# My first tallow



## kc1ble (Apr 25, 2016)

So I've been wanting to make a tallow shaving soap and have been unable to source affordable tallow so I got "old fashioned" and rendered my own.  A little google study, a trip to the supermarket and a few hours in the crockpot.  The result, I am now the proud owner of 2+ pounds of tallow.  Now just to find the perfect recipe for a base.






It is much whiter than it appears in the picture, my camera and photography skills are not the best.

I think this may prove my addiction to the soap making hobby.


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## RobertBarnett (Apr 25, 2016)

Very nice and congratulations.

Robert


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## mzimm (Apr 25, 2016)

kc1ble said:


> So I've been wanting to make a tallow shaving soap and have been unable to source affordable tallow so I got "old fashioned" and rendered my own.  A little google study, a trip to the supermarket and a few hours in the crockpot.  The result, I am now the proud owner of 2+ pounds of tallow.  Now just to find the perfect recipe for a base.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I predict you will never fall out of love with tallow!  So satisfying to use, especially if you render your own.  Was it mostly muscle fat (beef trimmings) or mostly suet (organ fat), or a mix of both?  2 lbs is a lot!


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## gdawgs (Apr 25, 2016)

I've been thinking about asking at the butcher shop.


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## kc1ble (Apr 25, 2016)

mzimm said:


> I predict you will never fall out of love with tallow!  So satisfying to use, especially if you render your own.  Was it mostly muscle fat (beef trimmings) or mostly suet (organ fat), or a mix of both?  2 lbs is a lot!



Thank you,  I am anxious to try it.  It was suet that I got at the grocery store.


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## Susie (Apr 25, 2016)

I preferred this to the other tallow percentages, I tried from 25% tallow with OO, CO, and castor oil to 80% tallow with CO and castor oil:

Lard 40%
Tallow 40%
Olive Oil 15%
Castor Oil 5%

I bought my beef trimmings from a butcher shop.  They charged $1/lb.  I am not sure I will ever render tallow again, but it was an education.


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## kc1ble (Apr 25, 2016)

Susie said:


> I preferred this to the other tallow percentages, I tried from 25% tallow with OO, CO, and castor oil to 80% tallow with CO and castor oil:
> 
> Lard 40%
> Tallow 40%
> ...



Thanks, I'll post your recipe in my notebook and give it a try.  I expect with the tallow and lard it will be a bright white bar.  Does it lather well without any CO?


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## mzimm (Apr 25, 2016)

Yes, that great.  Suet renders the best, and is so consistent.  You're going to love it.


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## topofmurrayhill (Apr 25, 2016)

Susie said:


> I preferred this to the other tallow percentages, I tried from 25% tallow with OO, CO, and castor oil to 80% tallow with CO and castor oil:
> 
> Lard 40%
> Tallow 40%
> ...



Have you tried IL's suggestion of 65% tallow 35% lard? I have always used these fats to one extent or another but never as the sole oils like that. I was thinking of trying it.


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## Guspuppy (Apr 26, 2016)

That is some nice looking tallow! I've been thinking about rendering, my butcher shop sells suet in 'logs' (I think it's the fat that hangs off the neck?) for .50¢ a pound. I wasn't sure if it would come out so nice and clean though. Now I really want to try.


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## kc1ble (Apr 27, 2016)

Guspuppy said:


> That is some nice looking tallow! I've been thinking about rendering, my butcher shop sells suet in 'logs' (I think it's the fat that hangs off the neck?) for .50¢ a pound. I wasn't sure if it would come out so nice and clean though. Now I really want to try.



I think it would definitely be worth a try.  Its a simple process and takes little attention once you get it cooking.


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## mzimm (Apr 27, 2016)

Guspuppy said:


> That is some nice looking tallow! I've been thinking about rendering, my butcher shop sells suet in 'logs' (I think it's the fat that hangs off the neck?) for .50¢ a pound. I wasn't sure if it would come out so nice and clean though. Now I really want to try.



Unless they've told you it's fat off the neck (which wouldn't technically be termed suet), then what you'll be getting is organ fat.  Many people (butchers included) think all beef fat can be called "suet," but it very specifically refers to the fat that accumulates around the organs of the animal, as opposed to fat scraps that are trimmed from the muscles.  True suet has no meat attached, is globular and lumpy, and breaks apart easily in your fingers when squished.  It's a pleasure to render, and the oil produced is smooth and creamy, with very, very little waste.  $.50/lb is a great price!
We are about to go in on the purchase of a grass-fed beef, and since the others don't want the fat, I have asked for all of it, with further instructions to the butcher to separate the scraps from the suet, and to run each portion through the grinder for me.  Last year when we bought from the same farmer, it was a monumentally daunting job to chop up the pieces, run them though my Kitchenaid grinder attachment, and then render.  Halfway through it dawned on me to separate out the globulous hunks of suet and render them separately.  All the tallow was quite good, but the suet tallow was _awesomeness_!  You will love tallow in your soaps!


