# Lard in Soaps



## pure&simple (Jun 13, 2011)

Please give me the benefits of using lard or tallow in soaps. I've run out of coconut milk, so I'd like to try my hands on making soap with lard/tallow.  

Can you tell the difference between soaps with and without animal fat? What kind of oil (s) does animal fat replace? Are soaps made with only animal fat good? How much SF should I use? Is there something special that I should know when I make these type of soaps?


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## adoptapitbull (Jun 13, 2011)

As much as I hated the idea of using animal fat, you just can't beat the price and quality. I use about 50-70% animal shortening along with OO, CO, PO, SB, CB and it is my favorite recipe yet. There was nothing wrong with the veggie soaps....just not as nice, IMO. I also use goat milk in every soap, so I ticked off any vegan already anyway. Might as well use what works best for me, then! But give it a shot and see what you think. Might surprise yourself!


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## falldowngobump (Jun 13, 2011)

I love lard in soap.  The lather is very creamy.    Soaps made without lard are nice too, they are just different in the way they feel and lather.  I usually use a combination of lard, olive oil, coconut oil, palm oil, and a little castor and superfat at 6-7%.  I don't let the lard get above 120 degrees when I melt all my oils and fats so melt low and slow.  I've heard it can give the soap an off smell if lard gets too much above 120.  I'm not sure it does, cause I've never let it go obove that temp.  My soaps made without lard are usually Olive oil, coconut oil, coco butter,shea butter,  palm oil and a little castor oil.  I superfat most my soaps at 6-7%.  Go for it!


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## kelleyaynn (Jun 13, 2011)

I can't answer all your questions, but I'll answer what I can.  Lard and tallow are similar to shea, mango, and cocoa butters.  Soaps made from animal fats tend to have a creamy, stable lather, like soaps made with a high percentage of the butters I listed above. They are usually hard bars. I don't know what soap made with only lard is like. The SF is probably up to your own preferences.  Animal fats are often smelly to work with, though the smell disappears during the cure.  It is a bit like using animal milks instead of water - smelly to work with, but it goes away.


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## pure&simple (Jun 13, 2011)

I was just googling on how to render fat. Everyone seems to recommend 'frying'. Has anyone ever tried to boil the lard instead of 'frying' it? I can imagine the second method will result will be 'aromatic'.    :wink:


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## pure&simple (Jun 13, 2011)

What does a 100% lard soap feel like? Is it bubbly, creamy.... ??? The only oils I have on hand are unrefined palm oil, OO, Canola, sweet almond and grape seed, so I don't know how I should combine these oils or if I should make a 100% lard soap.


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## kelleyaynn (Jun 13, 2011)

pure&simple said:
			
		

> What does a 100% lard soap feel like? Is it bubbly, creamy.... ??? The only oils I have on hand are unrefined palm oil, OO, Canola, sweet almond and grape seed, so I don't know how I should combine these oils or if I should make a 100% lard soap.



I did some research on soapcalc for the oils your have on hand, and I'm not sure that any of them would really add anything to the soap.  A 100% lard soap on soapcalc seems like it should be a decent bar. If you had some CO or castor oil, that would make it bubblier, but you'll get a nice creamy lather from the lard.


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## IrishLass (Jun 13, 2011)

pure&simple said:
			
		

> Please give me the benefits of using lard or tallow in soaps. I've run out of coconut milk, so I'd like to try my hands on making soap with lard/tallow.



Besides being very economical to use (at least here in the US), they lend a good dose of hardness to soaps, as well as whiteness. Although very similar to each other, there are slight differences between them in soap. Tallow is slightly more hard, bubblier and cleansing than lard, while lard lends a wonderful, luscious, creamy body to the overall lather. I like to use a combination of both in my soaps. What one lacks, the other one makes up for.



			
				pure&simple said:
			
		

> Can you tell the difference between soaps with and without animal fat?



That is a hard question to answer because of how subjective the 'feel' of a soap can be. The answer will differ from one person to the next. I can tell the difference in my_ own _soaps because I know my formulas inside and out and am used to them, but I don't think I would be able to tell the difference in someone else's formula(s).




			
				pure&simple said:
			
		

> What kind of oil (s) does animal fat replace?




Usually palm oil and certain butters





			
				pure&simple said:
			
		

> Are soaps made with only animal fat good?



I've never made or used a soap with 100% animal fat so I can't answer for sure, but my tallow formula with 65% tallow is wonderful.




			
				pure&simple said:
			
		

> How much SF should I use?



