Steeping coffee in goat milk---smells so goaty!

Soapmaking Forum

Help Support Soapmaking Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

emkiley

New Member
Joined
Aug 14, 2021
Messages
2
Reaction score
1
Location
Vermont, USA
Hello! I'm new to soap making, and have three batches under my belt so far, all with fresh goat milk as the base (I'm freezing the milk in blocks and gradually sprinkling the lye on a frozen block while stirring constantly---this seems to keep it from burning/discoloring too badly). So far, so good!

I'd like to make a coffee soap, but I tend to dislike artificial fragrances, so I thought I'd steep some coffee grounds in the goat milk before I froze it, and then add some fresh, very finely ground coffee at trace. I heated up the milk and steeped coffee in it today (haven't made the soap yet), and... it smells awful! Normally, I don't think goat milk smells bad at all, but in the past, I've only ever drunk it fresh or made yogurt from it---I'd never heated it until steeping coffee in some today. Will this goaty smell go away once I mix it up with the lye and oils and stir in the coffee powder, or should I abort now before wasting a batch of materials?
 
I'd just commit to it and see if the soap is stinky after cure? It sounds terrible but coffee is known to deodorize the scents of soaps. It took away the scent of my cocoa butter when I last made a coffee soap (I was so sad).
 
Thank you both for the advice, KiwiMoose and Arimara! I don't like to waste a lot of oils, but I get the milk for free. So, despite my curiosity, I'll abort for now; the coffee-milk is in the freezer, though, just in case I change my mind one day 😅
 
I’ve made coffee goat milk soap but I used 1/2 very strong brewed coffee and 1/2 goat milk as the liquid. It’s been easier for me to freeze both and use it that way. (Coffee ice cubes and frozen milk) I make the coffee with distilled water. Then I take the grounds from the coffee and use them in the soap after letting them dry out. I added a little cocoa for color. And I used coca butter. It could be my imagination but the soap smelled like a mocha coffee. My family likes it! I haven’t made it without the cocoa, but sounds fun!
 
I’ve made coffee goat milk soap but I used 1/2 very strong brewed coffee and 1/2 goat milk as the liquid. It’s been easier for me to freeze both and use it that way. (Coffee ice cubes and frozen milk) I make the coffee with distilled water. Then I take the grounds from the coffee and use them in the soap after letting them dry out. I added a little cocoa for color. And I used coca butter. It could be my imagination but the soap smelled like a mocha coffee. My family likes it! I haven’t made it without the cocoa, but sounds fun!
If you used unscented cocoa butter and no FO, it's likely not your imagination. You also have miraculous luck since I lose that luscious chocolaty smell if I use coffee.
 
If you used unscented cocoa butter and no FO, it's likely not your imagination. You also have miraculous luck since I lose that luscious chocolaty smell if I use coffee.
I wonder if the goat milk helps it retain that scent? I swear my goats are magic!! LOL (but I'm actually serious 😍 )
EDIT--I used the natural cocoa butter, not the deodorized
 
I tend to dislike artificial fragrances...
Wanted to note that many companies that make fragrance oils specifically for cold process soap don't smell "artificial" in the finished product. If you really want an authentic coffee scent in your soap, there are plenty of coffee fragrance oils that smell authentic and are soap safe.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top