In case you missed it – Rendering the Fat

Coming up with a recipe.

I wanted the deer tallow to be a major player in this recipe but also wanted a well rounded bar so decided to keep it simple and use the deer tallow with coconut oil and olive oil.

The recipe:  Deer Tallow Soap

Deer tallow – 13 oz
Olive oil – 19.5
Coconut oil – 13 oz
Water – 8.5 oz
Lye – 6.45

Step 1 – Make your lye solution.

Step 2 – Measure out the tallow and coconut oil and melt.

Once the coconut and tallow are melted down…add the olive oil.  A note:  The deer tallow had a really high melt point.  It was almost like melting cocoa butter.  This is a good thing as it will add hardness to our bar.

Add the lye solution to the melted oils and bring to trace.

I added a light blend of peppermint and anise essential oils.  I wanted a very lightly scented soap.  Pour it into your mold.

Let the soap set up for 24 hours, unmold and cut into slices.  Cure for 4 weeks.

So when I first started this I was wondering if it was going to be worth it or if it was just going to be one of those things that I crossed off of my “want to try” list.  The conclussion?  I NEED MORE DEER!  I am in love with this soap.  I also like the fact that I’m using something that is just going to get thrown out anyways.

Rendering was not as bad or stinky as I thought it would be.  Just like when you boil a chicken…you have that “I’m boiling a chicken smell.”  Well with this you have that “I’m boiling a deer smell.”  The rendered fat did have a bit of a smell but the soap does not.  The process didn’t take that long.  I have a large stock pot that could easily render 10#’s or so.  It should freeze well when rendered.  It’s cheap.

This actually is probably one of the best soaps I have made as far as feel and hardness.  The next day it was as hard as a rock and almost wax-like.  I went ahead and used a piece and was amazed at the silky smooth feeling and hardness of the soap.  The lather was fluffy, bubbly and silky.  It turned out to be an awesome bar of soap.

-Amanda

p.s.  Alright, Elin.   Tag.  Let’s hear about that buffalo fat you have to render.  I’m really interested to see how that turns out!