Adding milk to cp.....

[idacandlelady]

is it better to add it to the lye or add at trace. I'm trying canned goat milk. I made a batch with oatmeal (ground fine), GM, and honey, scented with the OMH FO and it was awful. It smelled bad(which I'm not sure if it was that I just don't like the FO or something to do with the reaction) and it didn't set up (which is another story). Well I'm ready to give it another go and was wondering if anyone had any opinion on which way is better. BTW anyone ever make this soap(these ingredients) with a different FO? Just not sure if the scent is enhanced by the additives or if it's possible to get the benefits of these ingredients together with a different scent. Thanks for any help you can give!!!

Rebecca

[Carriegsxr6]

I heard of people pouring the lye over frozen milk. try that

[michelleB]

I make my goat milk omh soap by adding the milk, honey and oatmeal all at trace. Using canned goat milk, you have to add equal parts water to 'reconstitute it' so I use that water to mix my lye with. For example, if my recipe called for 8 oz fluid, that would mean 4oz canned goat milk & 4oz water, right? So I'd mix my lye with the 4oz water, then wait til trace to add my 4oz canned goat milk. Everybody's got their own way of doing things & you'll figure out what works best for you in no time. Me, I like doing it this way most.

I've also done it the way Carrie mentioned, adding the lye directly to frozen goat milk cubes. That DOES work. I just don't do it because I always soap on the fly and don't have enough goat milk frozen when I need it. Whatever is easier for you, go for it! Glad you didn't let the first go-round scare you off! Go have some FUN! OH....and about the FO, I don't use one for this type of soap because I just LOVE that bit-o-honey smell that comes through on its own. Yummy! Maybe try a batch with no fo and see how you like it?

[idacandlelady]

I make my goat milk omh soap by adding the milk, honey and oatmeal all at trace. Using canned goat milk, you have to add equal parts water to 'reconstitute it' so I use that water to mix my lye with. For example, if my recipe called for 8 oz fluid, that would mean 4oz canned goat milk & 4oz water, right? So I'd mix my lye with the 4oz water, then wait til trace to add my 4oz canned goat milk. Everybody's got their own way of doing things & you'll figure out what works best for you in no time. Me, I like doing it this way most.

I've also done it the way Carrie mentioned, adding the lye directly to frozen goat milk cubes. That DOES work. I just don't do it because I always soap on the fly and don't have enough goat milk frozen when I need it. Whatever is easier for you, go for it! Glad you didn't let the first go-round scare you off! Go have some FUN! OH....and about the FO, I don't use one for this type of soap because I just LOVE that bit-o-honey smell that comes through on its own. Yummy! Maybe try a batch with no fo and see how you like it?

Thanks for the tips. The batch I did that didn't turn out I did the same way as you. I think I will try again this W/E and leave out the FO. It seems like everyone on this board loves the OMH FO but I can hardly stand it, even OOB.

[Jcandleattic]

It really is a personal preference type thing I think. My milk soaps are 100% of the liquid so I add to the lye while it's frozen and SLOWLY add the lye. If the milk burns from the lye it gives off a funky smell and will turn a putrid orange color.

Sometimes if it's just scorched it will just smell funky, but that willl eventually cure out.

I would suggest trying both ways and see which one you like better.

Have fun! Milk soaps are awesome!

[idacandlelady]

It really is a personal preference type thing I think. My milk soaps are 100% of the liquid so I add to the lye while it's frozen and SLOWLY add the lye. If the milk burns from the lye it gives off a funky smell and will turn a putrid orange color.

Sometimes if it's just scorched it will just smell funky, but that willl eventually cure out.

I would suggest trying both ways and see which one you like better.

Have fun! Milk soaps are awesome!

It would still be considered 100% milk the other way because it is condensed milk. It would need to be mixed with water before freezing anyway. Am I right? Just wondering for ingredient list. What are the benefits of GM, or any milk for that matter, and honey in soap? Is there a site or anything that gives the benefits of certain additives? None of the calculators do because they only list oils and butters.

[CareBear]

IMHO, the milk (beit goat, cow, or even coconut) add a richness and smoothness to the lather. And the more the better - I tried a triple-concentrated sol'n made from powder - zowie! Honey does too - and adds a fabulous graham cracker scent!

One of my favorite (unfortunately failed) batches was Mediterranean Fig in a GM/honey soap. OH MY GOD does the combo smell fabulous (better than ust the FO in soap without the honey), and the lather is TDF. Unfortunately it went all weird on me and is an odd color (like moldy putty) and got odd cracks - so I save it all just for me!

[Hibiscus]

I used canned gm and did not dilute it. I froze it overnight. Filled the sink with a few frozen water balloons (left over from balloon candles)sat the container in the water bath and added the lye..slowly. when it was all mixed it was the consistency of a thick pudding like trace. I dumped it all at once into my room temp oils and mixed with my hand mixer. The soap never heated or burned it was fine and I had plenty of time to play with it. it rose slightly in the mold and there were a few small cracks. It didn't smell too bad and it's been a couple of days and that smell is barely noticable. That was my first Gm soap.

