Longer Cure Times

[athousandvoices]

Hi everyone! I know soy cure times have been discussed on this forum again and again, but I'm bringing it back for a little more! Just wondering what's the longest you routinely wait to test a candle—is there a point at which the candle stops maturing/developing, and the burn remain the same?

 

I poured a few container candles (70/30 415 and CBL-125, 7% FO) about three months ago with a wick size that has worked well for me (for this particular wax and scent blend) after a standard 1- or 2-week cure time. Just pulled them out of the cabinet, and the first couple burns have me thinking that I'll need to wick up! It had me wondering how you all test your fragrances—I guess I'm going to start making sure I test everything both at a 2-week cure time and a few months down the line. Is there a point when you test a candle (three months, six months, three years, etc down the line) and can "call it," so to speak? Or is this just another one of those "have to find what works" things? Lol.

[GoldieMN]

For ME, I cure for two weeks without a wick.  I have narrowed most of my scents to three sizes of wicks.  So after two weeks, I poke a hole with a scewer to the bottom of my jars, and start with my middle-size wick.  I note hot throw and temperature of jar throughout the day eventually switching out wick if too hot or not hot enough.  If not much of a hot throw, I give up on the fragrance unless it is something I need for a special order.  Now there are probably plenty of reasons I don't get a hot throw, but I only pour one test jar per fragrance unless it is, again, a special order.  OR if I really love the scent and want to add it to my line.  With waiting two weeks to cure, then pouring candles to sell, waiting another two weeks, I just don't have the desire to monkey with fragrances that don't work the first time around.  Also, I test every order of wax that I get.  If I waited more than 6 months to burn, I probably wouldn't be able to get the same wax lot.

 

There is another way to switch out wicks using an apple corer which allows you to use a wick sticker.  It is in a post by @TallTayl.

GoldieMN

[athousandvoices]

Yes I've seen that post! I didn't even consider the wax lot issue—I'm only making candles for myself and occasionally friends at the moment, so I don't go through wax very quickly. I've had the same box sitting in my basement for a pretty decent amount of time 😂 The throw on these was great! It just seemed to need a bigger wick size than it did two and a half months ago. Not so bad that it extinguished itself, but the flame was pretty small and dim with a little mushrooming. Was just wondering whether that's something others have dealt with and found a workaround for, but it makes sense that waiting that long would end up meaning you use the rest of that wax lot in the meantime

[redquilt]

So you are asking about the properties of soy wax and  the possibility for it to change over time as it ages and thus effect the quality of the burn?

 If so, that has been a question I've also wondered since I've read that soy wax changes over time.   

 If soy changes over time it would seem impossible to wick since the wick that burns wonderfully with a 2 week cured candle would perhaps not burn properly on the same candle that was cured for 6 or 12 months.  

 

[TallTayl]

1 hour ago, redquilt said:

So you are asking about the properties of soy wax and  the possibility for it to change over time as it ages and thus effect the quality of the burn?

 If so, that has been a question I've also wondered since I've read that soy wax changes over time.   

 If soy changes over time it would seem impossible to wick since the wick that burns wonderfully with a 2 week cured candle would perhaps not burn properly on the same candle that was cured for 6 or 12 months.  

 

Consider curing soy wax like curing concrete. About 90% of it happens within the first week and then it’s kinda done after a few months. there may be slight changes after a few months, but those differences are influenced less than ambient temps, humidity, etc. 
 

It is possible to wick, you just need to be patient beyond what folks are normally willing to wait before lighting the thing on fire. 
 

the polymorphic nature of soy wax means crystals form in irregular patterns, similar to an aggregate of sand and different size/shape pebbles. The wax crystals can grow for quite some time - which many describe as “frosting” in and on candles because it looks like frost that forms on a window in cold weather. 
 

mat some point in the future many waxes just plum dry out. When you dig the wax out of the jars it looks and feels very dry and powdery.