# Tallow or Lard?



## BlackWillowFarm (Mar 24, 2008)

I'm pretty new at soapmaking having made four or five batches in the past. I've always used lard, olive oil and coconut oil in my recipes with good results. I'm almost out of lard but have enough beef tallow to use in it's place.

What can I expect to be different about soap made from tallow instead of lard?

Are the ratio's the same?


----------



## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

I think that the tallow will make the soap a little harder, not as conditioning as lard, but with creamy lather.


----------



## MullersLaneFarm (Jul 23, 2004)

Linn nailed it.


----------



## lathermaker (May 7, 2010)

Be sure to check your new formula on a lye calc.


----------



## BlackWillowFarm (Mar 24, 2008)

Made a 3lb batch using beef tallow in place of lard a few days ago. It turned out good and has a nice, soapy lather. I used a recipe off Miller's website designed for tallow instead of lard. It traced in 8 minutes using a stick blender and set up overnight. It was harder to slice than the lard soaps I've made but that could be because I waited longer for it to pull away from the sides of the mold and finally decided I better get it cut before it hardens too much. The only thing I noticed is the center of the bars is a slighter darker color than the outsides. Like it gelled at a different rate than the edges. It might disappear over time though. I don't know if that's because of the cure or something else I did. I'm going to make another batch this weekend.

I'm enjoying making soap. I can see how someone could get addicted to it.


----------



## linn (Jul 19, 2005)

I sometimes get that with other cp soaps, I think it is partial gel. It doesn't hurt the using quality of the soap.


----------

