Make Wax

The most common type of wax used today is beeswax, which, as the name suggests, is naturally produced by large groups of active bees. Tallow wax, on the other hand, is a human-made wax composed of animal fat that has been rendered and cooled. Homemade tallow wax can be used in the creation of candles, hand soap and other beauty products. This article outlines the steps for making wax.

Steps

Get the Fat Ready

  1. Buy animal fat. Tallow wax is usually made from beef suet, the fat located next to the cow's kidneys and liver. Suet is mostly clean of gristle and other animal bits.
    • You can buy an animal fat other than beef suet, but the process might be messier, and it could smell.
    • The process of making wax from suet is time-consuming, so you may want to make a lot at once. Five pounds of fat makes a good amount of wax; buy more if you need more wax, or cut it down if you don't want that much.
  2. Grind the fat. The suet will be melted down, and that process is much faster when you start with fat that is ground, rather than melted whole or in large chunks.
    • Ask the butcher to grind the fat for you if you are unable to buy it ground.
    • You can grind the fat at home in a grinder or a food processor. Grind it as fine as possible, since smaller bits of fat melt the fastest.

Melt and Strain the Fat

  1. Place the fat in a large pot and cover it with water. The pot you choose should be big enough to comfortably hold all of the fat and be filled to the top with water.
    • A dutch oven or large stew pot should be the right size for this purpose.
    • Consider choosing a pot that you will dedicate to tallow-making in the future. The process of melting fat and creating tallow will leave a waxy residue on the pot that is hard to clean off, so you may not be able to use it again for cooking.
  2. Place the pot on the stove over medium-high heat. Slowly bring the water and fat to a boil. When it begins to boil, reduce the heat and let it simmer.
    • The fat should melt slowly; don't boil it until it's melted.
    • You can put a lid on the pot to speed things up, but don't leave it covered during the entire melting process. The production of steam could slow the melting process.
    • Each pound of fat will require approximately 10 minutes of simmering time. Therefore, if you use 5 pounds as recommended, plan on cooking the fat for around 50 minutes to 1 hour.
  3. Strain the fat. As the fat melts, it will separate from the tallow and become liquid fat that needs to be strained. Place a large piece of cheesecloth inside a colander set over a large metal bowl. Pour the liquid into the cheesecloth-lined colander to strain the fat from the tallow and water.
    • Be very careful during this process, since the melted fat will be hot and might splatter.
    • There may be bone fragments or other solids in the fat that require removal. These should be strained out with the fat.
  4. Lift the colander out of the bowl. Set the animal fat aside to be discarded. The liquid in the bowl now contains tallow and water.

Separate the Tallow Wax

  1. Let the tallow cool. As it does, it will rise to the surface of the water. When it is completely cooled, it will form a hard white disc on the water's surface.
    • Cover the bowl with a piece of cling film to prevent possible accidents during this cooling period.
    • Consider placing the bowl in the refrigerator to speed up the cooling process.
  2. Remove the wax from the bowl. The hardened wax should lift easily from the bowl in one or two pieces. Carefully release the wax from the bowl and rinse it with cold water. The liquid remaining in the bowl can then be discarded.
    • The wax may be sticky on the side that was facing the water. Use an old knife or metal can to scrape it off and throw it away.
    • Don't pour anything that touched the wax, including the water, down the sink. The wax residue can clog the pipes. Strain the water through a cheesecloth and pitch it outside, then throw the cheesecloth and wax away.
  3. Store the wax. You can store the wax whole or cut it into smaller pieces. Place the wax in a clean Ziploc and store it in the freezer for up to 30 days. Label the outside of the bag to prevent possible confusion.

Tips

  • Other types of wax include paraffin wax, montan wax, soy wax and polyethylene wax. While these products can be purchased and used in the creation of candles or for coating hardwood surfaces, they cannot be made at home. Paraffin and polyethylene waxes require high amounts of refining, which must be done in large-scale manufacturing facilities. Similarly, montan wax must be refined and esterified before it can be sold for public use.

Warnings

  • Children should be kept out of the kitchen during the wax-making process. Allowing them to participate can be dangerous for the child and the adult supervising the production.

Things You'll Need

  • Ground animal fat (preferably suet)
  • Sturdy pot
  • Water
  • Timer
  • Colander
  • Metal bowl
  • Ziplock bag
  • Freezer

Sources and Citations

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