# My hand milled soap



## swgoats (May 21, 2010)

I've been working on it off and on for two weeks, starting with making the cold process coconut castille base. Of course, it still needs to dry. I like to make these large bars that come out about 8 oz. One batch I milled in goat milk and oatmeal, and the other batch I just milled in goat milk. I scented both with orange EO. Tomorrow I'm going to do some fancy molds, maybe add something for color. This is fun. It's been awhile since I took the time to make soap. I think these large bars would look pretty with the paper decorations you cover with parafin - I can't remember what that's called...


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## Halo-M Nubians (Oct 26, 2007)

Very cool!


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## Faye Farms (Sep 14, 2009)

They look lovely, nice and smooth.


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## Greylady (Mar 28, 2012)

:yeahthat Nice!


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## swgoats (May 21, 2010)

Thanks! Now if I can just keep my hands off them. I keep checking them, but it is too soon to turn them :lol


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## Dorit (Apr 20, 2011)

Is hand milled similar to hot process? Or how is it different?


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## swgoats (May 21, 2010)

To hand mill, I make cold process plain soap, cure it, then grate it up, add milk and melt it on very low heat in double boiler to keep the milk from turning brown and the soap from scorching. Then I add my additives and pour. It is like gravy when I pour. I go very slow and keep the temp cool. If you pour hand milled soap very hot, the final product shrinks. I'm taking notes of everything I do trying to note potential pitfalls, so I can write a tutorial. What I like about it is being able to make a couple bars of this and a couple bars of that, and being able to work 30 min here, 30 min there. I initially made a batch of castille in an hours time, now I have enough shredded soap to play with several recipes.

Hot process is a different thing altogether.


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## Caprine Beings (Sep 19, 2008)

I do not understand how you got it to turn white with orange EO in it. Any time I have ever used EOs they discolor the batch.
Tam


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## MF-Alpines (Mar 29, 2010)

Tammy, any orange eo I have bought was decolorized. The only other eo I've used (I think) that discolored is lemongrass (yellow).


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## Caprine Beings (Sep 19, 2008)

Decolorized eh? Hmmph, well each to their own


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## swgoats (May 21, 2010)

It was NOW brand EO, all I have right now. It was yellow, but maybe I didn't put enough to turn the soap color. The white is kind of an off white, cream color. I'm really happier with the oatmeal soap. The goat milk only is very light. Almost reminds me of floating soap I made once - not quite that light. I prefer a heavier dense feeling bar. Usually I use castor oil in my soap recipe, but this time I only used coconut and olive oil.


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## NubianSoaps.com (Oct 26, 2007)

Looks like melt and pour, doesn't look like any milled soap I have ever seen sold, certainly not anything un-commericial. Your very talented Angie, my orange essential oils can't come out white without chemicals added to it, I would doubt the purity of your essential oil. Vicki


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## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

My milled soaps thicken too much in the pot to even pour as it cools, and I've never gotten it this smooth. One time it was easier to pour but I had added too much water, and at 4 months out, is still a soft soap. Most of that batch went back into other batches due to the softness. And all of my milled soaps turn brown, even though I do not add more milk to the second milling, but use water instead. I have to use a log mold for mine. No way could I ever get a fancy mold to come out without air pockets. I'd be very interested in your tutorial! Your soaps are beautiful..


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## swgoats (May 21, 2010)

Hmm.. I wonder if my method is more like melt and pour, since I cure the soap first? It seems best to keep it very cool and melt it very slowly. If it gets hot it kind of seizes up in a glob. I even turn the burner off periodically to keep it low. It took about 45 minutes to melt it. If I leave the burner on the whole time, it starts to get too hot. Also important not to stir much. I'll do a fancy mold today. I didn't get a chance Friday.

I'm sure my Now brand EO is no good. It's just what I had. I put in a TBS for two bars, and it isn't very strong smelling. I need to order the bulk oils.

I googled hand milled goat milk soap, and what I found *was* ugly. :lol. I guess I didn't realize I was doing something unusual. I use this book and her soaps are pretty: http://www.amazon.com/The-Complete-Soapmaker-Techniques-Luxurious/dp/0806948698. But I realized I have tweaked the method from how she does it a bit. And be careful with older versions of the book. I'm sure y'all know, but I've been adding water to the lye bit by bit cause that's what she instructed, but now I've learned that was a misprint that they corrected. Eek!


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## Faye Farms (Sep 14, 2009)

It looks like you are melting your soap much more slowly and at cooler temps than most people who are making ugly (me!) hand milled/re-batched soap. This thread is *almost* making me want to try a re-batch to see if I can get it smooth too.


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## tlcnubians (Jan 21, 2011)

It's beautiful Angie! There was a couple at the ADGA Convention in Kansas several years ago who had a booth with their lovely hand milled soaps. When you have the time to make them, they're absolutely wonderful.


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