Sinkholes as big as your head!

[geekrunner]

I have a problem I am testing Mill Creek soy, and so far had pretty good luck with pouring cloudy to slushy, wick testing, scent, etc with just straight soy and no additives. Achieved fairly smooth top as long as I poured just as it turned slushy.

WELL, I decided to don my Mad Scientist lab coat and try some additives. I heated 16 oz of the MC soy to 185 deg, added 0.8 oz (5%) plain paraffin with 147 MP, and 0.4 oz (ab 2%) UA from Peak's, and 1.5 oz FO called Christmas Spice. Stirred well, but almost immediately went cloudy. Set it aside for ab 20 minutes, then I found it had went to almost a gel-like state (as opposed to a slushy state) at 115 deg. Poured in room temp red apothecary jar, and let cool overnight.

When I checked on them this morning, I found the hugest sinkholes in them! These actually more resembled the Grand Canyon than sinkholes. I am disgusted with them, needless to say. I plan on reheating and repouring a little hotter and see what happens.

Any ideas on whahappened?

[Kaybee23]

I am just going to take a stab at this and say that with the paraffin in it, you need to pour it hotter. The paraffin which has a higher melting point than the soy, when added to the soy will make it cool faster in your pot. Just guessing. I am sure that someone will come along and give you a better explanation.

[Vicky_CO]

Not only are you pouring to cool but you are mixing a container wax with a pillar wax. If you are going to mix soy and paraffin you need to keep the melt points of both waxes closer together

[Brian]

I guess the old motto is true...if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

What were you trying to accomplish by adding the additives? A harder wax, a higher pour temp, etc?

Also, I think you're adding the FO too early. Not that it will affect the set-up, its just that at 180 degrees, you could "burn-off" more of the scent than necessary. I personally add the FO in soy at about 120 or so, just to minimize the possibility of scent loss.

[geekrunner]

What were you trying to accomplish by adding the additives? A harder wax, a higher pour temp, etc?

I was looking for better scent throw and pour hotter. I left it alone a little too long, and was surprised with the consistency. Looking back I should have just tried one new ingredient at a time, but I couldn't resist playing around! :rolleyes2

I wound up heat gunning them, and they look fine now. