goats milk question (pics added)

[calico21]

Ok did my first goat milk soap last night, everything seemed ok, milk got a bit orange and kinda thick, but went on anyway. Left in freezer for 5 hours and then straight to fridge. Took out this morning and left at room temp til i got home(11 hours later)(25 total in mold). looked like condensation on top but as I wiped more came up from sides of mold. Was able to un-mold, still soft but this liquid was a bit tan, not oily feeling and had a zap is this maybe fragrance or extra water that pushed out and was dark because of the goats milk and not gelling. Or do you think some of it seperated? I know if I test the soap now it will still zap.

 

[bombus]

Hi Calico-
I always gel, so I can't help you there, but I can give you a tip to keep your milk white. It turns orange from being burnt by the lye.
I usually divide the water in the recipe in half. One half is water, the other half is milk.

Freeze the milk in ice cube trays. I usually buy a quart at a time, and fill up a couple of trays, then keep the milk cubes in a zip lock
bag in the freezer.

Weigh out what you need & keep them in the freezer until you have the water ready.

Now, mix the water with the sodium hydroxide that the recipe calls for. Cool to room temperature, then chill well in the refrigerator
(be sure to label it well).

When your oils are ready (I do room temp), add the milk cubes to the lye, stirring until they are all melted. By this time, the fat in the
goatsmilk will form small "curds" from reacting with the lye. I have found that if I pour this milky lye directly into my oils, I will end up
with spots in the soap. Sometimes they turn brown.

My latest batch that I did, I poured the milky lye into the oils through a large strainer, and I was surprised at how much solid material
there was. I "smushed" it through with my silicone spatula, which broke up the little lumps, and the soap looks MUCH better. No spots!

 

[calico21]

Thanks, I tried keeping it cool, used partially frozen milk(thought it was totally) and went slowly but didn't keep mixture on ice did it in garage at 35 degrees or so, but the color of my soap is actually pretty light and creamy just worried about the excess liquid. Cut a small piece off the side of slab and it actually didn't zap but havent tested the inside yet.
ETA: used a little less than 50% milk but didn't print directions and added milk to water then added lye, oops :roll:

 

[soapbuddy]

If the liquid zaps, I would rebatch. The drawback is it would darken any color.

 

[calico21]

ok I cut 1 section of the soap, inside it does not zap. There is no pockets of liquid or crumbly spots so far, do you think it still needs rebatched. I've searched all night to understand what the liquid was. The condensation on top was clear the stuff on the side a light tan/amber, the soap a off white cream color like goats milk is in the can. The fo coolwater slight amber. The acrylic picture frame I've been using had the acrylic sheet on it the whole time and was thinking it might have just been alot of condensation that pulled some of the color from the milk.
So far I feel like I should just go back to my plain soap :cry: (But I know I won't)

 

[soapbuddy]

Give it a couple of days and see.

 

[calico21]

okay gave it a couple days and its a nice soap, but i had wiped off the extra liquid. Love the way my hands feel.
I tried a second batch yesterday with only a different fo but mixing my lye first to 1/2 of water. allowed to cool to just slightly warm and added frozen milk to it. Put in freezer for a few hours looked like i had avoided gel so I sat on counter to finish and about 4 hours later it started to heat up and was getting the condensation and colored liquid again! So put it in garage over night and brought in today to thaw. Am I letting it freeze to much? Wiped off liquid again(doesn't even wet a whole square of paper towel)but I'm afraid I'm getting over superfatted because I know there is a small amount of lye in this liquid (beacause of not gelling it zaps) Grrr!
I'm fairly confident it will be okay in a couple days but what is wrong.
here is recipe:
PKO(f)= 7 oz
Crisco, old=18
olive oil=8.5
castor=6
CO=7
water -8.75
gm 8.85
lye 6.3
water at 38%
superfat 8%
mixed gm/w/l with oils at slightly warm
Its okay to tell me to give up! :wink:

By calico21 at 2011-01-09

By calico21 at 2011-01-09

 

[soapbuddy]

I normally don't gel. I find that my soaps can zap, up to three days after making it. After that they are fine. I do put my batches in the fridge or the freezer. If any condensation occurs, I wipe it off with a paper towel.

 

[calico21]

Thanx for that, is it all usually clear or is some of it an amber/tan, I get both whats on top usually clear from sides amber like the natural soap color.

 

[soapbuddy]

Thanx for that, is it all usually clear or is some of it an amber/tan, I get both whats on top usually clear from sides amber like the natural soap color.

Mine is clear. It's just water. I would worry if the drops were amber color, that's it either the FO or a mixture with lye.

 

[c.a.p.]

I only male GM soap and use 100% GM for the liquid. I freeze the cubes as suggested. The key is to add your lye slowly to the cubes and stir like crazy. I'll add about 1/4 the amount of lye to the cubes and try to stir. The cubes are still hard so it is hard to stir. The lye will slowly melt the cubes. Then I'll add another 1/4 of the lye. By now I can stir. I stir, stir, stir, then add more lye, etc. If I'm very patient, my milk stays a creamy color. Sometimes it will get a slight yellow, but it fades back to cream.

I never freeze or refridgerate and I almost never have a partial gel. It depends on what eo's I've used. I don't cover, either. Slab mold so it doesn't hold a lot of heat.

Your soaps look great, by the way.