Coconut Milk/Lye

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jadiebugs1

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Hi All! I have a problem I'm hoping someone has a solution to.

I froze my canned coconut milk then added my lye slowly, it was fine until I had to abandon the process due to an emergency. So it sat there on the counter overnight and the next day. Now my lye/milk mixture is the consistency of soft shortening or something. The spoon stands straight up in it! :eek:

This method of freezing the coconut milk has worked for me several times before but I used the mixture right away. Now I'm wondering....is there a way to re-liquify it? My thoughts are either to add a little water or to re-warm it in a hot water bath. Or both.

Has anyone ever encountered this before? I don't want to chuck it and start over or ruin it because I don't have anymore coconut milk right now.

Help?
 
Okay, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say I don't think it would work well for regular CP. I do know what consistency you're talking about. I didn't use cold coconut milk and had the thick substance setting up while in the ice bath, but I used it right away and it did stickblend in. However, I think it's been too long. I would guess that saponification has already occured to the fat in the coconut milk. I don't think it would be smooth and creamy, you'd have chunks of coconut milk soap floating in your soap batter. No scientific proof that's what would happen, but just my own logic. I vote you HP it and see what happens. I think it may incorporate much better that way. Now, if you're willing to take a chance HP, then mix it up first as if CP and see what the batter looks like. The worst thing that would happen is you HP.

Never done this, so take my advice with a grain of salt. I hope some more experienced folks can help.
 
I'm glad someone asked this...

I want to use coconut milk in my soap too!! I was was confused and perhaps I still am to some degree as to when to add the milk. Some say add it at trace but, is that with a water discount allowing for the milk to be considered liquid in the whole recipe?


Blessings, Rhonda
 
Oooooh, I didn't think about the fat in the coconut milk....ugh. But your logic there does make sense.

HP means hot process, right?? Never done that before (though I've thought about it on several occasions) so I'm not sure. How would doing the soap HP be different than CP? I guess what I'm saying is, soaplady22, is that I'm not understanding why I could blend it in better doing HP than I would CP. I am obviously missing part of the puzzle, but I don't know what it is, lol.

Thanks for your responses. <3
 
I was just thinking that if you CP you will have your soap setting up on you before you pour, in order to incorporate the milk. In HP it won't matter how thick it gets because you can stick blend all you want, and then melt it down in the slow cooker.

Did that make sense?? That was my thinking anyway.
 
Oh....I didn't realize HP had anything to do with a crockpot. :oops:

First I'm going to try a hot water bath, see if it works...I doubt I could make it any worse anyway. If that doesn't work I guess I'll add more liquid and stick blend the crap out of it....and if THAT doesn't work....I'll make a HP soap. Or TRY to anyway :p
 
Yeah.....lye + fatty liquid = really lye heavy soap hehehe. You may be best just scrapping it and starting over.
 
What a dilemma. If I was in this situation, I would dump that and start all over by just mixing half my water amount with the lye and add my coconut milk at light trace. Always works like a charm for me this way, as I never mix my lye with coconut milk or goat milk, but we all have our preferences. I hate the stinky smell of lye and milk and have been doing it this way for a long time without any problems and seems much easier for me. good luck!
 
jadiebugs1 said:
Oh....I didn't realize HP had anything to do with a crockpot. :oops:

You don't necessarily need a crockpot to make soap via the HP method. Although many soapers use crockpots to make HP, you can also make HP in the oven in a big, covered, stainless steel soup pot (like I do), or on the stovetop.


IrishLass :)
 
Shar said:
What a dilemma. If I was in this situation, I would dump that and start all over by just mixing half my water amount with the lye and add my coconut milk at light trace. Always works like a charm for me this way, as I never mix my lye with coconut milk or goat milk, but we all have our preferences. I hate the stinky smell of lye and milk and have been doing it this way for a long time without any problems and seems much easier for me. good luck!

this is exactly what i do and why :)
 
paillo said:
Shar said:
What a dilemma. If I was in this situation, I would dump that and start all over by just mixing half my water amount with the lye and add my coconut milk at light trace. Always works like a charm for me this way, as I never mix my lye with coconut milk or goat milk, but we all have our preferences. I hate the stinky smell of lye and milk and have been doing it this way for a long time without any problems and seems much easier for me. good luck!

this is exactly what i do and why :)

I had started out using my coconut & goat milk (and tomato juice) like this, BUT...I want to use all coconut milk, not 1/2 water. I still haven't done anything with this yet but added about a tablespoon of water and warmed it in a hot water bath. It loosened it up some, but not enough I don't think.
I'm off to battle it now. I'll let ya know if it works. :)
 
Well, I doubt anyone was holding their breath waiting to see how this worked out, but I've been meaning to let you know for awhile now. :oops:

So. I added some water, just a bit....warmed it in a hot water bath and stick blended the coconutmilk/lye solution.

It worked! Amazingly enough - it's the best salt bar I've made so far! Hard as a rock and creamy, creamy texture to the little beautiful bubbles.

I'm making another batch of Sea Salt Soap with Coconut Milk. Did I tell you it makes an AWESOME facial soap???? (you already knew that, didn't you??) :wink:
 
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