Tallow only soap recipe?

[scott_raber]

Hi!
I'm a newbie (see introduction board) and I don't know if this is possible. Does anyone have a recipe that I can make using only lye and beef suet tallow using the cold process method?
Thats my question, what follows is personal info you can skip if you want to: My goal is to take a step toward becoming a master soapmaker every day. This is a simple technique I have found effective in accomplishing any goal in a short time. Within the week I plan to make my first batch of soap, but I'm very short of cash and time and wanted to make the most basic soap possible to start. From what little I've read I thought it would be possible to just get the tallow and mix in some lye. However it looks like I will need to buy a scale and maybe some more oils if I don't find a very basic recipe. I'm not looking for anything other than making that first batch within the next week and would prefer not to spend more money.
Thank you all for your time.[/i]

 

[soap_lady]

Are you asking about a recipe that ONLY contains tallow or are other oils acceptable as well. (coconut, castor, sunflower, soybean, safflower, one of the many butters etc)

BTW, I think it's great you have goals set for the future, and while it's a lot to understand and learn, it's really worth it in the end.


Edited to add,
first you need to figure out how many ounces of oils you mold will hold and you need to run each and every recipe through a lye calculator for safety and to know how much liquid and lye to use.
Here is my favorite
http://www.soapcalc.com/calc/soapcalcWP.asp


If you just want tallow use 100% tallow from the animal of choice on the menu and click to compute after you filled in your oils amount.

For example 2 lbs of oils
you need
32 oz of tallow
4.335 oz of lye
12.16 oz of liquid

But i highly suggest using other oils to compliment your tallow to make a better bar of soap.

 

[SimplyE]

I would also suggest "The Everything Soapmaking" book. It is really informative and easy to understand.

I also love the soapcalc and find myself constantly messing around with numbers, which can be a bit daunting at first, with the oil qualities, but it is something that is fun and once figured out, a good soap calculator will be your best friend.

For another cheap recipe, check out Pauls WalMart recipe (Soapmakerman). Everything you need you should be able to get at Wal-mart.

A scale is a definite, as the oils should be weighed and not measured.

Happy soaping and good luck!

 

[Rebelshope]

I highly suggest, The Soapmaker's Companion and The Natural Soap Book both by Susan Miller Cavitch. Excellent books. They explain how soap is made, both how you do it and the chemical process that occurs. Includes several simple recipes to get you started. Explains all about the different oils. Includes a list of what you need to get started.

I too was going to start with a tallow soap, but after reading The Natural Soap Book I didn't think that was where I wanted to start. I made a milk based soap 1st. Casey Makela wrote Milk-based Soaps I got my recipe out of there. If you are interested in milk based soaps I would add that to your books you must have. I just started using my first batch. What a wonderful feeling!

 

[IrishLass]

Hi!
From what little I've read I thought it would be possible to just get the tallow and mix in some lye. However it looks like I will need to buy a scale and maybe some more oils if I don't find a very basic recipe. I'm not looking for anything other than making that first batch within the next week and would prefer not to spend more money.
Thank you all for your time.[/i]

Hi Scott, and welcome!

Although there is a way to make soap without a scale (see http://www.millersoap.com/soapsfluid.html), I highly recommend investing in a scale if you want your batches to be consistant. I would never consider soaping without one.

I myself use a Pelouze electronic postal scale that measures in oz and grams. It goes from 1/10th of an oz (1 gram), to 5 lbs (2.2 kgs). It has a handy tare feature on it, too, which I've found to be an absolute necessity. I wouldn't ever buy a scale without one. My scale was not all that expensive as scales go, either. It was just under $40.00. I check it's accuracy with quarters every time I use it (5 US quarters will always weigh 1 oz). I've had it for over a year now and it's still measuring accurately for me. I also compare it every so often to the scales inside of the post office when I happen to be mailing packages. I weigh my packages at home on my scale first, and then I weigh them again at the post office to compare. The weight at the P.O. is always exactly the same as the weight on my scale at home. 8)

Tallow makes for a great soap. I use tallow and lard on a pretty regular basis and I love them so much that I don't consider my supply cupboard complete without them, although I've never made a 100% tallow soap. The only reason I haven't is because I've heard from other soapers that the lather is not all that copious, and I like copious lather. The highest I've ever gone is 65% tallow in a soap with 12% olive and 23% castor oil. It made a really nice soap with good lather. It was good and hard, too.

Do you know how big of a batch you want to make?


IrishLass

P.S. I'm with the others in recommending doing as much reading up on soaping as you can before beginning. Besides the books already mentioned, the Millersoap site that I gave you the link to in my first paragraph is also an excellent site to look at. There's so much good info to glean on there. Soaping forums are wonderful resources, too. I've actually learned more from interacting on soap forums than all the soap books I've read, put together. Soaping techniques are always evolving as newer scientific info is made available, and seeing as how the forums are operated on a 'real time' or up-to-date basis, they are always on the cutting edge where new soaping info and techniques are concerned.