Deer tallow soap is brittle

[DirtyKnuckles]

I am not sure if it was my processing or the recipe, but this batch turned out to be pretty brittle. Not that I am prone to dropping the soap, but when it happens, the bar bursts into fragments. It cleans like the dickens, has far less of the tallow smell (new rendering process, less heat, more time), and came out white as snow. It just turned out crumbly.

Your advice?

Here is the link to the original post with the recipe and process:
https://www.soapmakingforum.com/threads/tallow-ho.73541/

 

[Obsidian]

The one time I made a 100% deer tallow soap, it was very hard and brittle. I think it's just the nature of it.
I would mix it with other oils next time.

 

[KJ Goodman]

i just had the same issue. I think i had two issues. 1) the oils and the lye were probably not close enough in temperature 2) i should have cut it a lot sooner. I let it sit over night.
I made mine with milk, so i put it in the fridge.....interesting enough, i made a 100% deer tallow that was brittle and a 100% lard that was very soft......

I just wanted to try it, but think with other soft oils it will be really nice.

 

[shunt2011]

i just had the same issue. I think i had two issues. 1) the oils and the lye were probably not close enough in temperature 2) i should have cut it a lot sooner. I let it sit over night.
I made mine with milk, so i put it in the fridge.....interesting enough, i made a 100% deer tallow that was brittle and a 100% lard that was very soft......

I just wanted to try it, but think with other soft oils it will be really nice.

The temp of the lye and oils doesn't matter if they are close. I heat my oils until warm and add room temp lye.

Many things play into the hardness/softness of your soap. Lard is softer than Tallow. Tallow is harder and brittle. Lard is softer and creamier.

I don't make 100% lard or tallow soaps. I prefer more balanced recipes.

Timing is everything when cutting for sure. Also depends on if you are gelling or not.

 

[DeeAnna]

Lard has more oleic acid than tallow does and that's a key difference. For me, lard typically makes a firm but not brittle soap and it's not too critical when I cut the soap.

I have even managed to slice fully cured soap made with a high % of lard into smaller sample-sized bars. It was a spur of the moment thing, and I wasn't sure it would work, but I went slow and got it done. Not saying I recommend this as normal procedure, however!

The tallow soap I've made, especially batches with a higher % of tallow, are hard and brittle. I have to cut this soap right when it's ready to be cut or it will shatter rather than slice cleanly. I'd never be able to slice a cured tallow soap like I did the cured lard soap.