The soap hardens up as the water evaporates during curing.
Tallow soap usually gets pretty hard although I've never made it with leaf fat.
There are ways to get the smell out.
Discussion
Thanks nostr:nprofile1qqsfdjrhvhvspvtf7h7a30qeh7tmmrrdzcllg94gn4zuhd72cjxfgvcpzamhxue69uhhyetvv9ujumn0wd68ytnzv9hxgtcppemhxue69uhkummn9ekx7mp0qyvhwumn8ghj7un9d3shjtnwdaehgu3wvdhk6tnpw5hs4t340l we are down to the last bar of your tallow soap so it was time for me to learn.
I'll try wet rendering next time to see if it lessens the smell a bit. nostr:nprofile1qqs8v3q3nvvwc444kfmeurgrtem392wkd8dlhedjch693j6kftake9gpzdmhxue69uhhwmm59e6hg7r09ehkuef0qj82pr like the beefy soap but Id like it to be a bit more subtle.
Even with wet rendering it has a beefy smell.
I clean the fat by adding it to a pot with water & a little salt. I then simmer for 10-15 mins before returning to the fridge. Discard the salty water & then repeat 2 more times. Finally I evaporate off any water left in the fat before storing or making soap.
I don't mind the smell either but some are turned off by it.
Tip: when melting tallow the pot is always left with a layer of fat that you need to wipe out with a paper towel before washing.
I keep those paper towels folded up in a zip lock bag for starting the charcoal grill or the fire in winter.