ANST - Tallow Questions

[Mark.S Harris]

Crescentia _ wrote:
> I had my first tallow-making experience this weekend, and was curious if
> anyone who's a little more versed in the process could give me some
> advice. I rendered the fat (from a single source) in three pots; then
> (after removing the cracklings, skimming, etc) I put them into two bowls
> to refrigerate and separate.

<snip>

> Also, I'm thinking of using a bit of lye as a stiffening agent for my
> future candles. I don't want to mix paraffin or beeswax with my tallow,
> but if anyone has any advice (as in proportions, or "Noooo! Don't do it!
> Use this instead!") I'd appreciate that too.

Why wouldn't you want to mix in the beeswax? If it is because you don't
think it is period, I can ease that concern as it is period. There is
documentation in my Florilegium for mixing tallow and wax in candles.
It may be a wax outside and a tallow inside though. You might check
this file in the HOME, SWEET HOME section of my Florilegium:
candles-msg       (90K)  9/21/98    Candle snuffers, making candles, wax, tallow

There is also some info on tallow in these files in the CRAFTS section, but
I can't remember any messages that relate to your problem.
Lye-Soap-art      (23K)  8/ 8/97    "The history of and how to make soap"
                                       by Baroness Leonora Kathryn de Provence.
Soapmakng-CMA-art (24K) 10/ 6/97    "Soapmaking in the Current Middle Ages" by 
                                       Gillian Fhlaitheamhail (Fraya Davis). 

And in the UNCLASSIFIED section:
soap-msg          (89K)  1/26/99    Period soap and soapmaking.

Making tallow candles is something I've been wanting to try. So I'm
very interested in seeing what other answers folk come up with for you.

Stefan li Rous
stefan at texas.net

(the new URL for the Florilegium is: 
http://lg_photo.home.texas.net/florilegium/index.html)
============================================================================
Go to http://lists.ansteorra.org/lists.html to perform mailing list tasks.