rendering fat

[olgreenhead]

Well im going to try to render me some coon fat for ball lube , How do i go bout doint it . got plenty of it ?

 

[boar]

I have done grounhog and deer,I use deer now. I use gas hot plate and cast iron skillet and cook fat, then pour off liquid strained through a wire screen, feed left over cracklings to dogs. If grease dosen't set up ,too soft, add beeswax to were you like it. Dilly

 

[buttonbuck]

I have made suet cakes of deer fat and render it the same way. I know one guy who uses bear fat swears by it.

 

[Birdman]

green, go into the "cooking" forum and look under the heading for "pemmican" there are several explinations on how to render yer fat. It should help ya out fine. YMHS Birdman

 

[olgreenhead]

Thanks for the replies now i need some guinea pig rifles anybody wanna try it?

 

[blacksmithshoppe]

I would,
Jeff

 

[J.D.]

An old friend used to use coon fat for patch lube and bore preservative until he pulled his gun out of several months storage to find dark brown rust in the bore.

I suspect that the rust was a result of improper cleaning, or more likely, not properly drying the bore prior to swabbing with coon grease. Or possibly from salt contamination from rendering the coon fat in a pot that was used for cooking salt pork, or other salty food.

Coon and bear are cousins and I have heard from those who have used both that coon tallow is as good as bear tallow. I don't have any personal experience with either, just reporting what I've heard.
J.D.

 

[Mad Professor]

An old friend used to use coon fat for patch lube and bore preservative until he pulled his gun out of several months storage to find dark brown rust in the bore.

I suspect that the rust was a result of improper cleaning, or more likely, not properly drying the bore prior to swabbing with coon grease. Or possibly from salt contamination from rendering the coon fat in a pot that was used for cooking salt pork, or other salty food.

Coon and bear are cousins and I have heard from those who have used both that coon tallow is as good as bear tallow. I don't have any personal experience with either, just reporting what I've heard.
J.D.

Even if the kettle did not have salts in it the fat will have traces of blood that will contain electolytes/salts.

You can remove (extract) the salts by swirling the molten rendered fat with some hot water. 2-3 changes of water and all the salt is gone. Probably not a big difference if the fat going to be used for boot/leather dressing but certainly will help if used for a bore lube.

 

[J.D.]

Even if the kettle did not have salts in it the fat will have traces of blood that will contain electolytes/salts.

You can remove (extract) the salts by swirling the molten rendered fat with some hot water. 2-3 changes of water and all the salt is gone. Probably not a big difference if the fat going to be used for boot/leather dressing but certainly will help if used for a bore lube.

Thanks for that information. That is good to know.

Isn't that process called clarifying?

I am aware of the process, but did't know it would remove salts.
Thanks.
J.D.