Rendering tallow - does it smell bad

[DeeAnna]

I think the instructions about using water, salt, and baking soda are often vague because people don't really know how they work.

The point of using water in rendering is to allow it to absorb some of the color and odor causing chemicals that may be present in the fat. Ideally you should do what you can to encourage the water and fat to mix together when rendering, so this separation process can happen efficiently. It's a good idea to stir the warm fat-water mixture frequently and/or allow the water to gently simmer so it will agitate the mixture on its own.

Baking soda as Lion Princess explained, will slowly saponify with any free fatty acids and react with some of the odor-causing organic chemicals. It's best to add the baking soda early on so it has time to do its job. It doesn't work quickly, unlike lye, but it's safe and effective.

Adding salt increases the difference in density between the fat and the water. Bigger density difference => faster separation. That's good in the cool down, but not as good when actually rendering. So my advice is to not add salt while actively rendering the fat. When you want to stop so the fat and water can separate and cool down, then add the salt and stir until it's dissolved. In traditional rendering, the salt is helpful but not strictly required.

***

After the first render which removes all of the cracklins (solids) is done, I've been experimenting with stick blending the fat and water together for the second and subsequent renders. The result of stick blending lard and water together is a semi-stable emulsion, which is definitely not a good thing. On the other hand, the high intensity mixing has the benefit of allowing the water to absorb as much of the water-soluble impurities as possible. In this case, I ~have~ to use salt to get this emulsion to "break" so the fat and water will separate.

CAUTION -- I'm sharing this idea in case someone wants to try this experiment themselves in the spirit of learning. Don't try this stick blending thing on a casual whim, because it can make a huge mess that you may or may not be able to easily fix. I may eventually decide the results are not worth the trouble, but I think it's worth doing a few experiments to figure that out!

 

[Soapmaker145]

Has anybody tried using activated charcoal to remove smell/impurities?

 

[Wildcraft_Garden]

I'm rendering deer fat as we speak, and it kind of smells like I'm cooking a delicious roast.

 

[Arimara]

I'm rendering deer fat as we speak, and it kind of smells like I'm cooking a delicious roast.

I don't think I'm ever going to render anything without having a roast in the oven. That's just meat-eater torture by the sound of it (I love my veggies too.)

 

[Susie]

DeeAnna-have you ever tried fast separating the oils by using ice?

 

[DeeAnna]

Yes, for cooking when I was in a hurry. I haven't tried it when rendering, but I'm sure it would work. Might take a lot of ice, though -- I'm rendering about 5 lbs of fat at a time. If I stick blended the water and fat and ended up with an emulsion, I have to break the emulsion first before I can get any separation, ice or no ice.

 

[mishmish]

I always render my tallow in the winter months, and I do mine pretty much the same way but in several crock pots on low heat. As the fat cooks out, I strain/ladle it into my stainless steel pots and add more raw chopped-up tallow to the crockpots. Eventually all of the fat is melted out and then the crispy bits get added to tallow cakes for the birds. I cover the melted fat with about an equal amount of water and bring it to a slow boil, skimming any foam that rises. Then it goes out on the cold porch overnight, well covered. I've never added salt or baking soda, but I do scrape/remelt with water/chill/repeat several times before the water runs clear and the tallow is odorless.

 

[mishmish]

I forgot to add: if the tallow is fresh, the smell is no worse than roasting meat but it is pervasive.

 

[Adobehead]

I think the instructions about using water, salt, and baking soda are often vague because people don't really know how they work.

do you think the baking soda or the salt remain in the tallow to any extent that would require an adjustment in the formula to compensate? I taste mine to see if it is salty, and it is, a little. Not sure if I should do anything about that. Salt doesn't bother me, I have learned to like a little salt in my soap, not sure about baking soda and it's effect on ph.

 

[DeeAnna]

Baking soda reacts with fatty acids to make soap. That's why there's often a dirty looking foam or scum layer on top of the fat if you add baking soda. Not sure what you're thinking about regarding baking soda and pH -- fat doesn't have the ability to have a pH value.

As far as the salt ... I'm not sure what to advise about that. Don't add an excess of salt so all of it should be dissolved in the water. Even so, I suppose there can be some residue of salt left in the fat. For soap making, a little salt shouldn't be a big deal, however.

 

[Chickenpoopshoes]

I render my tallow without salt or baking soda. Perhaps it is the Scottish part of me that becomes anxious at the thought of baking soda making some of my fat into soap and being washed away?
Anyhoo, about 5 washes left mine pure white and entirely odourless. I chop the fat up and then stick blend it on the first render to get all the fat out. I then strain this through a muslin and drive to get the bits out. After that I just melt and stir and cool etc... until the water runs clear and the fat doesn’t smell any more.
Love using animal fat but can’t cope with even the idea of a faint meaty smell in soap...

 

[AliOop]

Having just rendered my first batch of leaf lard, I will say that it renders much faster and cleaner than non-leaf lard. The first render came out pure white with no smell, and the second round had clear water. For that reason alone, from now on, I will always try to get leaf fat rather than the non-leaf fat, since two renders is much nicer than four or five!