syntheaahh Posted February 20, 2019 Share Posted February 20, 2019 hello everyone! I got scrap beef fats from our local meatshop and would like to render it for making soap. How many times do I have to melt it and strain it? Should I add water when I render it? Thank you in advance Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shari Posted February 20, 2019 Share Posted February 20, 2019 Some just boil it in water several times. Other do water and baking soda I believe it is. They render it then set it to cool and take off the clean fat then do it again. I needs to be cleaned until no impurities are left. So, it depends on how clean it is to start and where the fat is from. 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
syntheaahh Posted February 20, 2019 Author Share Posted February 20, 2019 2 hours ago, Shari said: Some just boil it in water several times. Other do water and baking soda I believe it is. They render it then set it to cool and take off the clean fat then do it again. I needs to be cleaned until no impurities are left. So, it depends on how clean it is to start and where the fat is from. Thank you! So when its white and clean that means its good? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted February 20, 2019 Share Posted February 20, 2019 watch out when using baking soda or salt or the plethora of other suggestions on the web. I nearly had to remodel my kitchen when the pot boiled over pretty impressively with foamy stank flowing like lava everywhere. the cleaner your tallow at the start the cleaner the result will be. Chop up the fat into small shreds/pieces or grind it to make it go quicker. simmer in clean water. cool & pull the white fat disk from the top. the grossness in the water and clinging to the fat disk is dumped out. my chickens like it.yuk. repeat cleaning the same way til the disk is as clean as you need it to be. the cleaner the disk the less stink it will hold onto. I've roasted for tallow before too, which ultimately needed to be floated on water to get it clean. Kidney fat (leaf suet) is the BEST for tallow. All the other fat pockets are gristly and tough to get much out of. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
syntheaahh Posted February 20, 2019 Author Share Posted February 20, 2019 thank you @TallTayl! I placed it in crockpot and and put it on high, but I also added water per your suggestion. I'll be on the look out for kidney fats and give it a try. Thank you so much! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah S Posted February 21, 2019 Share Posted February 21, 2019 @syntheaahh, how did your tallow turn out? I've rendered beef tallow a few times, but it's so time-consuming (and smelly). It really makes you appreciate the traditional soap making experience! Like TT, I don't use baking soda or salt, I just cook and strain, cook and strain until it's clean. I do add some water to the pot to help the process along. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
syntheaahh Posted February 21, 2019 Author Share Posted February 21, 2019 1 hour ago, Sarah S said: @syntheaahh, how did your tallow turn out? I've rendered beef tallow a few times, but it's so time-consuming (and smelly). It really makes you appreciate the traditional soap making experience! Like TT, I don't use baking soda or salt, I just cook and strain, cook and strain until it's clean. I do add some water to the pot to help the process along. @Sarah S its a little stinky but bearable. I cracked the window so the stink comes out. It took me maybe 6 hours on high. I will still have to cook it again because it still looks dirty. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trappeur Posted February 22, 2019 Share Posted February 22, 2019 Is that how all soaps are made? With animal fats? I thought you could make soaps the "vegan way". I know nothing about soaps by the way. Wow Tall Tayle......so chickens are carnivores? I never knew that. They will lap up the scraps? Learn something new every day.....lol Trappeur Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sponiebr Posted February 23, 2019 Share Posted February 23, 2019 19 hours ago, Trappeur said: Is that how all soaps are made? With animal fats? I thought you could make soaps the "vegan way". I know nothing about soaps by the way. Wow Tall Tayle......so chickens are carnivores? I never knew that. They will lap up the scraps? Learn something new every day.....lol Trappeur Yep Trapp, ALL soap is made from either vegetable and/or animal fats. Rendering one's own tallow is a rather long and just frankly PITA process. Like TT, I personally prefer the wet rendering method. But it's a LONG process. I also LOVE the smell of rendering beef fat! It smells like pot roast or cheap burgers frying in the pan. (Oh just HEAVENLY) Yeah Trapp... Chickens is CARNIVORES!! They just kinda got to be a bit picky about their prey cause their toothses are kinda small. But seriously, ever seen'm go after a bug before? Yeah they're CARNIVOROUS suckers them chickens! They'll peck the hell out of each other too! The chickens probably like the renderings (cracklins) because they look, feel, and taste kinda like grubs. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trappeur Posted February 23, 2019 Share Posted February 23, 2019 So when you soap makers make beef tallow soap, how does it come when you buy it? Trappeur Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted February 23, 2019 Share Posted February 23, 2019 Tallow, like lard you can DIY of buy in a tub ready made. Soapers choice carries pretty much everything you might want to choose from. Soap can be made fronpm anything that will saponify (react with lye) like candles can be made from any kind of fuel that will travel up a wick. Some oils are better than others. It’s fun to experiment with them to come up with things you love, and alternatives wax or oil changes. Chickens eat anything that they can fit in their beaks. They are like feathery pigs, raptors that hunt and kill with no conscience. Mice, toads, snakes, bugs, their own eggs, anything. It’s disturbing. