I heat up to 185, then cool down to 125 then I add the FO, stir & pour, great throw, I have also tried cooling down to slushy stage but prefer to pour mine at 120 - 125. One issue may be the FO scent itself, not all FO scents work well in soy. Candle science has good info on how good each scent works with soy. I but my scents through Wellington Frangrance, I use the premium grade, I have also used candlescience.com FO. I also agree with the cure time, I like mine after a few weeks. Hard to do when you first start but I notice a big difference in my candles that cure longer. Hope this helps. Chantelle Aroma Du Jour'