[CareBear]

was it the concentrated/evaporated GM?

[Crafty1_AJ]

Using canned goat milk, you have to add equal parts water to 'reconstitute it' so I use that water to mix my lye with. For example, if my recipe called for 8 oz fluid, that would mean 4oz canned goat milk & 4oz water, right? So I'd mix my lye with the 4oz water, then wait til trace to add my 4oz canned goat milk. Everybody's got their own way of doing things & you'll figure out what works best for you in no time. Me, I like doing it this way most.

Ditto. This is how I do it and it's super easy. Makes great soap.

I have also done it by freezing the GM and adding lye slowly and stirring constantly. A bit more hassle for me, but it works too.

Happy GM soaping!

[Hibiscus]

was it the concentrated/evaporated GM?

Not sure. I should check next time I go to walmart..LOL and I'm not in need of anything from there so if anyone buys canned gm from there perhaps they can tell you. Also, I didn't use any FO/EO and I added oatmeal & a secret ingredient. It was an experiment that turned out nicely. Incredible lather:D

[CareBear]

dang, I HATE secrets!

[Hibiscus]

dang, I HATE secrets!

:pLOL...me too!

[michelleB]

Not sure. I should check next time I go to walmart..LOL and I'm not in need of anything from there so if anyone buys canned gm from there perhaps they can tell you. Incredible lather:D

Holy CANNOLI hibiscus...you made a 200% GM soap then! (the canned gm from wally-world is evap/concentrated)

Wooohoooooo! That must've absolutely ROCKED!

Ida...yes you're right. Once you've reconstituted it with equal water, it's officially 100% goat milk for your ingredient list. As for the benefits, one is that the goat milk has a ph level that closely resembles that of our own skin, making it gentle enough for those with skin "issues". Plus the creamy feel it lends to the lather, and the way your skin feels afterwards...ah, heavenly. It's no miracle bar, but it's definitely good for your skin. Course, the entire soap recipe affects whether or not you get the full benefits from the goat milk. I mean, a harshly cleansing soap made with 100% gm will STILL be harsh, just slightly less so. What worked for me was to play around with recipes til I got a super gentle/bubbly soap withOUT gm first, and then I turned it into a gm recipe later to make it even milder. Honey is a terrific addition to soaps because it's a lather-booster like all get out! Just keep your eyes peeled though because it can cause overheating, especially with a milk-soap that's already prone to that same problem. I don't know of a specific site that lists the benefits of each additive, but hopefully somebody else here can help with that. I'd love to know that too!

Happy soaping!!

[CareBear]

I did a super condensed GM by using waaaay more powder in reconstituting than the stuff called for. It was amazing. I think it was about 3.5X and I absolutely love the result. But it cracked - I think it overheated. I'm gonna try again letting it set up in the fridge.

btw, the addition of milk seems to make FOs richer IMHO - rounds them out somehow. but maybe it's just my imagination!

[michelleB]

Oh CAROL you're such a BAD BAD influence! Here hibiscus has already tempted me beyond measure and now YOU'VE gotta tease me with a 350% gm soap???!! (if my math's even remotely right)

Good golly gumdrops I'm gonna march right into my kitchen an' soap me up a storm! Heck, I might even throw the whole goat in there! Mmmmmmmm, I'm gonna keep the whole dern log for myself too! Oh, and thanks for the warning about the cracking. Yep, prolly overheated, so I'll stick mine straight in the fridge or freezer. Wish me luck, I'm goin in!

[CareBear]

Oh I can do even better. I layered that one with a 100% half-and-half batch. Won't do that again though - too hard to work with 2 small milk batches right after each other - it came out beautifully be geez I was a wreck and think it was really a disaster waiting to happen. Just got lucky.

Michelle, you owe me a bar. Or better yet let me come over and make it! I'm going through death throws now - totally in withdrawal. I packed my soaping stuff what, 3 weeks already? and I NEED TO SOAP. I keep telling myself it 's better this way - I can dedicate my time to sorting, packing, dealing with the totally uncoopereative ex (who is totally sucking up my time and energy anyway). But I NEED the release I get from soaping.

QUICK someone send me some lye and a mold - I've got the oils still here! I am NEVER going to make it till I can soap again (which I now see as October 15th EARLIEST. Dang. I want to cry.

[Hibiscus]

Good golly gumdrops I'm gonna march right into my kitchen an' soap me up a storm! Heck, I might even throw the whole goat in there! Mmmmmmmm, I'm gonna keep the whole dern log.

