I am in the process of making soap. The first step is rendering the lard. I cut up 28 pounds of lard (I have 16 more to go) and put it in pots to liquify. I cooked it util most of the water was gone and then I strained it and put the lard in buckets with ice water to rapidly cool it and clarify it further. After it solidified, I melted it again and cooked it until the thermometer read 225 degrees F. Here are a few photos of the process.
