Coconut milk powder troubles

[Candybee]

So I used coconut milk powder today in 3 of my soap batches. Each one seized. It was the first time using coconut milk powder in soapmaking. I have always used fresh coconut milk, Silk, mostly. I should have guessed from the get go that it was gonna be problematic when it wouldn't fully dissolve in the water even when made to instructions on the box. Had to heat the water a bit and then use my SB to mix it all together. It still had to be periodically stirred to keep it blended.

 

I would not have guessed that any milk powder would cause soap batter to seize. Just a heads up. Could be the brand too. Was trying to save money by switching from fresh to powder.

 

Well its not a total disaster. I was able to get all the soap batter into the molds and tamp em down pretty good. Plus the milk powder will be used instead for making coconut milk bath. It dissolves in warm water so it should be okay for the bath.

 

Sigh.... I was gonna save myself some money but it didn't turn out. Figures, right?!!!

[TallTayl]

Oh no!

Any ingredients on the label that might point to a reason? Or maybe dissolve it in hot water and add into your soap after it’s fully dissolved?

[NightLight]

Coconut milk powder doesn’t dissolve quickly in water. What I do is hold back some water, add the powder, nuke for about 12 - 15 seconds then whisk, add to oils and blend super well. I have never had issues with coconut milk powder. You don’t need a lot to be effective, just a teaspoon or two. Maybe you used too much powder!

[Kerven]

Does it contain any starches, dextrose, or maltodextrin? I've read that some people have trouble getting them to dissolve properly in room temp or cooler water. Try making a slurry with warm/hot water and then thinning to desired consistency.

[Candybee]

Well it says;

Ingredients: Coconut milk powder

 

So no fillers, or other additives, just dried coconut milk. Brand is Nutricost and I bought it from Amazon in the large 2 lbs container. It tastes yummy too!

 

The directions say to use "one scoop" for 8 - 12 oz of water. One scoop turns out to be .5 oz of powder. I weighed it. I'd say if I put it in a tablespoon its so light it might make 2 tbs per servings.

 

So Nightlight, that would definitely be more than you recommend. Maybe I will give it one more try at 1 tsp. But is that per lb of oils or what? What do you measure your 1 tsp powder to?

 

12 hours ago, NightLight said:

Coconut milk powder doesn’t dissolve quickly in water. What I do is hold back some water, add the powder, nuke for about 12 - 15 seconds then whisk, add to oils and blend super well. I have never had issues with coconut milk powder. You don’t need a lot to be effective, just a teaspoon or two. Maybe you used too much powder!

 

 

[Candybee]

6 hours ago, Kerven said:

Does it contain any starches, dextrose, or maltodextrin? I've read that some people have trouble getting them to dissolve properly in room temp or cooler water. Try making a slurry with warm/hot water and then thinning to desired consistency.

 

Ingredients listed is simply: Coconut milk powder.

 

And it didn't dissolve in water. I had to heat the water slightly then add the powder, then whisk or SB to blend it together. It blends fine once its heated a little bit and SB'd okay into my soap batter. 

 

But as soon as I added the lye solution it started to turn into soap pudding and by the time I poured it into the mold was closer to concrete and I couldn't even texture the top as even the top started to get gloppy thick.

 

[Candybee]

Well I ended up going to the store today and buying some fresh coconut milk. Which reminded me why I wanted to switch to the powdered kind, its getting harder and harder to even find coconut milk. The store shelves are loaded with almond milk, soy milk, and even oatmilk these days but try to find straight coconut milk and its like where's Waldo?!!!!

 

I am gonna try NightLight's advice and use a smaller amount. It should still work as one serving of this powder has a whopping 9 grams of fat while the fresh coconut milk has only 5-6. And its that wonderful skin loving milkfat I want in my soapies!!!!

[TallTayl]

46 minutes ago, Candybee said:

Well I ended up going to the store today and buying some fresh coconut milk. Which reminded me why I wanted to switch to the powdered kind, its getting harder and harder to even find coconut milk. The store shelves are loaded with almond milk, soy milk, and even oatmilk these days but try to find straight coconut milk and its like where's Waldo?!!!!

 

I am gonna try NightLight's advice and use a smaller amount. It should still work as one serving of this powder has a whopping 9 grams of fat while the fresh coconut milk has only 5-6. And its that wonderful skin loving milkfat I want in my soapies!!!!

I find it in the Asian food aisles. Most have guar gum though.  It may or not be problematic.

 

I usually premake powdered milks to make sure they are fully hydrated.  The pudding could be from it saponifying quickly.

[NightLight]

I have only used powder chaokoh, or bulkfoods coconut milk powder. You need to start with cold water, the. Warm and whisk. It takes a bit to prevent from being clumpy. Canned etc, contains additives to keep it homogenized. Warming it, I nuke just for a few seconds helps it blend better into water then whisk that, the. Add to oils and blend very well. It doesn’t take much in a batch to have great soap. I don’t make soap for a living just for myself so don’t have a percentage to use but generally all my batches of three pounds I don’t add more than two teaspoons of power to reap the benefits.

[Candybee]

6 hours ago, NightLight said:

I have only used powder chaokoh, or bulkfoods coconut milk powder. You need to start with cold water, the. Warm and whisk. It takes a bit to prevent from being clumpy. Canned etc, contains additives to keep it homogenized. Warming it, I nuke just for a few seconds helps it blend better into water then whisk that, the. Add to oils and blend very well. It doesn’t take much in a batch to have great soap. I don’t make soap for a living just for myself so don’t have a percentage to use but generally all my batches of three pounds I don’t add more than two teaspoons of power to reap the benefits.

 

I was using powder too, not canned as you said it contains additives. My powder is 100% coconut milk powder with no additives. I did what you did, started with some cold water, added the coconut milk powder, then nuked it for a few seconds, then SB to blend it. That worked fine. I just have to give it a try using less powder for my CP soap and see if that works.

 

As I said above, trying to find fresh coconut milk by the carton in the store is like finding a needle in a haystack. 

 

Maybe I should just switch to almond milk as its so plentiful.... but I'm just not ready to do that, I really like coconut milk in my CP!

Edited February 11, 2021 by Candybee

[NightLight]

You could try this one

https://www.amazon.com/Native-Forest-Organic-Unsweetened-Coconut/dp/B011LVDECM

No additives!

I usually just use the powder because it keeps a long time. You could try above then freeze in ice cube trays.

Let me know if it works for you.

As TT said most coconut mills do have gums added and preservatives that could be a problem.

[Candybee]

17 hours ago, NightLight said:

You could try this one

https://www.amazon.com/Native-Forest-Organic-Unsweetened-Coconut/dp/B011LVDECM

No additives!

I usually just use the powder because it keeps a long time. You could try above then freeze in ice cube trays.

Let me know if it works for you.

As TT said most coconut mills do have gums added and preservatives that could be a problem.

 

Well what it comes down to is that one is $ .22 cents a fluid oz which is way higher cost than I have been using on the either the fresh or powdered kind. I can make my soap with just $ .04 cents per fluid oz or even less if I use less of the powder. The whole purpose was to save money by switching to the powder.

 

So while that looks like a great brand I would only use if for cooking probably and not soapmaking since its not cost effective. But thanks just the same for trying to find an alternative. I think I may have seen that same brand canned milk at Wally's.

 

BTW, canned coconut milk makes the best tasting Thai curries and coconut soups if you are into international cooking.

 

[NightLight]

I drink it and use it for cooking Indian food! Also soap making, use the powder. Maybe keep percentage of powder low. I don’t use much in a batch and it makes an impact. It may be too much the amount you’re adding and then it seizes.

[Candybee]

11 minutes ago, NightLight said:

I drink it and use it for cooking Indian food! Also soap making, use the powder. Maybe keep percentage of powder low. I don’t use much in a batch and it makes an impact. It may be too much the amount you’re adding and then it seizes.

 

I make 56oz oil recipe batches or 3.5 lbs oil. How much of the coconut powder would you use for that size batch? That's the oil amount and not the full batter amount. The soap batch ends up being about 5 lbs altogether with the lye and liquid.

Edited February 12, 2021 by Candybee

[NightLight]

Try 2 tsp. You don’t need much. Make sure you stick blend it well!