:laugh2: well since that concentrated milk worked so well for me I won't do it any other way from now on. The cracks were very small and nothing to be concerned about. Check out the pics in the gallery:D

I think I'll stick to the ice method because I don't really want to refridgerate it unecessarily. Can't wait to see your soap with the goat in it.. :laugh2:

[sk1lady]

You are supposed to allow the lye to first mix with wter then cool down to 80 degrees then cool your milk to 80 degrees then mix. I don't know if I posted this reply right, this is my first time posting.

is it better to add it to the lye or add at trace. I'm trying canned goat milk. I made a batch with oatmeal (ground fine), GM, and honey, scented with the OMH FO and it was awful. It smelled bad(which I'm not sure if it was that I just don't like the FO or something to do with the reaction) and it didn't set up (which is another story). Well I'm ready to give it another go and was wondering if anyone had any opinion on which way is better. BTW anyone ever make this soap(these ingredients) with a different FO? Just not sure if the scent is enhanced by the additives or if it's possible to get the benefits of these ingredients together with a different scent. Thanks for any help you can give!!!

Rebecca

[Jcandleattic]

It would still be considered 100% milk the other way because it is condensed milk. It would need to be mixed with water before freezing anyway. Am I right? Just wondering for ingredient list. What are the benefits of GM, or any milk for that matter, and honey in soap? Is there a site or anything that gives the benefits of certain additives? None of the calculators do because they only list oils and butters.

That I don't know. My cousin raises goats, and has dairy goats, so all my GM is "fresh from the goat". I pasturize it, then freeze it, then use it when I'm making milk soap.

I believe you are correct though, since it is condensed and you would have to add the water to reconstitute it.

On my soaps, since I make no claims other than, "it will get you clean" I do not label any ingredients, UNLESS, I use a nut oil or butter. Then I will so people with allergies can avoid those soaps.

HTH

[idacandlelady]

OK I made my batch of OMH w/ GM. It set up beautiful, BUT... where is this great smell you all are talking about? I added some cinnamon but I figured that I wouldn't smell any of it. When I took it out of the mold, it smelled really bad. Like rotten eggs or something. Even my kids were gagging. Will this smell go away? Does this nice smell come later? Could my GM have been bad? Sorry about all the ??'s but I really want this to work.

[michelleB]

Give it a couple of days or so and the smell will change. Sorry, shoulda warned ya about that possibility. :embarasse

If the goat milk gets really heated up, it can put off a really raunchy stench. Luckily it's only temporary though, so keep checking on it over the next 24-48 hours and you'll start to notice the GOOD smell coming through more & more, and the BAD smell fading away. Don't worry, it's nothing that you did wrong and it won't change the outcome of the soap. I'm really excited for you!!! Gosh I still remember my first OMH batch...and if I'm not mistaken, it went the same way with the gm 'ammonia' smell and it scared the be-jeezus outta me! Turned out to be such a great soap though that I only got one bar out of the whole log! All my friends & family helped themselves to it, cuz of the yummy smell. It's definitely an all-time favorite!

Keep us posted on how it goes & give us some pics if you can. I LOVE soap pics!

[MarieJeanette]

OK I made my batch of OMH w/ GM. It set up beautiful, BUT... where is this great smell you all are talking about? I added some cinnamon but I figured that I wouldn't smell any of it. When I took it out of the mold, it smelled really bad. Like rotten eggs or something. Even my kids were gagging. Will this smell go away? Does this nice smell come later? Could my GM have been bad? Sorry about all the ??'s but I really want this to work.

I've been doing a lot of reading and research about making goat milk soap because I am getting ready to make my own first batch here soon, and from all that I've read on the different forums and archives, I'm prepared for the soap to be really stinky when it is unmolded. From what I understand, it will remain stinky for a few days or so, but then as it cures, the awful smell will completely go away and then it will smell nice. I'm thinking that if you just give it time to cure that it should be fine. I'm preparing to stick my yet future unmolded goat milk soap out in the garage while it's curing so that it won't stink my house up! HTH!

MarieJeanette

P.S. Edited to say I must've posted at the same time as MichelleB.

[idacandlelady]

WHEW!!!! Thank goodness. I will take some pics in the morning. They are not the most beautiful, but not too bad I guess. Thanks for reassuring me. I was ready to dump it in the trash. One more ?, does this type of soap need the standard 2-4 weeks to cure? Was just wondering because of the heating it does, if it is pretty much ready to try like cpop. Does that make sense?

[michelleB]

MarieJ...you're extremely well informed AND well prepared, so I have no doubts that you'll have a blast with your gm soap! :-)

Ida...you're doing GREAT! I've had soaps that separated on me in the mold, started gelling while still in the mixing bowl, turned into HARD soap while still being stick-blended...you name it! Trust me when I say there will be days when you look back on this batch...and WISH your current batch behaved as well, ROFL. But it's all part of the fun of soapin.

To answer your question, yep these will still need the full cure time before being used in the shower/bath. But I always test a sliver or end piece on my hands at the sink right after I cut it. I'm an impatient soaper, so I have to at least do that much just to reassure myself that it actually worked & turned into soap! lol. Just keep in mind that you usually won't get the full effect from the lather until it's had a little more cure time.