Teach Soap

I have access to unlimited lamb tallow, so I plan to render it so I can try osme lamb tallow soap. I know how to render from doing it years ago to make lard for cooking, but I'd like to know if one method is better than another for taking the smell out of the fat? Right now, it sounds like triple rendering by boiling in water is the best bet. Any comments?

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Lisa
“What soap is to the body, laughter is to the soul” ~ Yiddish proverb

I use the no water method when rendering, so I guess it's really just a matter of preference. I don't notice that much difference in smell between the fat rendered with water and the fat the isn't. Both still have a slight smell. Even all-vegetable Crisco has a slight smell - it's just a different smell than lard or tallow.

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Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

So is this smell something you need to disguise? What fragrances, either EO or FO, would you want to use? Some thing kind of sharp, like peppermint? Rosemary (I use it when I cook lamb, so...)? Does triple rendering lessen the smell or not? I've got a hot plate ready out in the carport so I don't stink up the house and I wonder if this is going ot be like when I can tuna out there and have every cat in the neighborhood skulking around!

I use the water method for rendering our deer tallow, and use baking soda in the water, which helps eliminate the odor.

The smell (to me) is a very faint "meat" type smell and I don't smell it at all once my soap is made, even with unscented soap. Other people have mentioned here that they can smell it in finished soap, but I've never had anyone comment about it and I use it in about half of the soaps I make and sell.

I rendered the fat in my kitchen and it didn't smell bad at all. But, the fat I used was very clean with hardly any meat, blood, etc. in it. That may have made a difference.

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Linda
I know the voices in my head aren't real, but they sure have some great ideas!

Using baking soda while rendering? I guess that will convert some to soap? I was pondering on adding bleach to remove the smell but remembered that bleach is a strong base, so, I think not. Charcoal in the rendering process perhaps?

Hey April, Romney years ago, now buy my fleeces / oberhasli goats for soap and cheese soon. Kids due in March. Always wanted to try soap so I gave myself an early Christmas present and took a class, I'm hooked!! Will never give up my spinning wheel though. hoping to felt my soaps also.