That's up to you. I just use my normal superfat of 5%.




			
				pure&simple said:
			
		

> Is there something special that I should know when I make these type of soaps?



Well, one of the added benefits of using lard is that it's a slow tracer. Also, just so you know, some soapers are sensitive to the smell of lard when heating it and swear they can still smell it in the soap before, during and/or sometimes even after curing if they heated it too high, but I personally have never experienced myself, even when I accidentally heated my lard once to 150 degreesF before adding my lye. It just smelled like clean soap to me.


IrishLass


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## pure&simple (Jun 14, 2011)

Thank you so much to everyone for answering all my questions. I was so excited last night (close to midnight my time) about making a lard soap that I had a very short sleep. Now 6 am and I have to wait until 9 for the supermarket to open for me to purchase some lard/tallow to try a batch out.

Wish me luck


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## lovelysuds (Jun 14, 2011)

Not trying to toot my horn, but i swear im a freaking expert in the last week on rendering Im practically dreaming in tallow. I personally..
1. peel off that casing around the fat (usually if kidney fat) it makes it take longer
2. Chop into little squares removing anything with significant blood  :shock: 
3. Throw into a big pot on medium or medium low (DONT BROWN IT)
4. Stir every so often when it looks like itty bitty crumbles of yucky fat thats almost like wet brown sugar?? thats my best explanation sorry!
5. Remove, pour thru sive and get it cold
THIS IS HIGHLY SUGGESTED, NOT NECCESSARY
1. after tallow is solid white scoop back into CLEAN pot 
2. add half of tallows approx weight in water
3. reach a slow boil for about 3 mins dont stir if possible
4. pour back into a clean bowl using sive 
all the yucky pieces of tiny stuff that made it through the sive will sink to the bottom of water leaving you with pure white tallow that has little to no stink. i do it this way every time and love it. i dont boil it first it wastes too much. tallow and lard make the best creamy, moisturizing bubbly soap that just cant be replicated.imho. I think youll love them!!! Just dont get either to hot when melting your oils for soap or they can smell stronger. I like to add both tallow & lard to my batches sometimes. Good luck!!

edited to say
I also use all the cracklins/fried fat to make suet for the birds and squirrels, ive never seen so many woodpeckers, cardinals, blue jays, and yellow finches in my life! let me know if youd like to know how!


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## pure&simple (Jun 14, 2011)

Ok Lovelysuds, how exactly do you make suet for your garden friends? Is it healthy for them to eat the fat? Do you think turtles will like it too? I have Herman turtles in the garden and I always think that I bore them to death  with just lettuce and lettuce and lettuce! :roll: 

By the way, isn't it tedious work for you guys to render lard ? I just bought 250g of prepared lard for 1.50 euros (that's the cost of coconut oil for me) this morning to try my hands at a batch and I was lucky enough to find it. But for those of you who have to prepare your own lard, is it worth the trouble? Is there a difference in 'homemade' and store bought? 

My lard has antioxidant that is "rich in vit. E."


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## Bama (Jun 14, 2011)

Does the tallow from Columbus foods work as well as what you render yourself? Of coruse it is to hot to ship this way right now anyway. Would have to wait till fall
One moe question. Why does the fat around the kidney make a difference?


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## ToniD (Jun 14, 2011)

Bama said:
			
		

> Does the tallow from Columbus foods work as well as what you render yourself? Of coruse it is to hot to ship this way right now anyway. Would have to wait till fall
> One moe question. Why does the fat around the kidney make a difference?



Yes,  the tallow from columbus works well. Slight scent,  but did not show up in finished soap.


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## lovelysuds (Jun 14, 2011)

I buy kidney fat from a local butcher and another butcher will sometimes just give me reg beef fat. Ive stopped paying for the kidney fat because I honestly cant tell any difference. I think the reg fat melts better since its not rock hard. 

I dont render lard but I absolutely positively recommend rendering beef suet/tallow. I have another 30 lbs to do tomorrow! It isnt a pain really. Ive grown to enjoy it. :shock:  I always turn it down low with a lid and let it go for 10-20 mins usually. Especially in the beginning when its cold. Dont leave it for long or go far away grease fires arent fun! But you dont have to slave over a hot stove for hours either. Usually takes a few hours but thats not like your working at it for hours its simmering by itself you just stir once in awhile. I forgot to add earlier to press the cracklins down in a sive over your bowl you get lots of liquid out.

