Start Soap Making! The Cold Process And Rendering!
Whether you have made soap before or you are new to this hobby
, you need to do one thing first. Even before you start mixing lye and creating soaps you have to create one of the main ingredients, Tallow. This is a task that involves rendering the fat into tallow, a process that separates out the impurities found in animal fats.
Rendering is a very messy and smelly process and it may leave you gasping for air, but it is a very important part of the soap making process. Although it isn't very enjoyable, it is best to just take a deep breath and get to it.
Any type of animal fat can be rendered but for the best results, it is recommended that you use beef suet. Suet produces high quality tallow and when used in your soap it will make it harder and last longer.
You can often get tallow from butcher shops although they may have to order it from their suppliers. The need for suet is extremely low and most supermarkets or large grocery stores will not be able to supply you with it however, If you do go to the butcher you can also ask them to grind the suet for you.
This may cost a little more but it will save you time and effort whilst reducing the melting temperature.
Before you start the rendering procedure, you will want to have these things ready:
- A sharp knife, Safety glasses, Rubber gloves, Ladle, either wooden or stainless steel, Colander, Primary mold.
Ingredients:
- Water, About five pounds of suet or meat fat, Salt
Instructions for rendering:
1.Place the suet or fat (that has been chopped or ground) into your large pot. The suet should only fill the pot about half way. This prevents the boil-over and allows for expansion as it melts.
2.Then, add around four inches of water to the pot and two to four tablespoons of salt.
3.Heat this mixture over medium to high heat. At this point, put on your gloves and goggles, because the splashes of melted fat will burn you. Gently stir the mixture to a boil, being careful not to allow it to boil over. Whilst stirring, use your spoon to mash any bigger pieces of fat.
4.Add water as necessary, which will keep the melted fat from becoming too hot. As you add water, the fat may sputter or splash so be ready for this and watch spatters to ensure they do not catch on fire.
5.Once the suet has mostly dissolved, remove the pot from your stove or hotplate and let it cool. Next, use your ladle to pour the mixture through your sieve into the mold to remove any debris such as meat, gristle, or sinew. The solids you see should be a brown color, as they have been well cooked in the fat/water mixture. If any white pieces of fat remain, you can either cook them with more water and salt or save them for the next time you are rendering fat.
6.Next, place the lid on your primary mold and put it in the refrigerator for 12 hours or more. The tallow will then cool and rise to the surface of the water, making it easier to remove when it solidifies.
7.Once the tallow has hardened, turn the mold over and push the block of tallow into the sink. This will allow any water that remains to drain off. There may be very little water if you have boiled your tallow for a long time.
8.If present, remove the mass of jelly-like goop that remains on the bottom of the tallow. This mass usually results from using lower quality fat such as kitchen scraps or fat which had a lot of meat attached, and will likely not be present if you used high quality beef suet.
9.The remaining block should be firm and white or speckled white in color. It can then be stored.
by: Suzanne Currie
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