Tallow (Sheep) for Soap Making
Tallow (Sheep) is a hard animal fat dominated by oleic (26%), palmitic (24%), stearic (13%). Its palmitic and stearic acids build a firm, long-lasting bar with a stable, creamy lather, making it a common backbone for cold process recipes.
Quick Facts
How Much Lye for Tallow (Sheep)?
With a SAP value of 0.139, fully saponifying tallow (sheep) takes 0.139 grams of sodium hydroxide per gram of oil (at 0% superfat):
| Oil amount | NaOH (0% superfat) | KOH (liquid soap) |
|---|---|---|
| 100 g | 13.9 g | 19.5 g |
| 500 g | 69.5 g | 97.5 g |
| 1000 g | 139 g | 195 g |
Real recipes use a superfat discount (typically 5%) and almost always blend several oils. Always run your full recipe through the Soaply lye calculator rather than weighing lye from a single-oil table.
Predicted Bar Properties
Derived from the fatty acid profile, for a bar made of 100% tallow (sheep):
Fatty Acid Profile
| Fatty acid | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Lauric | 4% |
| Myristic | 10% |
| Palmitic | 24% |
| Stearic | 13% |
| Oleic | 26% |
| Linoleic | 5% |
Substitutes for Tallow (Sheep)
The closest matches by fatty acid profile, which is what actually determines how an oil behaves in soap. Swap by weight and re-run the lye calculation, since SAP values differ:
Build a recipe with Tallow (Sheep)
The free Soaply calculator handles the lye math, water, superfat, and property predictions for any blend of 100 oils.
Open the lye calculatorMore Animal Fats
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