How We Render Beef Tallow for Skincare: The Complete Guide

Hi! I'm Annie Gagne, founder of The Tallow Company. 

We love tallow and love the DIY community. We started just like you and have grown a lot since our humble beginning. Now is time to share some of our secrets and tips for you who would like to render beef tallow for skincare.

It all started with my son's eczema. You know that feeling when you've tried everything, and nothing seems to work? That was me. Creams, lotions, prescriptions – you name it, we tried it. I felt helpless watching him struggle with irritated, uncomfortable skin.

Living here in Rigaud, near Montreal, with my husband and four children, I've always been drawn to simple, traditional ways of living. We gave tallow a try after our farmer friends sold us a quarter cow and didn't know what to do with the fat. The results were nothing short of amazing.

Let us know how your journey of rendering your tallow goes in the comment section down below.

The Great Tallow Debate: Wet vs Dry Rendering

When you're researching how to make beef tallow, you'll discover there are two primary methods. Each approach has distinct advantages that appeal to different people.

The Appeal of Dry Rendering

Dry rendering attracts many people for practical reasons:

• Significantly faster process (hours instead of days)
• Fewer steps and less cleanup required
• No water separation to manage (no molds!)
  

Many choose this method because it fits better into busy schedules. When time is limited, a few hours of work versus a multi-day process seems like an obvious choice.

The Benefits of Wet Rendering

Wet rendering takes a different approach entirely:

• Uses water and salt during the rendering process (to purify)
• Requires 2-3 days from start to finish
• Involves multiple steps and patience
• Preserves significantly more nutrients

This method appeals to those who prioritize quality over convenience and don't mind investing extra time for better results.

Why We Choose Wet Rendering

I could easily take the faster route with dry rendering, but when creating skincare products for my family – especially for my son's sensitive, eczema-prone skin – I want to preserve every beneficial nutrient possible. 

Wet rendering offers several advantages for skincare applications:

• Gentle, lower-temperature process protects heat-sensitive vitamins
• Salt naturally purifies and draws out impurities
• Multiple filtering stages produce cleaner, purer tallow
• Final product is of higher quality

The process takes longer and requires more work, but the difference in quality is remarkable. When you're treating sensitive skin conditions, those extra nutrients and the purity you achieve through wet rendering can make all the difference.

Getting Started: What You'll Need

Before we dive into how to make beef tallow, let's talk shopping. You can't just grab any old fat – quality matters big time here.

The Fat Hunt

You want leaf tallow – that's the fat from around the organs, not the trim stuff. I always ask my butcher for grass-fed finished tallow. Yeah, it costs a bit more, but we're talking about your face here. Worth it.

Your Toolkit

• Crockpot or pressure cooker (I'm team pressure cooker for speed)
• Meat grinder or sharp knife
• Fine mesh colander
• Cheesecloth
• Large bowl
• Non-chlorinated water
• Salt
• Activated charcoal flakes (game changer for smell!)

My Step-by-Step Wet Rendering Process

Alright, let's get our hands dirty. This is my tried-and-true method for rendering tallow in a crock pot (or pressure cooker).

Step 1: Prep That Fat

First things first – clean up that tallow. You want to remove any meat bits clinging to it. I'm talking squeaky clean here.

Next, you've got two options:

• Run it through a meat grinder for super fine pieces
• Chop it up with a knife into small chunks

Either works, but smaller pieces = faster rendering.

Step 2: The First Cook

Here's where the magic happens. Toss your prepped tallow into your crockpot with:

• Non-chlorinated water
• 1 tablespoon of salt per 4 cups of water and 1 pound of fat

I prefer slow cooking to make extra sure none of the nutrients are lost. At my batch size (26 cups) that's almost 10 hours.

Important note: Do NOT use a hand blender during cooking. I know it's tempting, but you'll just mix all the yucky stuff with your beautiful tallow. Which makes it even longer to filter.

Step 3: The First Strain

Once cooking is done, it's straining time:

1. First pass: Use a regular mesh colander
2. Second pass: Strain again through rough cheesecloth
3. Toss that leftover gunk – we don't need it

Step 4: The Overnight Wait

Pour your strained tallow into a large bowl and stick it in the fridge overnight. Don't freeze it! The salt needs time to work its magic, pulling impurities out of the tallow.

Step 5: Clean and Repeat

Next day, pop out that gorgeous puck of tallow. You'll see some gross stuff on the bottom – scrape it off (you can see in the imag). We're doing this whole process again, but shorter this time.

Second and Third(optional) Wet Rendering:

• Same water and salt ratio
• Slow cook for just 1 hour

Pro tip: Make a "tea bag" with cheesecloth and activated charcoal flakes. Rinse it completely, then toss it in with the tallow at the final melt (no water). This is your secret weapon against any funky smells!

Step 6: Final Strain and Rest

Strain through your fine mesh colander lined with cheesecloth. Back to the fridge overnight for round two of purification. Make sure to scrape off the top the next day just like you did before.

Step 7: The Final Step (Don't Skip This!)

Here's the step everyone forgets, and it's crucial. You need to get rid of ALL the moisture. Heat your tallow until it reaches boiling point, but don't overheat it.

How do you know you're done? The tallow stops crackling. That crackling is water escaping – when it stops, you're golden.

This step prevents mold, and trust me, you do NOT want moldy tallow on your face. You might also find some salt at the bottom of the pot, make sure you don't pour it in your final bowl.

Storage and Shelf Life

Store your beautiful, homemade tallow in a cool, dry place. It'll last up to a year at room temperature, or up to 2 years in the fridge.

Why Go Through All This Trouble?

Look, I get it. This process isn't exactly quick. But when you're creating something this pure and beneficial for your skin, it's worth every minute.

Your homemade tallow will be:

• Free from synthetic additives
• Packed with skin-loving nutrients
• Incredibly moisturizing
• A fraction of the cost of fancy face creams
• Deodorized completely, thanks to the activated charcoal

Plus, there's something really satisfying about making your own skincare products. You know exactly what's going on your skin, and that peace of mind? Priceless.

Ready to Give It a Try?

Making tallow for skincare might seem intimidating at first, but once you get the hang of wet rendering, it becomes second nature. Your skin gets a nutrient-rich moisturizer, and you get the satisfaction of creating something amazing with your own hands.

Just remember – quality fat, wet rendering method, and don't skip that final moisture-removal step. Your future glowing skin will thank you!