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## gdawgs (May 12, 2016)

I was at the butcher shop the other day and asked if they ever have any tallow.  He said they don't have it all the time, just depends on when they butcher.  Then he asked how much I needed and I told him just a bit, maybe a few pounds.  So he goes into the cooler and said, "I could give you three pounds".  So I'm thinking, great, free tallow.  So he bags it up then tells me $1.49/lb.    I would have waited if I knew he was going to charge me that much for it.  Now I guess I have a little rendering project this weekend.


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## kc1ble (May 12, 2016)

gdawgs said:


> I was at the butcher shop the other day and asked if they ever have any tallow.  He said they don't have it all the time, just depends on when they butcher.  Then he asked how much I needed and I told him just a bit, maybe a few pounds.  So he goes into the cooler and said, "I could give you three pounds".  So I'm thinking, great, free tallow.  So he bags it up then tells me $1.49/lb.    I would have waited if I knew he was going to charge me that much for it.  Now I guess I have a little rendering project this weekend.



I think that's a pretty good price though,  I pay 1.79 at my grocery store because we have no local butchers.


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## FannieFinch (May 12, 2016)

If you ask the butcher for "kidney fat" there will be no mistaking what it is that you want.


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## Spunky (May 13, 2016)

I just got 5lbs of tallow. I've made some mental notes of what not to do next time (I made a huge mess!) But for $1.50 for 5lbs, I have a feeling I'm going to love it. I'm hoping to make my first bar tomorrow. Then I'll go back and see if they have goat tallow and get some lard.


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## gdawgs (May 15, 2016)

Well I got my tallow rendered down.  I may have made a bit of a mistake though.  Every time I boil it down, I get some brown contaminants that settle on top of the tallow.  I've boiled it down 4 times and I think it's as good as it's going to get.  

I don't have a meat grinder so I just cut the fat up into little chunks then boiled it down.  Lots of the nice fat chunks weren't melting, so I figured I'd help them along a little bit.  My stick blender was sitting there, so I thought if it's good for making soap, it should be good to chop up my fat.  So I let it have it.  It actually worked pretty well, but I think it was too well.  I believe it chopped up all the contaminants too fine and they don't want to separate out.  The cross section of the tallow looks very nice and white, just the very top has a bit of brown speckles.  I think I might do a little scrapy scrape and call it good.


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## kc1ble (May 15, 2016)

gdawgs said:


> Well I got my tallow rendered down.  I may have made a bit of a mistake though.  Every time I boil it down, I get some brown contaminants that settle on top of the tallow.  I've boiled it down 4 times and I think it's as good as it's going to get.
> 
> I don't have a meat grinder so I just cut the fat up into little chunks then boiled it down.  Lots of the nice fat chunks weren't melting, so I figured I'd help them along a little bit.  My stick blender was sitting there, so I thought if it's good for making soap, it should be good to chop up my fat.  So I let it have it.  It actually worked pretty well, but I think it was too well.  I believe it chopped up all the contaminants too fine and they don't want to separate out.  The cross section of the tallow looks very nice and white, just the very top has a bit of brown speckles.  I think I might do a little scrapy scrape and call it good.



My first batch spent the entire day in the crock pot, probably 8 to 10 hours.  I had cut it into small chunks.  Yesterday I rendered twice as much, after I had run it through one of those cheap cast iron hand crank grinders.  It took only about 3 hours in the crock pot.  I will definitely be grinding in the future as it saves so much time.  It took less than and hour to grind 4 pounds.  Did you strain your tallow with cheese cloth?  It seems to get all of the solids out for me.  Good luck and enjoy your tallow.


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## DeeAnna (May 15, 2016)

Yeah, definitely strain the fat. Regular cheesecloth is a little too coarse for me, but a coffee filter would be too fine. I use a finely woven nylon fabric as my filter cloth. A good fabric store will have something suitable. Or if you check out a cheese making suppler, look for butter muslin -- that would work too.


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## gdawgs (May 15, 2016)

Ha, I think I have just the thing.  I'm a bit embarrassed to say this, but I'm helping my wife sew some hand puppets for her classroom(she teaches 3rd grade).   Pretty sure the fabric we are using is muslin.  Looks like I'll be heating my tallow up one more time.  

I did strain it through a fine sieve between the 2nd and 3rd boils, but it's not getting any more out at this point.


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## penelopejane (May 15, 2016)

gdawgs said:


> Ha, I think I have just the thing.  I'm a bit embarrassed to say this, but I'm helping my wife sew some hand puppets for her classroom(she teaches 3rd grade).   Pretty sure the fabric we are using is muslin.  Looks like I'll be heating my tallow up one more time.
> 
> 
> 
> I did strain it through a fine sieve between the 2nd and 3rd boils, but it's not getting any more out at this point.




