After much research and development, experimentation, and Google searches, this is the main take away... Milk has a saponification value, it has no place being substituted for water...the effect the caustic soda has with milk, should be an indicator that something about this substitution is very wrong. The ammonia smell of the finished bar should also indicate this. Takes so much longer than usual to get it out of the mold. The extra time hanging over the "lye solution" just prolongs the dangerous part of the process.
Milk Soap does not require any "advanced techniques" it is no harder than any other 3 oil soap, and sometimes more is just more.
Bonus...no fuss and no odours...easy peazy...
And, yes this recipe does work for cold process, I deliberately did it hot process to prove a point...temperature doesn't matter when you get it right, no scolding browning sugar's, white all the way, even with "champagne bubbles"
Here only to share knowledge...
Carolyn..aka just nan