# Lard vs. Tallow



## ScotG

OK I have rendered lard and now have a chance to get beef fat and suet. I know I want to get some of it to render but was wondering how it relates in soap. I have seen recipes calling for lard and some tallow. How are lard and tallow different in soap. Is one better than the other? What does everyone like better in soap making and is there a call for using the suet fat over regular beef fat in soaping? 
Trying to plan for how much to get...its free so i hate to let it go to waste.

Scot


----------



## MELOC

i think beef tallow can add a little both to the hardness of the soap and to the cleansing" value. if you compare it to lard, lard will be more of a "conditioning" oil...like olive oil. if you are using a combination of oils with coconut or palm kernel, you can make a soap with more cleansing qualities, but you can also slightly tip the scale to the harsh side. that is moreso with coconut, but if you max out the coconut and forget about the tallow's slight cleansing quality, your soap may be a bit too "scrubby" and not have enough conditioning value. i like to mix lard and tallow in somewhat equal amounts and use coconut oil at @ 2/3 of the amount of either lard or tallow. if i use 35 % lard and 30% tallow, i will use maybe 17% coconut oil. 3% to 5% castor oil and usually the rest will be olive oil or canola. depending on the combo, i will bump the tallow or the coconut oil up or down...you get the idea.


----------



## ScotG

I GOT YA . Now that makes sense to me. I was thinking hardness more than the quality. As I keep bombing you all with questions I am slowly getting the idea lol. I was wondering why the heck the recipes had all the different oils and not just lard or tallow....NOW I SEE . OK another question hehehehe.....I got olive oil and castor oil in the store but I couldnt find coconut oil. Is that a normal cooking type oil or do I have to get it on line? Sounds like if I have lard, tallow and olive oil....and if I can find coconut oil I should be ok for the basics (stage II) lol.
Thanks for that explanation it is starting to clear the oil fog I have had lol.

Scot


----------



## MELOC

walmart carries lou ana brand coconut oil. it's with the other cooking oils.


----------



## NostalgicGranny

Yes, my walmart has it too. In a white container. In my store though it is a couple spaces away from the regular oil.


----------



## ScotG

I checked the local grocery and nothing. I plan to take a trip to Walmart this weekend, if this storm gets the heck out of Michigan lol. The beef fat will be coming Monday, my boer goat just dropped 2 babies so milk is here ..... so after that I will all set to start soaping.
Scot


----------



## Charleen

At our local grocery store they have Armour brand lard in 1# bricks and it's actually in the meat dept near the prepackaged meats, like bacon and hot dogs, etc. We render the lard from our own pigs each year but this is not enough for my soapmaking so I have purchased the 25# pails from Walmart. A friend of ours is a butcher so he saves me all types of fat. Deer, bison, goat, sheep, pig, beef, goose. If I can't render it down right away, I freeze it until I have time.


----------

