Teach Soap

I am a real newbie and decided this weekend to throw everything into the ring by making a batch of soap, CP, with fresh goats milk. I have spent the last 48 hours trawling everything I can find on the internet on the subject, and I think I am more confused than ever.

1. Is it best to measure out and freeze the GM in advance and use it in a slushy form in a ice bath before adding the lye -opinions differ greatly on this?
2. When I have got the soap to trace and poured in my mold, some say do not cover at all and put the soap mold into the freezer and leave 24 hours to cool down real quick, others say to cover as usual!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! - which is best please?
3. Final question, and I am really struggling to find the answer to this - I just so love to see the soaps that have a raised sculptured top on them (with peaks and swirly shapes) as opposed to being dead flat. I believe that pouring as a light trace will get a flat top, but please advise how to get that lovely textured top - do you have to wait until the soap at a very advanced trace, and then spoon shape into it?

Thanks everyone for your support to a newbie, this is a great forum.

Welcome to soaping and the forum. I still consider myself new to soaping but have some ideas for you. Right now I am doing only milk soaps.
1. You will find lots of ways soapers make their milk soap. Before I started with milk soaps I read EVERY entry in this forum and David Fishers (about.com) to understand all of the methods. For now I premeasure my milk and freeze prior to use. Since I do small batches it allows me to not waste the extra milk.
2. Why not experiment, this is the fun of soaping, do a batch each way? I do not cover and put the soap in the refrigerator. It is possible that if you cover and insulate it could overheat. I do know there are some soapers that do OP with their soap and have had no problems.
3. The way I do this is to pour usually my soap is at thin to moderate trace. Then if I want a sculptured top I check frequently until it has gotten to a thick trace and will use something (spoon, fork, chopsticks etc) I have on hand to texturize it.

I am sure that others will have ideas for you...just keep in mind that soaping gives us lots of suprises!

_________________
Susie
Sometimes A Mistake is so much fun, You just have to do it again!

I just made a batch of goat's milk soap last night, I'm not very experienced, but how I did it worked for me, first I dissolved my lye in a few ounces of water, for the rest of the required liquid I used the goat's milk, it was canned and I added it to my oils at room temperature, I also added finely ground oatmeal and honey, I soaped at 110 degrees and it didn't over heat, I poured the soap in to the mold at medium trace and could make some "peaks" with it, also sprinkled some whole oats on top, when I saw that the temperature didn't rise I pre-heated my oven at 170 degrees, I put the soap in there for a few minutes and then took it out, the soap started gelling pretty fast, I covered it with some towels, once it was in full gel I uncovered it, this morning I unmolded it and cut it, it looks fantastic.

Thanks for your great responses - I think I am quickly learning that there are many choices and I need to have a few attempts at making my soap with GM and see what happens - I am really new to soapmaking, but I have to say I am so hooked it is unbelievable. Hopefully I will be able to share my experience with others in the future as my confidence and knowledge grows.

I love making GM/Heavy Cream soap's. I use frozen milk and slowly add my lye so as not to burn the milk. I also put my pitcher in an ice bath too keep the pitcher cold until all my lye is added and dissolved.

HTH,

Theresa