# New here...100% GM Q



## SimplyE (Jan 15, 2010)

Hi all! I am so excited to have found you guys! I have been making GM soap for almost two years...mostly with canned GM (shame, I know). I have two Nigerian Dwarfs that I just bred for the first time for the REAL goods! I live in the mountains, so the kids are going to be late to avoid a snowy delivery. :blush2

Anyway, I have been using the canned GM, and I dissolve my lye in water, later adding the canned for 100% GM soap as the canned is concentrated.

Now, I have gotten my hands of fresh/frozen GM and I have been trying to use 100% fresh/frozen GM, but I am having a horrible time getting my lye to dissolve completely while using frozen GM or an ice bath with thawed GM and keeping the GM from discoloring. Is there a trick to having my cake and eating it too???

Thanks! I look forward to learning about my new goat venture from you all!


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## Guest (Jan 24, 2010)

Hi Athena, and welcome to the forum
The trick is adding your lye to your frozen milk very very slowly.. to get it all dissolved i stick blend just before adding to my oils.. I can get an almost white soap doing this.. 
Barb


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## Sondra (Oct 25, 2007)

yep that is what I do also pouring the lye in very very slowly and using the blender all the time I am pouring I also have my bucket sitting in an ice bath.


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## SimplyE (Jan 15, 2010)

Thanks! I did SB a couple of times, but then sort of forgot about doing it. Thought it was all dissolved and ended up tossing my best swirl ever with that batch.


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## adillenal (Feb 6, 2009)

I guess I am a purist but I can't call it 100% goat milk if the lye is dissolved in water. I also have never had a problem getting lye to dissolve in goat milk, cold or frozen into a solid block so I have no idea what to tell you. Are you confusing the milk fat that will sometimes be on top for undissolved lye?


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## SimplyE (Jan 15, 2010)

adillenal said:


> I guess I am a purist but I can't call it 100% goat milk if the lye is dissolved in water. I also have never had a problem getting lye to dissolve in goat milk, cold or frozen into a solid block so I have no idea what to tell you. Are you confusing the milk fat that will sometimes be on top for undissolved lye?


I agree with it being 100% GM by dissolving the lye in GM rather than water, which is what I want to do. It was definitely undissolved lye, and it happened a couple of times. Got the lye pockets to prove it. I will just go more slowly next time.


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## hsmomof4 (Oct 31, 2008)

Make sure to pour your lye mixture through a sieve to catch any undissolved crystals, too.


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## SimplyE (Jan 15, 2010)

hsmomof4 said:


> Make sure to pour your lye mixture through a sieve to catch any undissolved crystals, too.


AH! Love that idea!!! Thanks!


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## Faye Farms (Sep 14, 2009)

Welcome Athena!
Now I do things a bit different when I make a 100% milk soap. I measure out all oils and FO/EO and have it all ready to go. I usually put my fragrance in with the oils before I add lye too. Then I take my frozen milk which I froze in a pitcher and I dump my lye on the frozen milk. I dump all the lye at once-nothing slow here. Then I stir, stir, stir like crazy. When I think all the lye is dissolved I immediately pour the milk/lye through a sieve into my prepared oils. I don't dilly dally around at this point because if your lye/milk sits around at all it quickly heats and burns. If I pour it into the oils asap I don't get that. This method works for me when I make a 100% milk soap. I don't like messing with pouring slowly or ice baths. I didn't find I had anymore discoloration doing it this way than the slow mixing way.


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## SimplyE (Jan 15, 2010)

Thanks Heather! That sounds more up my ally! I have a frozen pitcher ready to go.

See, I KNEW you all would know!


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## nightskyfarm (Sep 7, 2009)

All I make is 100% GM soap and I work along the same lines as Heather; Fast. Well, I have a nearly white unscented soap. I have been complimented on the light color, but white it is not. I try to work my oils and lye on the cooler side and I think that helps. Also, mass makes a difference for me; the soap that is poured into shallow trays has a much lighter color than soap poured into my pipe molds. It could be that the heat generated by the soap is dispersed faster in the shallow trays rather than the pipe, so the milk is less "cooked" and the bar lighter in color. Then again, I have had some pipe molds come out quite light. I would love to be able to make a very white milk soap without additives. BTW, I have the same results without regard to the type of oils used with the exception of olive oil, which cures a bit on the dark tannish side. Jennifer


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## SimplyE (Jan 15, 2010)

I like that idea of fast and excited about trying it. Interesting about your olive oil going tan. My castille soap is very light, almost white.


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## Anita Martin (Dec 26, 2007)

I use frozen cubes, measured out into my pot, then add the lye, all at once. Make sure the cubes are frozen solid. If they start to melt, put them back in the freezer before you add the lye. Make sure your pot and utensils do not have any water on them at all. If so, you will have chunks of lye/burnt milk immediately.

Use a rubber spatula and after adding the lye, gently stir, working the melting milk and lye together. You want no distractions at this point. Keep working the lye/milk, constantly scraping the sides of the pot and the bottom. You do not want any unstirred portions setting up and burning. I do not use a stick blender, just the flexable rubber spatula. The milk will not turn orange unless the cubes started to melt, there was water somewhere, or you stir too long. You should pour once most the cubes have melted. Pouring through a sieve is a good idea.

http://shantara.wordpress.com/2010/01/04/how-to-make-soap-sort-of/ You can see some pictures of the process here on my blog. The soap didn't turn out, but this is the way I melt the lye/milk together and it does work. Hopefully this link will work too!


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