New to forum want to make goat milk soap

[Reeny]

Hi Reeny from Alabama! Do you still need a recipe for goat milk soap?

I would love one!

 

[Reeny]

Hi Reeny, I am also a part time beekeeper. My partner and I have about 70 hives and planning to double that come springtime. We have enough honey to sell at farmers' markets and this is where the soap addiction started. So many people would pick up our blocks of beeswax and say "wow, honey soap." So I read and read for a couple of months, mainly on the internet. My first batch had both honey and beeswax in it. I read all the instructions so carefully, and beautiful creamy soap went into the mold. Ugly brown soap came out of the mold. The final instruction was on another page - don't insulate. Oh well it's how you learn and it is very satisfying using ingredients you have produced yourself. I am yet to try milk, but I have two weeks holiday coming up so maybe soon. Good luck and read, read, and read some more.

Hi fellow beekeeper. Wow you have a lot of hives. I only have 5. I work full time so I don't think I could manage many more. Plus in the summer it is very hot and rainy. I also think our bees have a little bit of Africanized genetic in them. It makes for a strong hive but a little bit aggressive.

I have been gone for a few days and didn't check the forum. I have so many responses thanks everyone!! So over the past few days I have been reading, and reading , and reading. I have watched many YouTube videos and my head is spinning!!

I found a place up in Jacksonville Florida called the green lotus. They teach soap making classes. I have a very good girlfriend that just moved up there and it gives me the perfect opportunity to go visit and learn how to make soap. My friend has actually made soap before. She is going to take the class too. It is actually a boot camp all weekend. So I think I am driving up to Jacksonville in August to learn.

I can't wait August will be forever away.

My neighbor is going to make some molds for me. He actually builds my beehives. I know he can handle a 5 lb log mold. I don't know what I would do without him. I repay him with honey, wine or what ever else I make. I guess now some soap!

I have so much wax in the freezer. Actually comb. I made a very simple solar mellter out of styrophome and aluminum foil, and glass top. It works perfect. I have been wanting to melt down my comb. So I will have plenty of wax. I realize I would only use a couple of oz. same with honey it is only tsps.

Any how I am so excited about making soap. I love this bar by soap queen .com sunshine and calendula so pretty!! Want to make it !!!!

Thanks for all the suggestions!!

 

[roseb]

Hi fellow beekeeper. Wow you have a lot of hives. I only have 5. I work full time so I don't think I could manage many more. Plus in the summer it is very hot and rainy. I also think our bees have a little bit of Africanized genetic in them. It makes for a strong hive but a little bit aggressive.

I have been gone for a few days and didn't check the forum. I have so many responses thanks everyone!! So over the past few days I have been reading, and reading , and reading. I have watched many YouTube videos and my head is spinning!!

I found a place up in Jacksonville Florida called the green lotus. They teach soap making classes. I have a very good girlfriend that just moved up there and it gives me the perfect opportunity to go visit and learn how to make soap. My friend has actually made soap before. She is going to take the class too. It is actually a boot camp all weekend. So I think I am driving up to Jacksonville in August to learn.

I can't wait August will be forever away.

My neighbor is going to make some molds for me. He actually builds my beehives. I know he can handle a 5 lb log mold. I don't know what I would do without him. I repay him with honey, wine or what ever else I make. I guess now some soap!

I have so much wax in the freezer. Actually comb. I made a very simple solar mellter out of styrophome and aluminum foil, and glass top. It works perfect. I have been wanting to melt down my comb. So I will have plenty of wax. I realize I would only use a couple of oz. same with honey it is only tsps.

Any how I am so excited about making soap. I love this bar by soap queen .com sunshine and calendula so pretty!! Want to make it !!!!

Thanks for all the suggestions!!

Reeny, please let me know how you like the soap class. If it is worth it, I might like to take the trip as well. Why don't you start small with a 2 lb mold and use store bought honey to give it a try. I have made 2 batches of goats milk soap so far and have not done anything but left them on the kitchen table. The one in the 2 lb mold gelled and the other in the 6 lb mold which is more open did not.

 

[Reeny]

Reeny, please let me know how you like the soap class. If it is worth it, I might like to take the trip as well. Why don't you start small with a 2 lb mold and use store bought honey to give it a try. I have made 2 batches of goats milk soap so far and have not done anything but left them on the kitchen table. The one in the 2 lb mold gelled and the other in the 6 lb mold which is more open did not.

Where are you in south Florida?? I will let you know about the classes.
I have plenty of honey so I don't mind using a little. Right now I need to under stand the soap calc a lot better before I attempt anything.

 

[roseb]

Reeny, I'm in Miami...Kendall to be exact. There are a couple of videos on youtube on how to use Soapcalc. Pretty easy...not that I understanding it all but at least I know if it has too much lye.

 

[karenbeth]

Hi Reeny, yes we do have a lot of hives and hope to make it our fulltime occupation. Both my partner and I work fulltime but make beehives for a couple hours after work. We move them around on weekends if we find a new honey source - mainly eucalyptus trees but some clover. I add honey or beeswax to nearly all my recipes. Just made a couple yesterday and soaping cool with lye at room temp helps to prevent bright orange soap when you add honey. Surprised me the first time that happened.
Enjoy your soap course and your time with your friend.

