Beeswax container candles leaving residue on glass

[Sforzando]

Hi, I'm a newbie here, hoping to find some help for my candle fails. I hope I haven't missed a post that already covers my problem.

 

I'm a commercial beekeeper and have been making my own beeswax candles for a year or so. It's taken a lot of testing, fails, hair-tearing, etc. I have ALMOST got them just right - burning evenly, wick centred, no sink holes, no cracks (usually), etc. But I have one last problem which is driving me up the wall and over the other side. Sometimes - just sometimes - when the candles set, some of them come away from the jar leaving a messy residue on the glass, making them pretty well unsaleable. More for me to burn, but that's beside the point. You should be able to see what I mean in the pic I posted. The candles there are halfway through cooling, just after second pour, and just at the point of coming away from the jar. 

 

I know everyone says beeswax is not for jar candles, and I generally agree when it's 100% beeswax, but I'm adding a small amount of coconut oil to make it softer and burn better - also scent oils as well. So the wax is softer than 100% beeswax. All in all the jars work pretty well for me - except for this one problem. 

 

So generally what I do is get the wax up to 70 C in my double boiler, slowly heat the prepared jars in the oven to 150 C (because they cool quickly while pouring). Then I heat a pyrex jug for each scent, pour the wax into the jug, then mix in coconut oil and scent, pour wax into jars and replace the candles into the (now off) oven. I leave a tea towel wedged in the oven door for the first 20 mins or so, to cool the oven down to about 70 C, before leaving it to cool ever so slowly with the door shut. Then pull them out to poke holes and do a second pour about 3 hours later when they're just starting to separate from the jars. 

 

So the weird thing is, sometimes they all come out perfect - they all separate from the jars nice and cleanly, leaving no residue. But sometimes there will be one or two, or on a really bad day nearly half the candles which come away from the glass really messily, leaving all this residue stuck to the jars. And I totally don't know WHY, or what I'm doing differently to those few candles that go wrong!! It's seriously driving me MAD! Is the wax too cool when pouring, by the time I mix in the scent and coconut oil? Is there too much coconut oil? Is the oven not hot enough? Was there some residue on the glass before pouring, that I couldn't see? 

 

It would be great if someone has some input, before I tear all my hair out! Thanks in advance! :-)

 

 

[Jcandleattic]

It's what is considered "wet spots" which basically means that the wax is shrinking and pulling away from the sides. There is nothing to be done about it, it's the nature of wax to shrink and pull away. All waxes do it. 

11 hours ago, Sforzando said:

I know everyone says beeswax is not for jar candles, and I generally agree when it's 100% beeswax, but I'm adding a small amount of coconut oil to make it softer and burn better - also scent oils as well. So the wax is softer than 100% beeswax. All in all the jars work pretty well for me - except for this one problem.

It's not the softness that's the concern, it's the meltpoint - beeswax has a high melt point (even with additives) so that jar is going to get REALLY hot towards the bottom of the burn for the wax to consume correctly. However, with proper testing you could make it work. 

 

@TallTayl is someone that works a lot with beeswax, so she could explain more in detail about the characteristics of beeswax

[Trappeur]

Sforzando, what wax did you blend with the beeswax and what size wicks are you using in that status jar?

 

Trappeur

[Sforzando]

Thanks for your responses. 

 

I am aware of the tendency of especially beeswax to shrink - all of my candles separate from the jar, but the problem is that some of them leave residue after they have separated. Call it wet spots, whatever you like - but the fact is some do it, and some don't. But as some don't have the problem, there must be a reason why they turned out good and why some didn't, and that's what I'm trying to find out. 

 

It's not the burning temperature I'm concerned about - yes the jars do get quite hot, but not too hot. Even so, the coconut oil does lower the melt point slightly, as its own melt point is very low. They are already burning fine, so it's not the problem here. I also add coconut oil to help prevent cracking, which beeswax loves doing. BUT I'm starting to wonder if maybe the coconut oil contributes to the residue. I also sell pure beeswax, hence I set it in moulds, and I haven't noticed the same form of residue left on the moulds with the 100% beeswax. But it's hard to really tell, as those moulds are not glass. 

 

Trappeur, I haven't blended any other wax in - just coconut oil and FO. The wick is a cotton wick called M65. 

 

If TallTayl has some input, that would be really great!

[TallTayl]

Every lot of beeswax is different. Could be solids leftover from filtration, could be your pouring temps, your ambient temps, the cleanliness of the glass. Loads of variables.

 

batch records can help id the culprit. Take copious notes when making, including melt temp, speed of the melt (did you have it on a gentle low or crank it up to get it one as quickly as possible)., pour temp, room temp, humidity, lot number of the wax, rate of cooling, etc. 

[Sarah S]

I know absolutely nothing about beeswax, and so have nothing useful to contribute, but I wanted to say your candles look very nice! As a consumer, I would totally buy them and not give the residue a second thought. Or even a first thought, lol.

I am very smitten by your product story and the bee keeping aspect. Couple that with a great smelling candle and I would be sold! 

If the candle was burning safely and well (again, I know nothing about beeswax!), and the fragrance was where I wanted it, I would not worry myself about a little residue or wet spots. That's just my .02 from a consumer point of view! 😊

[Trappeur]

I ditto what Sarah said....

 

Trappeur

[Sforzando]

Thanks so much for your input, people! 

 

You made my day by your post Sarah, and Trappeur!  

 

Thanks also for your input TallTayl...and you're totally right re taking notes, which I'm not very good at. It can take me so long to realise something which I probably would have got pretty quick with note-taking. I shall try!

[Kerven]

Is it me or does the candle on the left have what appears to be frosting? Is that a trick of the light and glass or is that the residue that's causing concern?

Edited January 18, 2018 by Kerven

[TallTayl]

Beeswax does bloom. And can frost.