GM "split" method for liquids

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kmarvel

kmarvel

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I am getting fresh GM today and making a batch of GM soap. I would like to use the "split" method where the water is mixed with the lye and then the GM incorporated into the oils. I am going to use the following recipe:

40% beef tallow
40% olive pomace oil
15% coconut oil
5% castor oil
50/50 GM/water

Does this recipe sound ok? And do I insulate with towels as I normally do or put this in the fridge for 24 hrs?

Kathie
 
If you are only using 50% or less water, make sure that all of the lye is dissolved before adding it to the oils. It might be a good idea to strain the lye solution. I would probably use more coconut oil for more bubbles. You can refrigerate or freeze the soap to keep it from gelling. Milk soap has a tendency to turn brown during the gelling process.
 
Isg,

Thank you for the quick response! Technically it isn't really 50% less water, is it? If I need, for example 20 oz of water, 10 oz would be dissolved with the lye and the other 10 oz GM would be added to the oils.
Would you suggest a different approach?
 
That's the same method I use for my milk soaps. When I use soap calc, I bump up the water from 38% to 40%. I like to gel my soaps, so I insulate the soap, keeping an eye on it, and when I see gel from corner to corner, I remove the insulation.
 
Actually this weekend I decided to make 100% GM soap. I added the lye to my cold GM slowly. It turned a orange color and the fat from the GM had little beads. When I added it to my oils it traced a little fast. Refrigerating it and will pull it out at 2 pm this afternoon. I am concerned because when I poured it in the mold the soap looked a little grainy.
Is there a better method to make 100% GM soap??
 
I don't know that what I do is necessarily *better*, but I actually freeze the GM and add the lye very slowly--bit by bit, stirring well after each addition. I do this over an ice water bath, keeping an eye on the temperature throughout the process, never letting the temp get over about 85. It's a slow painstaking process, but it eliminates the orange coloring associated with overheating.

As an aside, I've been toying with the idea of giving the 50/50 method you asked about in your OP a try to see if there is a noticeable difference in the end product. It sure would be nice to dispense with that slow and tedious frozen GM/ice water bath process!
 
I actually do both methods. Since I usually soap with my pre-made 50/50 lye solution I just add in the remaining liquid, gm, after adding in the lye solution to my oils. Lately I have been wanting full gm so I have been using frozen gm and setting my container in an ice bath to keep it from further heating up.
 
I do the 50/50 with milks but if I want 100% I generally supplement with powdered milk to make up the difference. Just blend with the milk (GM/BM/CM) add to oils then add lye mixture.
 
cmzaha said:
I actually do both methods. Since I usually soap with my pre-made 50/50 lye solution I just add in the remaining liquid, gm, after adding in the lye solution to my oils. Lately I have been wanting full gm so I have been using frozen gm and setting my container in an ice bath to keep it from further heating up.
Click to expand...

Carolyn, do you feel there is a noticeable difference in the end products between the 50% GM and 100% GM?
 

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