Talllow based soaps, tallow users and where you get it..?

[dixiedragon]

I've bought the tallow shortening from Cash and Carry which is the same chain as Smart and Final. cmzaha, does yours say it's just tallow? Mine is tallow and soybean oil. I tried to find the % mix from the manufacturer, but no luck.

I would plug tallow into the lye calculator. Unless you are making tiny 1-bar batches with a 0% superfat, it's not enough to make a difference.

I ran it through a lye calculator:
100% tallow 5% superfat 16 oz - 2.15 oz lye
100% soyebean 5% superfat 16 oz - 2.05 oz lye

 

[AnoukP]

I think the K&L fat is tallow, the surface fats are suet. They have different properties.

 

[Saffron]

I think the K&L fat is tallow, the surface fats are suet. They have different properties.

Not according to Wiki.

"Suet is the raw, hard fat of beef or mutton found around the loins and kidneys. Suet has a melting point of between 45 °C and 50 °C (113 °F and 122 °F) and congelation between 37 °C and 40 °C (98.6 °F and 104 °F). Its high smoke point makes it ideal for deep frying and pastry production.
The primary use of suet is to make tallow, although it is also used as an ingredient in cooking, especially in traditional puddings, such as British Christmas pudding. Suet is made into tallow in a process called rendering, which involves melting and extended simmering, followed by straining, cooling and usually by repeating the entire process. Unlike tallow, suet that is not pre-packed requires refrigeration in order to be stored for extended periods."

"Suet should not be confused with beef dripping, which is the collected fat and juices from the roasting pan when cooking roast beef. Suet should also not be confused with all beef or sheep fat. It is normally the fat found around the heart and kidneys of cattle and sheep, and nowhere else in the animals."

"Pre-packaged suet sold in supermarkets is dehydrated suet. It is mixed with flour to make it stable at room temperature."