Closed minds are like faulty parachutes; they refuse to open.