Attention fresh goat's milk soapers-help!

[whitetulips]

I have been making quite a few batches of soap lately, using frozen goat's milk cubes in place of the water to mix with the lye. I also put ice in the bottom of a bucket and stirred.

I just had to throw out some soap because there were undissolved lye crystals throughout the soap. I hope the two batches from last night don't have them too.

I'm soaping at 70 degree temps. Could it be that I'm not stirring the whole time until the lye dissolves and crystals form?

 

[savonierre]

That could very well be. I stir the ice cubes and lye until I don't hear anymore scraping sound if you know what I mean. It does take awhile to get all the lye dissolved. I am sorry that happened.

 

[azimuth]

It could be that you aren't stirring long enough that the crystals aren't dissolving, yes

 

[HorseCreek]

Sometimes I've found that when we work really hard to keep the solution cool, it stays too cool I think. Sometimes taking it out of the ice bath for a bit gets everything dissolved without turning the milk yellow.
Also, always strain your lye solution when you pour it into your oils. That way, there aren't crystals in your soap.

 

[whitetulips]

Rachel, I strained one batch, perhaps too fine of a mesh, because the solution was thick and wouldn't all go through. Do you strain your lye solution even if you use water to mix with lye? I've never done that. It always dissolved nicely.

Does anyone add the milk at trace instead of at the beginning? I've only heard of those using powdered goats milk doing that. Just trying to figure this out.

 

[BlackRiverBubbles]

I had this happen not too long ago and I think that lye from different sources dissolve at different rates??? Now I REALLY pay attention to make sure that all of the crystals dissolve with the lye I have now and take my time getting it stirred really well. I don't know about straining, because usually the lye/milk solution is pretty thick.

I did rebatch mine that still had crystals and it's fine now...Good Luck!!

 

[lsg]

Add the lye slowly, a little at-a-time stirring until you are sure that it is all dissolved.

 

[DeeAnna]

Yes, different shapes and sizes of solid NaOH will dissolve at different rates. Also you can't see the solid bits in a milk solution like you can in a water solution. I always stir longer than I think is needed when I dissolve NaOH in an opaque liquid. Listen and feel for that scraping sound like Savonierre explained, and just stir awhile longer for insurance. If the milk and NaOH solution is thick, I can't use a strainer, so I stir some more.....

 

[Lilahblossom]

That's why I add the goat's milk at trace. I use half water. The benefits of the milk are there with half. And less worry about scorching.