DH is getting quite used to asking me " did you borrow my.... To make soap?" [emoji2][emoji2][emoji2]


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## lenarenee (May 15, 2016)

gdawgs said:


> Ha, I think I have just the thing. I'm a bit embarrassed to say this, but I'm helping my wife sew some hand puppets for her classroom(she teaches 3rd grade). Pretty sure the fabric we are using is muslin. Looks like I'll be heating my tallow up one more time.
> 
> I did strain it through a fine sieve between the 2nd and 3rd boils, but it's not getting any more out at this point.


 
What a smart woman!  I run into so many parents, child care, providers and even teachers who think 3rd graders have outgrown things like puppets, wooden blocks, and pretend play. Learning requires using all 5 senses and imagination!!  

No need for you to be embarrassed - you're making educational tools.


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## gdawgs (May 15, 2016)

lenarenee said:


> What a smart woman!  I run into so many parents, child care, providers and even teachers who think 3rd graders have outgrown things like puppets, wooden blocks, and pretend play. Learning requires using all 5 senses and imagination!!
> 
> No need for you to be embarrassed - you're making educational tools.



It's an end of the year project for the kids.  They receive a blank puppet, then they have to work in groups to decorate them, write a script, then present their play to the class.  They have fun doing it.  It seems like all the fun has been sucked out of school these days.  Everything is about meeting state/federal standards.  No time left for fun educational things.

Hmmm, can we do some chemistry/soap making in class????  Too dangerous now days, but back in the day they probably did.


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## gdawgs (May 15, 2016)

The muslin did the trick.  My tallow is a beautiful white now!  Thanks for the advice.  How do you guys store your tallow and how long is it good for?


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## lenarenee (May 15, 2016)

gdawgs said:


> The muslin did the trick. My tallow is a beautiful white now! Thanks for the advice. How do you guys store your tallow and how long is it good for?


 
I'd recommend refrigerating or freezing your hard work! 

Fannie and Flo's lard and tallow is bht, edta and citric acid free but sealed in airtight bags, and they recommend leaving it out at room temp, although there's no issue if it's 'fridge/frozen. 

The commercial stuff, I leave in the garage, but it never gets too warm or cold there.


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## lenarenee (May 15, 2016)

gdawgs said:


> It's an end of the year project for the kids. They receive a blank puppet, then they have to work in groups to decorate them, write a script, then present their play to the class. They have fun doing it. It seems like all the fun has been sucked out of school these days. Everything is about meeting state/federal standards. No time left for fun educational things.
> 
> Hmmm, can we do some chemistry/soap making in class???? Too dangerous now days, but back in the day they probably did.


 
Third graders can absolutely be capable of viewing a live demo. However I'd recommend that all observers wear gloves, as curious kids love to touch, even when they truly intend not to.

My 3rd grader is well versed in soap safety and helps measure, mix (by hand only) and drops swirls her own loafs. She has her own safety getup too.  But then she's getting a fairly unique education at school, where they even do dissection in science class. Hands on stuff and plenty of safety procedures are normal for her.


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## gdawgs (Jun 15, 2016)

My tallow soap is just turning a month old, so I tested it out tonight.  It has a very nice feel to it, unfortunately I scented it with peppermint EO, and that has pretty much completely faded and now it smells basically like the tallow.  It doesn't exactly make me want to jump in the shower with it.  

I'm thinking I might have to do another exercise in rebatching and do some re-scenting.  I have quite a few sampler bottles from BB, so it might be a good use for a few of those.  

I'm getting ready to make a batch of shaving soap, and it sounds like beef tallow makes a great one.  Now I'm kind of wishing I had saved my tallow for this.  Oh well.  Live and learn.


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## wbocrafter (Jul 4, 2016)

I just rendered my first batch of tallow. I asked our local butcher shop if they had any suet/fat to sell and they told me they gave it away. Someone on the forum told me to ask them if they would grind it up for me which is something I never would have thought of. I asked and they did. So I've melted the fat down, left it harden & I just finished boiling it with water. Do I strain it again & boil it again or is it ready to put in refrigerator and solidify?


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## kc1ble (Jul 4, 2016)

After I render mine, I just strain it and let it harden, it will be great.


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## nikkisessence (Jul 4, 2016)

Do I understand correctly that you already filtered and then melted back down in water? If so, then you should be able to pop in the fridge, remove the hardened fat, and package. When I water render, I wrap the fat into a muslin/kitchen towel to dry and then when dry, store slabs in freezer bags in the freezer. Someone else here will probably have a better way. The above is what I do.


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## reinbeau (Jul 4, 2016)

To me the better way is to omit the water entirely. I grind the tallow up in my meat grinder, and then  I render in an enameled cast iron stock pot over low heat, as it melts I ladle it into a big pouring bowl through regular cheesecloth, then I pour it into the freezer containers through a butter muslin - very fine cloth.  No water, no salt, no baking soda, just dry rendered tallow.  It's lovely, creamy white stuff when I'm finished and to my nose it doesn't smell any different than cooking a roast beef dinner.


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