Reading over recent threads about soaping with lard/tallow and whether there's a noticeable odor to the soap got me thinking. I got some beef fat yesterday and decided to compare methods to see if there was a difference in yield (my main concern) and end product of the fat.
Caveats: I don't sell, so the soap is just for personal use. I'm also not a vegetarian/vegan and my sense of smell isn't that sensitive (I think generally my senses aren't that sharp, except perhaps for my sense of foreboding).
Method 1: Added ground beef fat to a crockpot with no additives. Cooked on low for about 2.5 hours. Strained the tallow through cheesecloth into a jar. Noticed I had spilled all over the counter. Swore. Noticed there was a gunky layer at the bottom of the jar. Swore. Poured hot tallow into a bowl and chilled overnight. Tried to give the dogs the hamburger-looking spent fat, which one of them actively disliked and spit out (but I digress). The next morning, took the solid tallow out and scraped off the gelatinous bit stuck to the bottom. Re-melted and poured into a jar. Didn't strain a second time.
Method 2: Added ground beef fat to a stockpot with water and some salt. Boiled for about 2.5 hours, until the water was pretty much gone. Yelled at the dogs to go outside and stop licking the stove. Strained the tallow into a bowl and chilled overnight. The next morning, took the solid tallow out and scraped off the jelly stuck to the bottom. Rinsed the tallow disc in cold water. Remelted and simmered until the fat stopped crackling and popping. I had to strain this a second time as there were darker bits in the fat and stuck to the pan. Realized the jar I was using wasn't big enough. Swore. Strained the remainder into Tupperware. (I know some people will chill/rinse/reboil more than once, but I'm too impatient.)
Observations: Method 1 smelled much stronger (some would say worse) while rendering. The jelly on the bottom of the chilled tallow was bigger and darker, and the liquid tallow is a darker yellow, and smells stronger. I got 64% yield on the batch from method 1.
Method 2 smelled much less while cooking; the jelly on the bottom of the cold tallow was tiny and very pale. The liquid tallow is paler and smells noticeably milder, but there is still a faint odor to it. I got 43% yield on this.:Kitten Love:
Dogs don't like spent beef fat, but they're fans of fat trimmings fried up and are willing to be underfoot and repeatedly stepped on to get them. Also, I swear too much.
Conclusion: For my purposes, it's not worth it to render fat in water and salt. The lower yield and the few extra steps aren't enough to merit the decrease in odor in the final tallow product. If you're sensitive to the animal smell, though, it could be worth it to you.
Caveats: I don't sell, so the soap is just for personal use. I'm also not a vegetarian/vegan and my sense of smell isn't that sensitive (I think generally my senses aren't that sharp, except perhaps for my sense of foreboding).
Method 1: Added ground beef fat to a crockpot with no additives. Cooked on low for about 2.5 hours. Strained the tallow through cheesecloth into a jar. Noticed I had spilled all over the counter. Swore. Noticed there was a gunky layer at the bottom of the jar. Swore. Poured hot tallow into a bowl and chilled overnight. Tried to give the dogs the hamburger-looking spent fat, which one of them actively disliked and spit out (but I digress). The next morning, took the solid tallow out and scraped off the gelatinous bit stuck to the bottom. Re-melted and poured into a jar. Didn't strain a second time.
Method 2: Added ground beef fat to a stockpot with water and some salt. Boiled for about 2.5 hours, until the water was pretty much gone. Yelled at the dogs to go outside and stop licking the stove. Strained the tallow into a bowl and chilled overnight. The next morning, took the solid tallow out and scraped off the jelly stuck to the bottom. Rinsed the tallow disc in cold water. Remelted and simmered until the fat stopped crackling and popping. I had to strain this a second time as there were darker bits in the fat and stuck to the pan. Realized the jar I was using wasn't big enough. Swore. Strained the remainder into Tupperware. (I know some people will chill/rinse/reboil more than once, but I'm too impatient.)
Observations: Method 1 smelled much stronger (some would say worse) while rendering. The jelly on the bottom of the chilled tallow was bigger and darker, and the liquid tallow is a darker yellow, and smells stronger. I got 64% yield on the batch from method 1.
Method 2 smelled much less while cooking; the jelly on the bottom of the cold tallow was tiny and very pale. The liquid tallow is paler and smells noticeably milder, but there is still a faint odor to it. I got 43% yield on this.:Kitten Love:
Dogs don't like spent beef fat, but they're fans of fat trimmings fried up and are willing to be underfoot and repeatedly stepped on to get them. Also, I swear too much.
Conclusion: For my purposes, it's not worth it to render fat in water and salt. The lower yield and the few extra steps aren't enough to merit the decrease in odor in the final tallow product. If you're sensitive to the animal smell, though, it could be worth it to you.
