Liquid tallow?!

[TashaBird]

I am trying a new brand of tallow. I’ve been through two 5 gallon buckets of my usual tallow, but ran out and I’m trying some from essential depot. I just opened it and it’s liquid, or melted. It’s only 67 outside! Shouldn’t it be solid? I’m trying to find out if it’s a different quality. I found this quote from the article linked.
“ Tallow is accompanied by many grades, specifications, and criteria depending on its end use. Titer is a basic specification requiring solidification above 40 °C (104 °F) after saponification. In contrast, greases solidify below this temperature. Fat quality is determined by hardness, color, moisture, impurities, stability, and free fatty acid (FFA) content. For reference, the commodity trading standards for tallow and greases are included in Table 6. These specifications place an emphasis on titer and FFA content in determining grade and value. For soap production, ‘hard fats’ or fats of high titer make soap of hard textures, whereas lower titer fats make softer textured soap. Fats with higher FFA contents have a greater glycerin loss in the soap-making process, which lowers their value.”
Tallow - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics
What is the melting temperature for tallow? (I’m finding different temps via google.)
This is only a 1 gallon bucket, so, even if it was hotter elsewhere, it should’ve solidified. Right?!

 

[earlene]

According to the SDS sheet for tallow on the ED website, the melting point is approximately 104 °F, which I assume the bucket has not been exposed to since you received it? Could it have melted during transport and just not yet solidified? Without transport in a refrigerated truck, it could well have reached that temperature inside a metal truck as it traveled from Florida to California. How long since it was delivered to your door?

 

[TashaBird]

According to the SDS sheet for tallow on the ED website, the melting point is approximately 104 °F, which I assume the bucket has not been exposed to since you received it? Could it have melted during transport and just not yet solidified? Without transport in a refrigerated truck, it could well have reached that temperature inside a metal truck as it traveled from Florida to California. How long since it was delivered to your door?

It’s only a gallon, so even if it traveled from somewhere that was 104, which I don’t think it did, it should’ve solidified. I usually use my preferred brand for soap and leave on skin care. I will only use this stuff for soap.
It’s about 55 in my garage at night, I’ll report back on it in the morning. WEIRD!
WTHeck is it then?!!

 

[Marsi]

the fatty acid profile of beef fat varies across the body of the animal
this suggests that brisket fat can melt at the temperatures you have (see the little black dots on the diagrams on page 3 page 2)
http://animalscience.tamu.edu/wp-co.../Handout-3-Melting-Points-of-Animal-Fats1.pdf

- sorry Tasha, that was meant to be the round dots in last diagram on page 2

 

[earlene]

the fatty acid profile of beef fat varies across the body of the animal
this suggests that brisket fat can melt at the temperatures you have (see the little black dots on the diagrams on page 3)
http://animalscience.tamu.edu/wp-co.../Handout-3-Melting-Points-of-Animal-Fats1.pdf

Fascinating!

 

[TashaBird]

This stuff is still soft today and it was 65F. WTHeck?!! I’ve got to use it. But, I won’t buy it again that’s for sure. SO weird! And, if it’s not tallow, WHAT is it?!

 

[AliOop]

How weird! Does it smell like tallow?

Have you called ED to ask them if it is possibly something else?

 

[Peachy Clean Soap]

TashaBird please keeps us posted' very interesting. On our hottest days here in SoCal my lard has never turned to liquid' its gotten softer but remained semi solid.

 

[cmzaha]

TashaBird, do you have Smart & Finals where you are? Their Beef Shortening is Fantastic, pure white and never melts in the summer, not even in So Cal.

 

[Peachy Clean Soap]

cmzha
Is Smart & Final beef shortening the same as beef tallow? I've got one close to me & id like to try it.

 

[TashaBird]

TashaBird, do you have Smart & Finals where you are? Their Beef Shortening is Fantastic, pure white and never melts in the summer, not even in So Cal.

