Lye is thick!

[Zalia]

Hello!
I've made a couple batches with GM by mixing it with the lye. Today I was getting ready to make a new batch of soap. A good portion of my GM was frozen, and I added Meyenbery evaporated Goat Milk to the mix for the rest of my liquid. After mixing it up with the lye, I left it to cool down for a few minutes later, this happened. Does anyone know when this is happening? It came out thick and creamy.

 

[AliOop]

The powdered goat milk absorbed some of your water, causing the mixture to thicken. That's part of why I normally add powdered goat milk straight to the oils. The other option is to separate out a little water to hydrate.

 

[Zalia]

The powdered goat milk absorbed some of your water, causing the mixture to thicken. That's part of why I normally add powdered goat milk straight to the oils. The other option is to separate out a little water to hydrate.

Ahh. When using fresh goat milk it was fine. So adding a little water will help it?

 

[AliOop]

Yes, you can probably add a bit of water, as long as you don't overdo it. What was your original lye concentration?

 

[Ford]

Evaporated or powdered goats milk? Also, could it have to do with the fats. In the goat's milk starting to saponify? Which it does anyway. But just more noticeable. With just lye and milk alone?

 

[Zalia]

Yes, you can probably add a bit of water, as long as you don't overdo it. What was your original lye concentration?

The lye concentration was 25% (151.57g) and 454.7 g of liquid.

Evaporated or powdered goats milk? Also, could it have to do with the fats. In the goat's milk starting to saponify? Which it does anyway. But just more noticeable. With just lye and milk alone?

It was evaporated goat milk. So it’s possible it was the fat. I normally use Fresh Milk which reaction is different.

 

[cmzaha]

I always add the GM powder to my fats and SB them in. I would also say it was the gm powder, but I did not too often soap with even liquid added to my lye. i preferred the 50/50 method adding in GM powder to make up the difference if I wanted more GM. I tried a few times in the beginning to add liquid GM to lye and just did not like the fats beginning to saponify and did not like fooling around with frozen milk, to hard to ensure my lye was mixed in properly. So I would mix extra GM powder with the liquid GM pour it into the oils SB then mix my lye solution. As I said over the years I quit with the liquid and just used powder. After that long tirade, you probably had fats starting to saponify and the GM powder hydrating using up your liquid.

But I am one of these odd people who never could tell a difference in gm soap and only used it for label appeal. LOL, apparently the dead set on using GM soaps only customers could not tell either, because I sold a lot of it. FYI, I did not lie, it had Goat's milk but only half the amount. On the other hand, I did find Camel's milk made a creamier soap. So did breast milk which soaped beautifully which I made for my niece because she begged me but it grossed me out making it.

 

[Ford]

Hi, when I used frozen gm. It didn't seem to happen or was as noticeable. But non frozen would react this way. For me as well. That's why I switched over to powdered gm. Had same results with coconut milk.

Just noticed you're lye percentage post above. That's ALOT of gm. That much gm would definitely contribute to your issue's. Maybe think about lowering it. Say 38%?

 

[TheGecko]

Hello!
I've made a couple batches with GM by mixing it with the lye. Today I was getting ready to make a new batch of soap. A good portion of my GM was frozen, and I added Meyenbery evaporated Goat Milk to the mix for the rest of my liquid. After mixing it up with the lye, I left it to cool down for a few minutes later, this happened. Does anyone know when this is happening? It came out thick and creamy.

The Sodium Hydroxide is binding to the fats in the Goat Milk.

It was evaporated goat milk. So it’s possible it was the fat. I normally use Fresh Milk which reaction is different.

This is also normal as there is less water in Evaporated GM as opposed to fresh GM.

So did breast milk which soaped beautifully which I made for my niece because she begged me but it grossed me out making it.

Yeah...there is just something creepy about using breast milk.

 

[KiwiMoose]

My goat's milk does this when I mix it with the lye - It still works successfully in the soap.