bear rendering

[irishtoo]

how do you render down bear fat for muzzleloading use? why always bear fat? why not deer?

 

[cynthialee]

To render fat place the fat and or fatty meat in a pot with water and boil for a couple hours. You may need to add water. After it has boiled a long time strain it with cheese cloth. Put the water and grease mixture in a container and refridgerate. After the grease hardens poke a hole on either side of the grease down to the water then pour the water off. Remove the grease from your container and melt it under very low heat. When it is just liquified pour it into whatever storage containers you want to use. When it is melted would be the time to mix in any other ingrediants in the lube you may want.

As for the second question...I have been told that any animal fat will function as a patch lube. So deer should work. I think bear grease is used as a bear will give ALOT of grease and it is kinda tough to say you lube with bear grease.

 

[irishtoo]

thank you. irishtoo

 

[necchi]

why always bear fat?

Bear fat, not the lard will lend an oil.
It's the oil that's the premo stuff,,

Rendering all the fat and lard can still be done as described, and after it's canned, or left to seperate for awhile the oil comes to the top.

Search around Swampy's topics as he's the local Bear oil pro and read how he does it,,

 

[rabjr]

No man, don't use water unless you have to. Get yourself an old crock pot and use the warm setting. Make sure the fat is absolutely clean of any meat/blood, this is what taints it and gives it a smell if rendered that way. If its clean, you can store the oil for a long time no problem. Cut in small cubes, smaller the faster it renders and every so often ladle what oil you see out of the pot and pour it though some sort of a filter into a jar to settle. Crock pot is easy and works great, scroll down on this link to see how I do bear oil. In the begining years ago I used a Wok. :haha: but thats ancient history...
http://nimrodsplace.com/lewisandclark25.html

 

[rabjr]

Deer tallow,
http://www.nimrodsplace.com/nefowler31.html

 

[cynthialee]

ussing water helps to disolve stuff that is in the fat into the water, thats also part of why I said to do it so long
you will get a cleaner product with a water process

 

[Rifleman1776]

how do you render down bear fat for muzzleloading use? why always bear fat? why not deer?

First....ye kill a bar....... :grin:
Deer often don't have much fat. Bar have a lot. Downside, we don't have many bears in my area. Some but they are seen as often as Bigfoots.

 

[Black Hand]

Cut your fat (remove as much meat as possible first) into small pieces and gently render the fat in a pot over low to medium heat. Remove rendered fat into jars. Oil may rise to the top after a while.

To purify, place your fat into a pot with water, simmer for 30-60 minutes and remove from the heat. Allow to solidify (bear fat may need to be refrigerated as the heat from your hands will cause it to start melting), remove the fat puck (which will have solidified ON TOP of the water) and scrape the crap off the bottom. Repeat until you have clean fat with minimal to no odor. I've used this method with bear and deer.

As to deer tallow, it can be used, but it is very stiff and waxy (as opposed to bear, which is soft and creamy). As such, it may be easier to use if mixed with other fats to make it less stiff. But at that point, you may as well use the other fat as a source for your lube.

I like deer tallow as moccasin grease.

 

[rabjr]

ussing water helps to disolve stuff that is in the fat into the water, thats also part of why I said to do it so long
you will get a cleaner product with a water process

Ok, if you say so.

I never use water and make sure the temp is low, to high you get crisco...warm and filter several times. Let me say up front I do not use it for cooking, just patch lube or lock lube. Most of mine ends up clear as water but the last of the pot usually has a little yellowish tint. Been complimented many times on how clear my oil comes out. Not to mention the fact I keep about a dozen guys in oil. If I forget, they sure let me know they need/want some...

To the OP, use water if you want but all you need is an old crock pot, clean fat and a set a day a side to render it. It doesn't get any easier than that.

 

[RC]

I'm going with Swampy on this...he's sent me quite a bit.....an the oil is jus as clear as water,,an the grease never stinks..or really has any bad odor to it, I know he takes great pride in whatever he does..and based on seeing and using several different oils and grease from different bears, I'd say he has it figured out..and he stuff works great!!................still thinkin..donuts...but he said I gotta kill the bear for that much! :wink:

 

[David W.]

Bear fat does not turn rancid!

how do you render down bear fat for muzzleloading use? why always bear fat? why not deer?

 

[Billnpatti]

If you want grease, use the method suggested by cynthialee, et al., who suggested boiling the fat in water. If you want oil rather than grease, it requires that you use only enough heat to render out the oil. Too much heat and you get grease. It has to do with the higher heat causing the fat to polymerize and form longer molecular chains. Short chains from low heat gives oil and long chains from higher heat give grease. One method used to get oil is to put the fat in a slow cooker with some water and set it on low heat. Slooooowly render out the oil with gentle heat. Separate the oil from the water. Strain it and then put it in a jar and let it set until all solids settle out and you are left with a nice clear oil. This settling process will likely take several days to a few weeks. It is a long process of heating and settling but it the only way to get nice clear oil instead of grease. When your oil is clear, carefully pour off the clear oil from the cloudy sediment. Your patience pays great dividends. The oil makes a good lubricant for your gun as well as a good patch lube. It has no corrosion inhibitors so use a good gun oil when storing your gun.

If you prefer grease, it is a good idea to run your grease through a couple of extra boilings and coolings with water changes between each boiling. This will remove the natural salt from the fat and leave you with a nice white salt-free grease.

 

[jethro224]

I'm going with Swampy on this...

Me too. I've been lucky enough to receive a couple of bottles of Swampy's bear oil. It's good stuff! :thumbsup:

 

[410-er]

1)cube or grind up the fat and put in a crock pot on LOW for 12-16hrs.

2)Take out large chunks.
3)Stretch a t-shirt over a container and pour liquid to get ride of solids.
4)Heat (not boil) in a container with about a gallon of water.

5)Cool and skim off oil.
6)Do #4 and #5 again.
7)Skim off oil and put in large jar for a couple months till oil comes to top.

Finished product!

 

[cynthialee]

does the bear oil work as a cooking oil?

 

[necchi]

Yes, and the lard is/was prized for pie crust.

 

[cynthialee]

are there differances in oil/lard quality and taste with the various species of bear?

Like is one type of bear better for shooting and anouther better for cooking?

 

[410-er]

The 1st attempt at doing this,I got lard from too high heat.I asked my wife to use it to make an Apple pie.Took it to work and the guys said it was the BEST they ever had! :thumbsup:

 

[Rifleman1776]

It is Sunday, we are taught to not be envious. :nono:
But, at times....... :redface: