CPOP with milk soaps?

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Soapman Ryan

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Would like to try two things a milk soap and CPOP. Has anyone had troubles with a milk soap using the CPOP method? I was wanting to use coconut milk for the milk, adding it at trace before putting it in the oven.
 
I use coconut milk in almost every batch but I have never done CPOP. Hopefully someone else who has more experience can help. I can't imagine it being a problem as long as it doesnt get too hot. Then again, i usually dont allow my milk soaps to gel so... :eh:
 
I have seen a lot of recommendations to NOT gel milk soaps because the sugars in the milk will have a tendency toward burning/overheating your soap. You might consider just wrapping your soap up in towels to let it keep its own heat in. I did that to my OMH soap to make sure it gelled. It BARELY gelled, but I soap low at room temperature, and I ended up wrapping hot towels around it and insulating it all in a blanket to make sure it gelled. Normally they say not to because if your soap gets too hot you could have a mess on your hands.
 
I typically do not have a problem doing CPOP with goat milk soaps. The only time my soap overheated was an OMH, and it was probably the honey + not fully frozen goat milk when I added the lye that did it.
 
The one time I did HPOP soap, I added some cream at the end of the cook. I have never attempted CPOP soap.
 
I've done CPOP milk soaps, but I do it a little differently than most, I'm sure. After making my soap, I pop it in the freezer for about 2 hours & then put it in the oven. I haven't had any issues that way, even with honey & milk in the same recipe.
 
When you oven process with milk soaps, does it discolor to a tan color or does it stay creamy?
 
I've done CPOP milk soaps, but I do it a little differently than most, I'm sure. After making my soap, I pop it in the freezer for about 2 hours & then put it in the oven. I haven't had any issues that way, even with honey & milk in the same recipe.

Genny, by putting the milk soap in the freezer prior to the oven, does this stop the gel process? What does the oven do to the soap since it's now a frozen loaf?
 
It doesn't stop the gel process. It just stops it from overheating. During the time that it's in the freezer, the soap still gets pretty warm. When I put it in the oven, it's not quite frozen yet. The heat from preheating the oven & the oven light do still force the soap to gel.

If you have a smaller batch (1 pound loaf or so), then you probably wouldn't want to leave it in the freezer for 2 hours, since then it might be likely to become completely frozen.
 
When you oven process with milk soaps, does it discolor to a tan color or does it stay creamy?

Nope. Stays whatever color I colored it to.

Wish I had a freezer with room for my log mold, but alas I don't. Otherwise I'd probably do it the same way as Genny.
 
Hmmm, I'm going to have to try it and see what happens. I always thought that the whole idea was to keep the soap as cool as possible to prevent the sugars in the milk from discoloring the soap. I would definitely prefer to gel some soaps.
 
I have seen a lot of recommendations to NOT gel milk soaps because the sugars in the milk will have a tendency toward burning/overheating your soap. You might consider just wrapping your soap up in towels to let it keep its own heat in. I did that to my OMH soap to make sure it gelled. It BARELY gelled, but I soap low at room temperature, and I ended up wrapping hot towels around it and insulating it all in a blanket to make sure it gelled. Normally they say not to because if your soap gets too hot you could have a mess on your hands.
This is true, I soap at room temp too and i have to insulate my beer and milk soaps that I want gelled. I wrap them or put them in a heat pad ( or set on the radiator!) when they look done (i have a see through mold) then i remove.
 
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