Powdered honey and goat milk.

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I like to rehydrate ingredients like these before they see any lye. I normally use 50% NaOH masterbatched solution, and add extra water-based liquid to lower the lye concentration to around 33%. I prefer to reconstitute the powders in the added water. In the case of milk, I make extra sure the powder is fully dissolved and the mixture is lump free before going ahead with the soap making.

I know people put dried milk into their fats and get good results, but I've had a few problems with that. I haven't had problems when I reconstitute the milk in water-based liquid.

I want to mention that liquid honey isn't going to contribute a lot of water to your soap and it is probably easier to source and less expensive than dried honey. Liquid honey has no more than 18% water to be self preserving. People only use perhaps a tablespoon or two of liquid honey per 16 oz / 500 grams of fat, so it's going to be a small source of added water.
 
I like to rehydrate ingredients like these before they see any lye. I normally use 50% NaOH masterbatched solution, and add extra water-based liquid to lower the lye concentration to around 33%. I prefer to reconstitute the powders in the added water. In the case of milk, I make extra sure the powder is fully dissolved and the mixture is lump free before going ahead with the soap making.

I know people put dried milk into their fats and get good results, but I've had a few problems with that. I haven't had problems when I reconstitute the milk in water-based liquid.

I want to mention that liquid honey isn't going to contribute a lot of water to your soap and it is probably easier to source and less expensive than dried honey. Liquid honey has no more than 18% water to be self preserving. People only use perhaps a tablespoon or two of liquid honey per 16 oz / 500 grams of fat, so it's going to be a small source of added water.
That’s very helpful! Thank you. With liquid honey, dissolve it in the water, before adding lye? Same with goat milk?
 
That’s very helpful! Thank you. With liquid honey, dissolve it in the water, before adding lye? Same with goat milk?

Yep, that's right! I had forgotten about Irish Lass's most excellent method for using honey -- good thing Mobjack brought it up.
 
I use @IrishLass 's method for adding honey and CPOP. Once I started doing that I have had no problems with uneven gelling.
Currently I add dried goat milk to my oils and stick blend it in before adding the lye mixture. When I tried liquid goat milk, I froze it first and then added the lye to it slowly, so it wouldn't burn. So until I get my own dairy goats I plan to continue using the dried milk.

Let us know how it goes. Always fun to try new things! 👍
 
I use @IrishLass 's method for adding honey and CPOP. Once I started doing that I have had no problems with uneven gelling.
Currently I add dried goat milk to my oils and stick blend it in before adding the lye mixture. When I tried liquid goat milk, I froze it first and then added the lye to it slowly, so it wouldn't burn. So until I get my own dairy goats I plan to continue using the dried milk.

Let us know how it goes. Always fun to try new things! 👍
I’ve gotten goat milk from a friends farm and used it before, but now all I have is powdered. I haven’t tried it yet. So, I’ll follow IrishLass’s method for the honey, and I’ll SB the Powdered goat milk into my oils. That’s very helpful! Thank you. How much powdered goat milk did you use PPO?
 
I’ve gotten goat milk from a friends farm and used it before, but now all I have is powdered. I haven’t tried it yet. So, I’ll follow IrishLass’s method for the honey, and I’ll SB the Powdered goat milk into my oils. That’s very helpful! Thank you. How much powdered goat milk did you use PPO?

I use 1 tablespoon per pound of oil.

You can also add a little of your liquid to the goat milk powder, whisk it into a thick slurry, then add that to the oils and stick blend. It cuts down on clumping and the time to stick blend it into the oils.
 
I use @IrishLass 's method for adding honey and CPOP. Once I started doing that I have had no problems with uneven gelling.
Currently I add dried goat milk to my oils and stick blend it in before adding the lye mixture. When I tried liquid goat milk, I froze it first and then added the lye to it slowly, so it wouldn't burn. So until I get my own dairy goats I plan to continue using the dried milk.

Let us know how it goes. Always fun to try new things! 👍
hii! what is CPOP? never heard this term
 
I use 1 tablespoon per pound of oil.

You can also add a little of your liquid to the goat milk powder, whisk it into a thick slurry, then add that to the oils and stick blend. It cuts down on clumping and the time to stick blend it into the oils.
Super helpful! Thanks so much!!

@N4YNOVA here’s the abbreviations list, it should be helpful. CPOP is cold process, oven process.
The Acronym and Abbreviation Definition Thread...
 
Hi again! Going for another goat milk and honey soap. Mixed my 1:1 lye solution and put it outside to cool. Wasn’t lower than 65F, I don’t think. Had a lot of crystals in it later. Can I still use it?

This is how it looked when I strained it w o stirring much. So, maybe not as bad as I thought.
 

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Hi again! Going for another goat milk and honey soap. Mixed my 1:1 lye solution and put it outside to cool. Wasn’t lower than 65F, I don’t think. Had a lot of crystals in it later. Can I still use it?
Was your solution covered when you left it to cool? If not, you might have lost a fair amount of water to evaporation, causing some of the lye to precipitate out. Not sure how big your batch was, but that looks like a fair amount of lye to have lost from your calculations. Did you happen to weigh it?
 
Hi. I try to push/smoosh as much of that. Residual build up. Through the sieve. Seems the right thing to do. Lye heavy causes problems. So I would think. Lye light would cause problems also. Just my. $.02.
 
I use @IrishLass 's method for adding honey and CPOP. Once I started doing that I have had no problems with uneven gelling.
Currently I add dried goat milk to my oils and stick blend it in before adding the lye mixture. When I tried liquid goat milk, I froze it first and then added the lye to it slowly, so it wouldn't burn. So until I get my own dairy goats I plan to continue using the dried milk.

Let us know how it goes. Always fun to try new things! 👍
I do the same with my powdered goats milk! 1 tbsp ppo. I whisk it in really well. I've only used Meyenbergs bc I'm superstitious about changing ingredients that work.
Just fyi if your oil is super hot and you add the gm powder it'll will turn orange and clump out to the bottom. One of my first ooppsies
 
Revisiting this thread as I’m doing another GM and honey tomorrow. After all this discussion I didn’t write down what exactly I did last time. I think I added the %50 lye:water to the mixed GM, then added the honey to that. It did turn dark orange, I remember freaking out. I’ll take better notes this time! I think I’ll mix a 1:1 lye solution today, so it cools. Then I’ll mix the GM powder with the remaining water to add tomorrow when I make soap. Two things:
* I’m considering freezing the remaining water mixed with GM powder.
* I’m considering dissolving the honey in that mixture and freezing. (Would it be better to add the honey to the lye GM mixture after?)
 

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