 

[Reeny]

Reeny, I'm in Miami...Kendall to be exact. There are a couple of videos on youtube on how to use Soapcalc. Pretty easy...not that I understanding it all but at least I know if it has too much lye.

I'm in Kendall also!! Hi neighbor!

 

[Reeny]

Hi Reeny, yes we do have a lot of hives and hope to make it our fulltime occupation. Both my partner and I work fulltime but make beehives for a couple hours after work. We move them around on weekends if we find a new honey source - mainly eucalyptus trees but some clover. I add honey or beeswax to nearly all my recipes. Just made a couple yesterday and soaping cool with lye at room temp helps to prevent bright orange soap when you add honey. Surprised me the first time that happened.
Enjoy your soap course and your time with your friend.

Thanks!! Good luck with your hives!

 

[OliveOil2]

Rene a book that I found very useful with clear instructions on how to use soapcalc is 'Complete idiot's guide to natural soaps' I was challenged on the basics of using soapcalc, I had been using another soap calculator that was much easier to use. I think this book is worth the price just for the chapter on soapcalc. This book is so complete,the name will mislead some, it goes into shampoo, shower gel, shampoo bars, cold process & hot process.There were parts of the book that I questioned, like doing CPOP for four hours, and I've never used as much castor as they often have in their recipes; however if the mechanical part of soapcalc is what you need help with, then this is a great book!

 

[lukelee]

Put Mold next to you, beewax and honey accelerates the trace, once you see light trace, pour it in!

 

[Myava]

This is the goat milk soap recipe I got from the lady I by milk from. It's pretty basic but works every time. 10oz of milk ,4.4 oz of lye, 8oz coconut oil, 8oz olive oil, 14 oz soybean oil, 2oz castor oil, . Add lye to the frozen milk as you already have the container in a ice bath and stir, stir, add a little at a time keeping the temp below 90 degrees. This will take a little time but is worth it to keep from scorching and discolor ing your milk. It works! Melt the oils only till melted. When both are about rm temp add the lye milk mixture to the oils. This is a good recipe to begin with then when you learn about super fasting you can start adding some butters at trace but get a few recipes completed first. Good luck., ! Any body else willing to share your recipe???

 

[MaitriBB]

The only time I ever had soap overheat, I'd tried adding honey for the first time. I don't bother with it any more

With GM, I add powdered at trace. I like that better than using frozen GM because I like to use the Thermal Transfer Method, which is using hot lye water to melt your hard oils. If I use frozen GM, I can't use that method.

 

[Reeny]

This is the goat milk soap recipe I got from the lady I by milk from. It's pretty basic but works every time. 10oz of milk ,4.4 oz of lye, 8oz coconut oil, 8oz olive oil, 14 oz soybean oil, 2oz castor oil, . Add lye to the frozen milk as you already have the container in a ice bath and stir, stir, add a little at a time keeping the temp below 90 degrees. This will take a little time but is worth it to keep from scorching and discolor ing your milk. It works! Melt the oils only till melted. When both are about rm temp add the lye milk mixture to the oils. This is a good recipe to begin with then when you learn about super fasting you can start adding some butters at trace but get a few recipes completed first. Good luck., ! Any body else willing to share your recipe???

Thank you so much for sharing. Got my raw goats milk today and it is frozen in the freezer. Ordered lye and oils today. Starting to prepare. Thanks for your help!

 

[Myava]

Recipe

Let me know how it turns out please! My very first batch turned out great! It's a easy recipe!

 

[Myava]

Since we are talking about GM soap, I decided to show you, guys, something. This is my second batch of GM soap, that I made yesterday. There are two pieces from the same batch, round is from cupcake mold, not jelled, square from loaf mold, went through full jell (it was awesome to observe!!!). Scented with Bergamot EO. They are totally different in texture, colour, and even scent is stronger in the jelled one. Can't tell you right now, which one I like better. I kinda like the authentic look of jelled one, but cupcake is more elegant, smoother colour/texture. Will cure and try.

I like the gelled one I think

 

[Reeny]

Let me know how it turns out please! My very first batch turned out great! It's a easy recipe!

I will. How does the soybean oil effect the bar??

 

[Terri E]

goats milk soap

I use powdered goats milk for my soap and you could use the honey in place of sugar.
Like was stated earlier, the honey will make it heat up but I add about 1/2 cup lemon juice when I add my sugar and that seems to help as well as lower the ph a bit making it milder soap.

 

[jenneelk]

I just did my first all goats milk today and actually had to set it out to get the temp up! Was all prepared to battle against the heat that never came? Mine was pasterized but I don't believe that would make a difference.
I sat my lye/milk slurry on the counter and warmed to 70 as I cooled my oils in the ice bath to 76 then got impatient and mixed them.
Turned out great so far. Stick blending went to light trace at 77 degrees.
Mine was never white though since I had 35% OO and darker cocoa butter.

 

[Reeny]

I just did my first all goats milk today and actually had to set it out to get the temp up! Was all prepared to battle against the heat that never came? Mine was pasterized but I don't believe that would make a difference.
I sat my lye/milk slurry on the counter and warmed to 70 as I cooled my oils in the ice bath to 76 then got impatient and mixed them.
Turned out great so far. Stick blending went to light trace at 77 degrees.
Mine was never white though since I had 35% OO and darker cocoa butter.

Awesome! Sounds like it turned out good. Post some pictures.