Yes, I know there are a ton of questions about goats milk soap in the archives, but I didn't see this one addressed. I have access to a bunch of goatmilk (I milk for a woman while she is out of town) and would like to try my hand at soapmaking. Would I need to pasteurize the milk? I've also read someplaces that you should pasteurize then freeze then thaw the milk. I've also read some recipes that don't say anything about that. What do you gu

-- Elizabeth (lividia66@aol.com), July 07, 2001

Answers

I have made goatsmilk soap for the past couple of years and you do not have to pasteurize the milk. The milk is substituted for the water in any given recipe. I only substitute it for part of the water as to give it a longer shelf life. The raw milk helps to keep all of the nutrients available in the finished soap.

-- Terri Frost (willowbee6@hotmail.com), July 07, 2001.

I, too, make goat milk soap. I do pasteurize and freeze my milk...lye can wreak havoc on the milk, and the pasteurizing and freezing serves to break down some of the enzymes in the milk that can cause problems when making soap.

I freeze the milk in batch size quantities and add the lye directly to the frozen and/or slushy milk (in an ice bath). This keeps the milk from overheating, resulting in a pale yellow lye/milk solution and a light-colored finished bar.

I've not actually tried using the milk raw, but I know that some people do without experiencing any problems. I just prefer to be cautious.

The absolute best soapmaking forum can be accessed at www.soapmaking.chatboard.org...there you'll find many diverse ways of making goat milk soap and all the advice you could ever want (and then some)!!

-- Sharon (pinnow@inwave.com), July 07, 2001.

Oops...the soapmaking forum is soapmaking.chatboard.org (drop the www). Sorry.

-- Sharon (pinnow@inwave.com), July 07, 2001.

use half distilled water and half very cold if not frozen goat milk (unless you have lots of experience), I do at times use all goat milk but don't really see a difference. Anyway, add the lye very, very slowly or you will have a cottage cheese look. My first time I did. So I add a tablespoon at a time to the goatmilk/water mixture until it is all disolved and then I stir all the time there after. Now I have also had great success in adding the lye to the water and at trace add the goatmilk slowing, infact I think I liked the color better.

-- Debbie (bwolcott@cwis.net), July 08, 2001.