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah S Posted February 24, 2019 Share Posted February 24, 2019 20 hours ago, TallTayl said: Chickens eat anything that they can fit in their beaks. They are like feathery pigs, raptors that hunt and kill with no conscience. Mice, toads, snakes, bugs, their own eggs, anything. It’s disturbing. I despise chickens, with as much emotion as one can feel for something with a brain the size of a peanut. Disturbing is a good word. I find them disturbing. My aunt raises chickens and turkeys, in fact two of my aunts do, and while I am totally on board with the usefulness of the chickens, I don't think I could tolerate them at my own house. Maybe like 2 or 3 waaaay in the back yard, where I don't have to be around them, lol. I dislike chickens so intensely, that when I went through a "vegetarian" phase in my youth, I still ate chickens and eggs because I was totally ok with them being killed. 😮 That is so terrible, lol! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trappeur Posted February 24, 2019 Share Posted February 24, 2019 Thats ok to feel like that Sarah....I guess I and we are all the same way too. As big an animal activist that I am and rescue all homeless as my heart goes out to the innocent who can't speak for themselves I do the same thing too. Just last month a beautiful yearling deer got stuck in an iron gate of a neighbors electronic entryway and he got stuck in between the spokes and must have been there for hours as my neighbor was out walking his dogs and came upon this beautiful poor baby deer that was pretty far gone struggling to get out of the gate and my neighbor tried to help him but the deer was foaming at the mouth and rubbed off so much hair on both sides of his body he was pretty much at deaths door so my neighbor had no choice but to put him out of his misery so he wouldn't suffer anymore than what he did. And so what did I do? The neighbor pulled the deer over to the side and a friend of mine came out and dressed the animal so now my freezer is full of deer meat. I wouldn't have ever done this any other way than the way it happened, but the animal was put to good use and I have food as well as my animals....At times I feel so hipercritical being the way I am and my beliefs......So don't feel bad Sarah. Trappeur 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted February 24, 2019 Share Posted February 24, 2019 I used to have an irrational fear of chickens. All birds really. My fear could have been mistaken for detest. Then I got my first flock of babies from Animal Control when I worked there. I learned that they are really special creatures. Like dog and cat breeds some are more suitable for various purposes than others.I love my silky birds. They’re like kittens. And darn fun to watch when they hatch out a brood of checks and teach them the ways of the world. The family and I like to sit on the nice days and watch “chicken TV” In our backyard.It’s good for the soul. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trappeur Posted February 24, 2019 Share Posted February 24, 2019 So you watch "chicken TV"..... ha ha ha Trappeur 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted February 24, 2019 Share Posted February 24, 2019 21 minutes ago, Trappeur said: So you watch "chicken TV"..... ha ha ha Trappeur Next to donkey tv, chicken tv is my favorite channel. 🐥🐴 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
syntheaahh Posted March 1, 2019 Author Share Posted March 1, 2019 hello friends! I called a local meatplant and I was able to get the leaf lard and suet at a cheap price. And I rendered the leaf lard yesterday the first time, and the crumbles tastes good. Lol. I let it harden outside and its really white but still has the mild smell to it. So here is a picture of my second render. I just got it done. Question: will the smell of the lard die during saponification process? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
syntheaahh Posted March 1, 2019 Author Share Posted March 1, 2019 this one is from the beef fat scraps, first render. Rendering the tallow makes me think of going vegetarian but I love meat so much. Lol. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted March 4, 2019 Share Posted March 4, 2019 Looking good syntheaahh! I don't know how some soapers can render their own animal fats. Especially beef. It just makes me gag. Ick! I almost bought some lard from a local butcher who sold meat at my market I do. Turns out it was cheaper to buy the already rendered lard from the store or get it at Soapers Choice. So I never did it. Why pay extra? I think I would try if someone gave me the fat for free. Then I would do it just to try it to see what its like. But personally I prefer to buy it rather than make it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Candybee Posted March 4, 2019 Share Posted March 4, 2019 On 2/24/2019 at 12:22 PM, TallTayl said: Like dog and cat breeds some are more suitable for various purposes than others.I love my silky birds. They’re like kittens. And darn fun to watch when they hatch out a brood of checks and teach them the ways of the world. The family and I like to sit on the nice days and watch “chicken TV” In our backyard.It’s good for the soul. You have silkies? How adorable. Can we have pictures please? I would love to see them. Don't remember you posting pics of them before. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
syntheaahh Posted March 4, 2019 Author Share Posted March 4, 2019 22 minutes ago, Candybee said: Looking good syntheaahh! I don't know how some soapers can render their own animal fats. Especially beef. It just makes me gag. Ick! I almost bought some lard from a local butcher who sold meat at my market I do. Turns out it was cheaper to buy the already rendered lard from the store or get it at Soapers Choice. So I never did it. Why pay extra? I think I would try if someone gave me the fat for free. Then I would do it just to try it to see what its like. But personally I prefer to buy it rather than make it. the tallow made me think of going vegetarian because of the smell. Lol I got the leaf lard cheap, 0.60/lb so I decided to give it a try. The hard part is chopping the lard in small pieces but maybe the next time I can ask my local butcher to have it ground for me so its easier. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TallTayl Posted March 4, 2019 Share Posted March 4, 2019 54 minutes ago, Candybee said: You have silkies? How adorable. Can we have pictures please? I would love to see them. Don't remember you posting pics of them before. Yes I raised them for a good while. Down to one white, a couple partridge and some red. I’ll try to get new photos if it ever warms up. -1 with gusty wind again 🙄😭🥶 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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