Working with Coconut Milk and Lye

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ivril

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Hi Everyone, had a question in regard to using coconut milk and mixing with lye. I started a new recipe today and decided to use coconut milk. I froze the coconut cubes and placed them in a plastic tub that resided in water and ice cubes. When i mixed all the lye in, the lye/cocunut mixture because thick (almost like a trace) and the temperature didn't rise past 95 degrees.

I was worried that something went wrong and started over again. This time i used the coconut milk in liquid form over a tub of ice water. T i got a fishy smell to the mixture but it came out smooth and not thick.

Are the above to scenarios normal?

Thank you in advance!
 
Last edited:
Yep, thats normal. That fat in the coconut milk was starting to saponify so it got thick.
 
Yep, you made soap. Just carefully put it in your oils and stickblend the daylights out of it. Or, use the split method and mix your lye with half of the water and use coconut milk for the other half and mix that in with your oils before adding the lye.
 
Thank you for the prompt response! Now i feel bad throwing the other lye/coconut mixture away! I thought i messed up!

One thing i noticed was that the thickening of the lye solution seemed to happen around 95 degrees and the temp wasn't going up. i read the reaction of soaponifaction needed to happen between 100-115 degrees and not to mix the oils unless it was between those degrees. Is this right or can it happen in lower temperatures?

One other thing, should milk batches be put in the fridge for 24 hours instead of covering them up right away?

Thank you again!
 
new12soap said:
Yep, you made soap. Just carefully put it in your oils and stickblend the daylights out of it. Or, use the split method and mix your lye with half of the water and use coconut milk for the other half and mix that in with your oils before adding the lye.
Click to expand...

I always do the split method and add the coconut milk at emulsion.
 
ivril said:
.......One other thing, should milk batches be put in the fridge for 24 hours instead of covering them up right away?



Thank you again!
Click to expand...


'Should' has no answer other than 'depends'. With milk soaps some people do work to prevent gel by cooling the batter. Some don't go for a gel, but carefully as the milk soaps can overheat.

There is a lot of information here about preventing gel which would be good to read before doing it, I think
 
I freeze my CM, and use it at 100%..I sit mine in an ice bath and slowly add the lye and stir, and keep adding and stirring until Im certain the lye is dissolved. I soap cool anyway..usually 100 deg or below..then into the oils it goes and SB to med trace and into my mold, then off to the fridge for a few hours, sometimes overnight, sometimes not...the sap will happen
 
I use CM at 50% of liquids, mixed into the oils before I add the lye water. I normally soap at between 100 and 110. I CPOP almost every batch, with the exception of my salt bars. My "base" recipe has CM and beeswax in it, yet I never seem to overheat.

Jani soaps cooler and refrigerates hers.

Craig is right, there are lots of people doing it in different ways. Try experimenting with the different processes until you find a method that you like, is easy for you to manage and produces a good soap. All part of the fun of soaping. :smile:
 

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