Lard and Tallow smell!!!?? Help.

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starrfeef

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Hi, I am a new soaper and I had tried to use lard to make my first batch because I figured...easy to find and cheap in case I mess up.... but OMGosh the smell of 100 stinky, wet, dogs is what it smelled like after heating it up and combining with the lye. It made me almost nauseous (and I cook and eat meat). My lard wasn't rancid....was it just the brand I was using??..or is that just the smell you have to get used to?? Is it better to combine the lard with vegetable oils and fats to reduse the small?? and 1 more q...Does the finished product smell better *(I would hope)!! Thanks for any info :p

Does Tallow smell the same?
 
I made four batches of soap thus far, my third one was with lard.
Lard itself is disgusting, it smells like you are in a poopy pig pen.
My soap is one week old and it smells heavenly :).I store my soap in the laundry room and my entire downstairs smells like oakmoss amber....
The lard smell totally goes away.If the soap comes out great I will make more lard soap, because the soaps suppose to be very creamy.
 
The brand of lard you can find definitely makes a difference. Some is almost scentless and some smells strongly of pig.
 
Lard is one of my favorite oils for soap making. The soaps are hard, white and kind to the skin. It is really really important to melt the lard very gently without high heat. Heat brings out the piggy smell. I think that some brands of lard are smellier than others, for sure. The lard should be white and have only the slightest odor when you open the bucket. I keep mine in the fridge during the warmer months. If you melt the lard in a double boiler on low heat and remove it immediately when it is melted you should be ok. The same goes for tallow. Tallow can have a strong meaty smell in the bucket but the soap does not smell. Lard soap does not smell piggy either. Good luck.
 
yuck, I tried it, still smelled in shower, even after long cure, I dont use it anymore, I like co, oo, po, castor.
 
I made a lard soap batch about 4 weeks ago, so it is ready to use once the soap in the shower is done. I found it stinky too when I made the soap, and it smelled until it saponified, even though I used a FO. Once it was all soap, however, the soap smells terrific. I used Nature's Garden Exotic Amazon Teakwood. Awesome for a man's soap, but I'm looking forward to it as well. I pick up a bar and smell it every time I walk by!
 
I agree with reallyrita, the main thing to remember when using lard or tallow is to not heat them too hot, or too quickly. I've never had a piggy smell in any of my soaps, not even the unscented ones. But you will most definetly want to use lard along with your other oils such as olive, palm, coconut and castor for a really nice bar.
 
Starrfeef, I used to work with a chap who reckoned he could tell whether his roast pork was from a male or female pig. He said the males always have a bad piggy smell, so it's probably the same for the lard - depends which sex pig the lard came from. Just a guess on my part.
 
Wow thank you for all your answers!! I'm glad to know of other's experience on that one!!
 
I can always tell if lard is in the bar it's just off and yuck. It's not just, because I'm a veg, but I've used it in the past and it just smelled something awful and change the way my fo's smelled in my soap.
 
Pepper said:
Starrfeef, I used to work with a chap who reckoned he could tell whether his roast pork was from a male or female pig. He said the males always have a bad piggy smell, so it's probably the same for the lard - depends which sex pig the lard came from. Just a guess on my part.
Click to expand...

Males of many species are smellier than females (it's true of humans too :lol: ) for a variety of evolutionary reasons. And in humans, at least, males generally have less sensitive olfactory senses. Could it be to protect themselves from their own stink?
 
Pepper said:
Starrfeef, I used to work with a chap who reckoned he could tell whether his roast pork was from a male or female pig. He said the males always have a bad piggy smell, so it's probably the same for the lard - depends which sex pig the lard came from. Just a guess on my part.
Click to expand...
Pepper, that may hold true for boars, but not hogs that have been neutered. We butcher barrows and never have a problem with smelly meat or lard.
 
lovethyscent said:
I can always tell if lard is in the bar it's just off and yuck. It's not just, because I'm a veg, but I've used it in the past and it just smelled something awful and change the way my fo's smelled in my soap.
Click to expand...

Yes, I can remember I have smelled soap with that smell before and didn't know why...now that I have started making soap..I KNOW why!! A lot of people have said here they don't notice after sap and curing...but I was REALLY sensitive to it as well...I have made three batches since all with shortening, co and oo. They are still curing!! Does shortening turn out nice when used?? Or is it not that desireable?? (I have yet to try my soap)
 
starrfeef said:
lovethyscent said:
I can always tell if lard is in the bar it's just off and yuck. It's not just, because I'm a veg, but I've used it in the past and it just smelled something awful and change the way my fo's smelled in my soap.
Click to expand...

Yes, I can remember I have smelled soap with that smell before and didn't know why...now that I have started making soap..I KNOW why!! A lot of people have said here they don't notice after sap and curing...but I was REALLY sensitive to it as well...I have made three batches since all with shortening, co and oo. They are still curing!! Does shortening turn out nice when used?? Or is it not that desireable?? (I have yet to try my soap)
Click to expand...
I hate being sensitive to smells, lately I taste all the fragrance oils I use It's getting to the point I can't use them anymore it really sucks.
Shortening is wonderful in soap. I esp like the new crisco in soap w/palm. I have had no complaints from it either :)
 

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