I second @Peachy Clean Soap is that tallow?

I wish I could post a video here. And, I emailed ED.

 

[Serena]

I have never had tallow be liquid at those temperatures. I've bought several brands, and rendered a fair amount myself.

I wonder if the company will tell you if the tallow is actually kidney fat (suet), or other body cavity fat, or if it is various and sundry bits of fat from just any place on the animal.

The only rendered animal fats I have seen that are liquid at those temperatures have been poultry, and those not completely liquid.

I hope you get a plausible answer.

 

[Serena]

the fatty acid profile of beef fat varies across the body of the animal
this suggests that brisket fat can melt at the temperatures you have (see the little black dots on the diagrams on page 3 page 2)
http://animalscience.tamu.edu/wp-co.../Handout-3-Melting-Points-of-Animal-Fats1.pdf

- sorry Tasha, that was meant to be the round dots in last diagram on page 2

Thank you for that very interesting pdf! I appreciate it.

 

[TashaBird]

the fatty acid profile of beef fat varies across the body of the animal
this suggests that brisket fat can melt at the temperatures you have (see the little black dots on the diagrams on page 3 page 2)
http://animalscience.tamu.edu/wp-co.../Handout-3-Melting-Points-of-Animal-Fats1.pdf

- sorry Tasha, that was meant to be the round dots in last diagram on page 2

I’m trying to wrap my head around that info. Thank you! So, depending on what the animal ate, genetics, and what body part it’s rendered from could make it melt at a lower temp?

 

[Serena]

I have rendered back fat from grain-fed cattle, which has higher PUFA. High PUFA means softer fat.

I usually render 100% grass-fed and grass-finished kidney fat, which is the highest in SAT fat. (That is for food, not for soap.)

The difference in hardness in the tallow is extremely small.

I cannot imagine how tallow could be liquid at a normal room temperature.

My kitchen is 90 degrees Fahrenheit in the afternoons in the summer, due to living in the low desert. I have never had tallow go liquid, even at that temp. Soft yes, but not liquid.

 

[Dawni]

I live where coconut oil is never solid nor even semi solid even when it's cold by our standards lol. Even cocoa butter here is sometimes squishy you can spoon it instead of chopping it. Unless they're in an air-conditioned room of course.

I've never seen liquid tallow here......

 

[melinda48]

cmzha
Is Smart & Final beef shortening the same as beef tallow? I've got one close to me & id like to try it.

Beef shortening (beef fat) is tallow.

 

[Marsi]

I’m trying to wrap my head around that info. Thank you! So, depending on what the animal ate, genetics, and what body part it’s rendered from could make it melt at a lower temp?

yes

body
suet is hard and white and takes some heat to render
brisket fat is softer and yellower and melts easily

diet
corn fed cows have more MUFA (higher MonoUnsaturated fatty acids are a meat industry goal)

fully liquid all of the time could be another fat or it might be fractionated beef fat (smell it)
this might interest you (from Meat & Livestock Australia)
https://www.mla.com.au/contentassets/5e63cf7a75514c28a088707edcb8efac/a.cop.0067_final_report.pdf
(Wagu dreams)

 

[TashaBird]

yes

body
suet is hard and white and takes some heat to render
brisket fat is softer and yellower and melts easily

diet
corn fed cows have more MUFA (higher MonoUnsaturated fatty acids are a meat industry goal)

fully liquid all of the time could be another fat or it might be fractionated beef fat (smell it)
this might interest you (from Meat & Livestock Australia)
https://www.mla.com.au/contentassets/5e63cf7a75514c28a088707edcb8efac/a.cop.0067_final_report.pdf
(Wagu dreams)

Thank you for the translation! Really, that makes sense. I’ll use this up for soap making, but I won’t use it for my leave on products. Hopefully it turns out okay and doesn’t change my soap too much. I’m going to contact my preferred source of tallow and see if I can qualify for wholesale now that I’ve got my business license.