Not sure about a turtle, but my dog HOVERS from chopping it to the tree that I hang it on in an onion bag. Just watch because I know I get large strips or chunks and I wouldnt want that cute little turtle to choke! lol. You could prob add special things that turtles eat into it. 

SUET APPROX 2LBS
1.get all the nasty pieces of cracklins that are leftover stick them in a long rectangular tupperware
2. I use 1 heaping TBSP of peanut butter and mix it you should be able to smell it but not see it really
3. add about 1 cup of bird seed
4. 1/2 tsp salt
5. 1/2 cup oats
6. 1 tsp molasses
If you want to you can sprinkle Alum very lightly on top you can. Not sure why but my dad always has instructed me to do so. Just mix it all up togther. You can add more of anything if you think it needs it. I really eyeball it accordingly. Then I stick a piece of Saran WRap over top and press it flat with my hands. Once it cools in the fridge it will be solid & held together from the cracklins and the grease cooling. I stick chunks in a cut square from an onion bag long enough to fold over like a pouch. I hang it on a branch on my tree. I swear within 5 mins theres birds all over. Especially blue jays, once there was 16 at once!


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## scouter139 (Jun 14, 2011)

I'm one that doesn't fry my beef fat, I boil the daylights out of it.  If you search for rendering you may find some of the discussions about how to go about it.  I don't want my house and my soap to smell like fried grease...sorry to those who do it that way.  I grind the suet up in a meat grinder and bring huge pot of water to boil, add the ground fat and boil it for a few hours until most of the water is gone.  There will still be bits and pieces of fat left.  I then strain the water from the pieces and put the water in to the fridge covered.  I cool the pieces, regrind them and make another pot. I do alot at one time and then freeze it in zip locks with the weight on the bag.  Then when I need some, out it comes.


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## judymoody (Jun 14, 2011)

scouter139 said:
			
		

> I'm one that doesn't fry my beef fat, I boil the daylights out of it.  If you search for rendering you may find some of the discussions about how to go about it.  I don't want my house and my soap to smell like fried grease...sorry to those who do it that way.  I grind the suet up in a meat grinder and bring huge pot of water to boil, add the ground fat and boil it for a few hours until most of the water is gone.  There will still be bits and pieces of fat left.  I then strain the water from the pieces and put the water in to the fridge covered.  I cool the pieces, regrind them and make another pot. I do alot at one time and then freeze it in zip locks with the weight on the bag.  Then when I need some, out it comes.



This is what I do when my hubby the hunter brings home game fat.  You can also add some vinegar and herbs to your water to help to neutralize the smell as it's simmering.


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## pure&simple (Jun 15, 2011)

Thanks Lovelysuds, how lucky those animals are to receive gourmet meals from you. I've decided that my turtles can stick to salads, the process of frying the fat sounds too........greasy.  I have to try this when I can get something to fry for ME, like pork skin. I love crispy pork skins.

But for the soap lard, I think I'll try the boiling method. I can get all the free kidney fat that I want so to fry kilos of it would be nasal torture for me.  I'm surprised that not more people do the boiling method. When I googled, the frying method was the only way.

Thank you all for the wonderful tips!


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## falldowngobump (Jun 15, 2011)

I think its wonderful that so many soapers render their tallow--but I'm lazy and I just buy lard from the store.


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## jennikate (Jun 15, 2011)

I use the boil method.I add about 1-2 TB salt to the water . I usually run it through at least 3 times to make sure I get rid of impurites due to fact I use waste fat from when I cook beef.  Works jst fine for me so far.


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## lovelysuds (Jun 17, 2011)

I actually dont mind the smell IF its kept on low. Its when it starts browning that the smell annoys me. I think I also do it so much that I almost am used to it. I tried boiling it once and I musnt have done it right, I think it was too much water. I hardly got anything out of 4 lbs of kidney fat. I cant wait to try sheep tallow. Good luck and youre very welcome!


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## Guest (Jun 18, 2011)

Made my first soap with lard this week.  I am amazed at how creamy it is........I never expected such a deluxe bar!  I scented it with rose, gardenia and jasmine essential oils.  
Cheers!


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## pure&simple (Jun 18, 2011)

I just made my first 3 batches with lard in it. Like Cody said, the batches were very creamy and silky. I didn't scent them, hubby is very sensitive to fragrance. Sorry, I have no pics. Even if I did, I wouldn't no how to post them here   (I'm a little better in the kitchen! )

I can't wait for the soaps cure!!!


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