Rendering beef fat for tallow

[Wild Bill]

Never have done it. Seems easy enough. Grabbed 10 lbs beef fat for mixing into burger and have 6 lbs left over. Going to give it a try this wknd. What kinda return should I expect with 6 lbs fat? Pretty clean trim, not much meat on it.
Any other tips or tricks anyone’s got?

 

[Arcola]

My wife does it with deer tallow. The way she does it looks like a LOT of work to me, but she enjoys it. Lots of heating and cooling cycles to get it nice and clean.

 

[jimh406]

It just depends on how much meat was left on. I'd say at least 90%.

I can't believe someone is cooking with deer tallow. Most people make sure the fat is removed from their venison. Does she cook with the deer tallow or make candles etc?

 

[Potsie]

I take the beef fat I trim off a brisket, toss it in a foil roasting pan, and let it sit in the smoker while I make the brisket.

Keeps us in cooking beef tallow for a couple weeks.

 

[Wild Bill]

I take the beef fat I trim off a brisket, toss it in a foil roasting pan, and let it sit in the smoker while I make the brisket.

Keeps us in cooking beef tallow for a couple weeks.

That’s what this is. Local butcher told me it’s all his brisket trim.

 

[Washington Hunter]

It just depends on how much meat was left on. I'd say at least 90%.

I can't believe someone is cooking with deer tallow. Most people make sure the fat is removed from their venison. Does she cook with the deer tallow or make candles etc?

Deer fat actually tastes really good. I'm not sure why everyone seems to think it tastes bad.

 

[Arcola]

It just depends on how much meat was left on. I'd say at least 90%.

I can't believe someone is cooking with deer tallow. Most people make sure the fat is removed from their venison. Does she cook with the deer tallow or make candles etc?

Not cooking with it. Although, now that I think about it I’m probably going to try it out for the heck of it. Soaps and lotions.

 

[Pagosa]

I did a bunch this summer. Found it best to grind up the semi frozen beef fat through a meat grinder. Add about 1/3 water to the fat and cook in a crock pot for 10 hours at low heat. Once done strain it through a cheesecloth into a Pyrex bowl and put in the frig to color. Once all the tallow/water separates you can just peel off the pure tallow from top of the water. We then re-heat to a liquid and pour into jars. Its pretty simple but takes a couple hours total.

 

[jimh406]

Deer fat actually tastes really good. I'm not sure why everyone seems to think it tastes bad.

Maybe an acquired taste, and I have a few decades left to adjust to it.

Or maybe those of us who don't like it are doing something wrong.

 

[Wild Bill]

I did a bunch this summer. Found it best to grind up the semi frozen beef fat through a meat grinder. Add about 1/3 water to the fat and cook in a crock pot for 10 hours at low heat. Once done strain it through a cheesecloth into a Pyrex bowl and put in the frig to color. Once all the tallow/water separates you can just peel off the pure tallow from top of the water. We then re-heat to a liquid and pour into jars. Its pretty simple but takes a couple hours total.

Thanks for the input. This is exactly what I’ll do! Haven’t started yet, but that’s about what I figured. I didn’t think about adding water, but makes sense to me.

 

[LuketheDog]

Deer fat actually tastes really good. I'm not sure why everyone seems to think it tastes bad.

It tastes fine, but the waxy texture is what people don't like. Deer and elk fat also goes rancid in the freezer.

 

[Wild Bill]

Went pretty much along with @Pagosa instructions and turned out great. I had already coarse ground it all with initial intentions of using it all for burger, so I ground it with some meat on there. If I’d do it again I’d trim off any meat. Live and learn.
Some pics of the process. Missed the pic of the whole mess of it melted. Ended up with 4 pints.

 

[Bigjay73]

Looks perfect. I would try it on the smoker next time you make some, it does add a level of flavor.

 

[peterk1234]

I did a bunch this summer. Found it best to grind up the semi frozen beef fat through a meat grinder. Add about 1/3 water to the fat and cook in a crock pot for 10 hours at low heat. Once done strain it through a cheesecloth into a Pyrex bowl and put in the frig to color. Once all the tallow/water separates you can just peel off the pure tallow from top of the water. We then re-heat to a liquid and pour into jars. Its pretty simple but takes a couple hours total.

Grinding is key to maximize yield and to cut down cooking time. I can process ten pounds in a couple hours. I use just a little water to get things started so things don't burn or stick to the bottom. Once the juices start to flow there is no need for water.

 

[44hunter45]

I rarely filter paper any more. I use the water method. I cook it out as cracklins and pour off the fat. You do not want to do this too hot. The closer to smoke point the fat gets, the stronger it will taste. I have had excellent luck putting trimmings in a (steel!) colander in the oven and avoiding the hot stove altogether. I put the colander in an enamel roasting pan. YMMV

For the water method you put solid fat and water in a pot and putting it all in the oven set at 200ish. Low temp, like doing ribs. I don't really want the water to boil, but that is ok.
I want the fat melted on top of the water.

Once the fat is all melted I turn off the oven and let it all cool together slowly. What happens is that the solids will precipitate. They will go to the bottom of the water or to the boundary between the fat and the water. Moving this to the refrigerator can accelerate the process. I like to leave it in the oven until I have visual that the solids have dropped.

After a fairly short period in the fridge you can pull it out. Pull the waxy solid fat off the water. You can break it if you need to. Any dark solids can be easily washed off with hot running water. Doing this three times will give you "triple rendered" fat.

I pour off all my sausage and bacon drippings into a jar which I keep in the freezer. When I get about a quart I water render it and then keep it in the freezer. This is lard, but remember it has salt in it from the curing. While my WV grandma used this for frying, I use it for pancakes, waffles, and biscuits.

Triple rendered venison fat will come out like soap. It will keep at room temperature indefinitely. I keep quart jars in the freezer when I have space. If I need freezer space. I just put them on the shelf in the basement. I give them to my soap-making friends.

I keep some for myself for cast boolit lube. I use 100% deer triple rendered deer tallow. Magic in hot revolver loads. I get 1300 fps plus with no leading in 44 mag. I have never cast for rifles, but I am interested to see how fast I can push these sometime. I've just always thought I should be paper patching at that point.