Rendering Fat

[shonnyisley]

Can you render beef fat in a crock pot? Has anyone tried this? I got 10lbs of beef fat from the grocery store for free and I want to make some laundry bars and possibly some other soap.

Also what are the benefits of using tallow in soap. I have only ever used veggie oils. Thanks!

 

[donniej]

Does it need to be rendered? Did you get it from the butcher?

A crock pot is a little small. I'd use a pot.

Tallow or lard soap are rock hard and work well but don't make much lather by themselves.

 

[shonnyisley]

I got it from the butcher. I have (2) 6 qt crocks that I use to cook my soap in...I was thinking about using those.

 

[Hazel]

I would think you could use crockpots because I don't think you would want to leave the fat on your stove for hours.

Have you seen this info on rendering tallow?

http://diannassundries.com/r_miscellaneous.asp

 

[ChrissyB]

I have heard of people using crock pots to render fat, but I've heard it be recommended to do it outside (run an extension cord through a window or something), as the smell can be overpowering.

 

[Stacey]

I've rendered beef fat. (actually beef suet) And let me tell you: Do it outside! Eww...it stinks. :wink:

And even if you keep the temp low it'll bubble a little and get all over everything. It's like frying bacon on high...splatters into impossible places. Places you'd never think it would reach.

So, using a crockpot outside is an excellent idea. When I rendered mine I used the side burner on the grill. Kind of PITA because I had to sit near it and monitor it the whole time because of the open flame. I would think the crockpot would be a great way to go. Still would require some monitoring, of course, but just not as closely as an open flame!

I did use the tallow in an old fashioned soap recipe that was just basically tallow and lard for the fats. It's a cleansing soap but not too lathery.

 

[hieroglyph]

Can you render beef fat in a crock pot?
Yes

Has anyone tried this?
yes, i do it all the time.(outside cause it smells)


Also what are the benefits of using tallow in soap. I have only ever used veggie oils. Thanks!
Its soap V.iagra!

also,clean the pots immediately or soon after. I once left the crock dirty overnight, the tiny meat scraps triggered my gag reflex as soon as i lifted the lid the following evening.

 

[cwarren]

the tiny meat scraps triggered my gag reflex as soon as i lifted the lid the following evening. LMAO - I'm right there with ya !

 

[Mom210]

I haven't used tallow in my soaps but have rendered it many times for tallow blend candles. It does stink , but since you have to deal with the smell either way, I do mine in the microwave and block open my kitchen door with a large fan. You just put your fat pieces into a large bowl and nuke them until they're brown and crispy, then take out the crispy pieces and pour the oil into a bowl of cold water. Stick the cold water bowl in the fridge and in about a 1/2 hr you should be able to pick the tallow up off of the top of the water. I tried the crockpot method once but it left too much "gunk" on the bottom of my tallow and I had to re render it. It also took about 5 times longer than the microwave. GL

 

[big_onion]

I've rendered lamb fat a couple of times and never have too much of a problem with smell. I haven't tried it in a crock pot, but here's my method:

cut fat into chunks (we use shavings from lamb ribs that we feed to the dogs)
freeze
put through a meat grinder with a fine plate
put into a pot, add enough water to be at the same level with the fat
heat to a boil, reduce to a simmer
allow to cool, run through some cheese cloth
put in fridge overnight

The next morning there will be a thick layer of solid fat on top and liquid on the bottom. You can discard the liquid. I like to melt it again and filter through more cheese cloth, since you don't want meaty bits in your soap, I would presume.

I've had it boil over a couple of times, so just be careful. The stink isn't so bad with lamb, but maybe it's worse with beef. Either way, you can freeze it and it'll last a good long time.

EDIT: I grind it because it's easier to render down small bits than large chunks. If you can't grind but can finely chop it (it's definitely easier when frozen) then that'll work, too.

 

[cwarren]

I have now donr the crock pot -- it takes FOREVER !! wont be doing it that way again.. I did 5 lbs took 3 days .. good thing is it was outside

 

[big_onion]

Wow. Three days?!

Definitely try grinding or chopping, then do it on the stove with water added -- if you add enough water you can probably boil it all off if you're careful, but the step of letting it harden in the fridge and just pulling the fat off the top is easy enough.

The whole boiling process takes only about an hour or so. And that was for about 10 lbs of fat.

Good luck!

 

[Coop]

EDIT: I grind it because it's easier to render down small bits than large chunks. If you can't grind but can finely chop it (it's definitely easier when frozen) then that'll work, too.

The smaller the pieces the faster the oils are extracted. If you know someone that has one of those turkey fryers, it works great. I borrow my brothers and on a calm day do it in the driveway. Don't have to babysit it to much just keep the flame low, stir occasionally.
I've heard of using a roasting pan, larger cooking surface. Not done this myself. Also something about adding vinegar for the smell, not done this either.
I use tallow in some of my recipes with olive oil, cocoa butter, sweet almond. Makes a nice hard bar not alot of lather but that's ok with me. I mostly do CP and it's quick to trace!!