Lionprincess's rendering method - A+!

I'm very pleased with this. I have rendered tallow in the past and this is definitely much less stinky!

I had 5 lbs of beef fat scraps - the butcher ground them for me, yay! Ground vs chunks is a HUGE difference.

1st render - while the smell wasn't pleasant, it was much less strong than my previoius attempts.

2nd render - no smell unless I put my face right over the pot.

Ok. Well a poor soul on here learned too much baking soda will saponify a little in high heat. So IF you do my method, use less baking soda to salt, and use a small amount, less than a quarter cup per 5 pounds of scraps, skimming off any saponified fats after the cook. Use much less the second render.

And thank you dixiedragon I'm happy it worked out! I have two frozen packs I have GOT to get around to rendering!

lionprincess00 said:

Ok. Well a poor soul on here learned too much baking soda will saponify a little in high heat. So IF you do my method, use less baking soda to salt, and use a small amount, less than a quarter cup per 5 pounds of scraps, skimming off any saponified fats after the cook. Use much less the second render.

And thank you dixiedragon I'm happy it worked out! I have two frozen packs I have GOT to get around to rendering!

Click to expand...

Yep that was me!!

Though I'm pleased to report my 2nd attempt was a different story - perfect, clean, non stinky tallow!!

I used 1/4 cup salt and 3 T baking soda. I got a lot of foaming if I left the lid on - is that saponification?

Can someone link the original post, please? My search ability seems to be on the fritz today.

Carbon dioxide is formed when you heat baking soda. That's the foaming, I'm pretty sure. I've tried researching but need more education on the process.

lionprincess00- could you please share the secret for someone who will be rendering this weekend? I finally found a butcher that will give me some suet or regular fat(whatever he has, it is all mixed together).

Susie said:

Can someone link the original post, please? My search ability seems to be on the fritz today.

Click to expand...

I found this one searching:
http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showpost.php?p=487085&postcount=36

Abc, you're awesome! Thx for that! Susie, if you have any other questions at all, feel free to ask! I really need to finish my blog and the pictures to go with it.

Susie said:

lionprincess00- could you please share the secret for someone who will be rendering this weekend? I finally found a butcher that will give me some suet or regular fat(whatever he has, it is all mixed together).

Click to expand...

I have also some leaf lard to render too this weekend so as to continue this thread.

But I'm planning on using this method for rendering it as it seems to be easier. Has anyone ever tried it? Is it worth the time and pigfat spend?

Also after reading this post:

lenarenee said:

I've just started using a bar made with 70% tallow in place of lard, and I love it too. The lard bar is creamier, tallow adds bigger, quicker bubbles which I like slightly better than lard. Great feel and texture to the bar too.

Click to expand...

I'm planning on getting some beef fat too...

Susie if you get a mixed type of fat, what SAP will you use? An average one of beef and pork fat?

Nikos

It is not mixed pork and beef fat, it is mixed fat from inside the cow and the stuff around the muscles. Sorry I was not clear earlier.

I looked at that method of rendering, and it seems, at first, like it might be easier, but then she mentions nothing about cleaning that after the first rendering. I know from watching tons of videos that you are going to have to re-melt in water, re-harden, and scrape gunk off the bottom a few times. The other issue I see is that videos that show no water being used in the first rendering have darker colored tallow showing at the end. Not much difference, mind you, but some. I am very interested in seeing if you(whom I trust more than some random person on the internet) can get good results using that method, though, so if you use that method, please let me know the results?

abc said:

I found this one searching:
http://www.soapmakingforum.com/showpost.php?p=487085&postcount=36

Click to expand...

Thank you abc!

One question, anyone with experience, do you leave the lid on the pot? If not, I can use my jam making pan(no lid, but very large). But if it needs a lid, I am going to have to break out the big canning pot. And for a short person, that is really a pain.

Susie said:

I am very interested in seeing if you(whom I trust more than some random person on the internet) can get good results using that method, though, so if you use that method, please let me know the results?

Click to expand...

Thank you for your trusting in me.

I just also came up with an idea that I'll implement in this method, that I think it will avoid burning the fat and have the whitest color in the final lard without the need for cleaning later.

Will post photos by next week hoping that I will have not burned down my house. :smile:

Nikos

I leave the lid on, but remember if your heat is too high it will boil over the carbon dioxide foam if you choose to use a little baking soda. I do salt, a lot, to clean as well. I turn up the heat to get it going, once bubbles form I turn it down as low as it goes and cover. I watch and if it bubbles, I prop the lid a little to release the gas and pressure.
I don't sell, but to answer about a blend. I was rendering two different batches and realized I had super soft thin squishy pieces of fat one batch, and the other was a normal tallow disc of fat. The first batch I didn't put two and two together. The next batch I realized...it's lard causing the difference! The butchers were throwing in there extra fat from trimming pork, and I was rendering Appx a 1:5 lard to tallow blend. It wasn't much, but it make a noticeably different fat disc after hardening. It wasn't pure white and it was a little soft after a night in the fridge. Tallow is rock hard. So I label for gifties "tallow/lard blend". I use the sap value for tallow. If tallow takes 1 lb at 5% superfat, that's 2.17 oz lye and for lard, 1 lb 5% sf has a smaller sap of 2.15.
So my blend, using the slightly higher sap value means my sf will be a tad lower than whatever I put in there. I prefer lower sf, between 2-4% and so I usually use 4% or 3.85% sf knowing my blends will be slightly less superfatted.
If you want to play it safe or are starting out, however, and are making a lard tallow blend, just use the lard sap for the blend to be safe and certain your not lye heavy.
Unless you're using a zero sf, or measure incorrectly, I really don't see it as a big problem.
Oh, and keep temp bubbling gently and not too hot, or it will golden and van burn. You're want to melt, not roast! I find my lowest stove setting can keep a light simmer with it covered, and that's plenty. Just let it go several hours to break it up completely.

I would recommend not leaving the lid on. When I left the lid on, the foam built up and spilled over. when I left the lid off, it boiled off.

Thanks! I am getting 10 lbs tomorrow, and he promises it is straight beef fat. $1/lb seems a bit steep, but shipping charges are too high for something I don't know if I will keep using.

I did not leave the lid on my big canning pan when I followed LP's method. Mine turned out a beautiful disk of white tallow with no smell

I leave the lid as much on because my kids complain about the smell. But yeah, I have to constantly babysit for the boil over. Lid off works fine and is probably best.

I'm just writing to inform you that I just finished my leaf lard rendering using the oven process that I mentioned in the previous page.

I'm totally amazed by two factors:
1) leaf lard is the best thing you can render! No piggy smell at all. Back fat for me now it looks like rubbish.
2) The OPR (Oven Process Render) as seen on the link (along with an extra step I did) is the best method to melt ALL the fat without having any odor along with a dark brown color.

More details with photos by Monday. Goodnight to all.
Nikos

You guys are stalwart souls. One question, for those of you who have both bought tallow pre-made and rendered your own, what is the difference? I live in an apt w/a small kitchen, am wondering if it is worth it to go all the way.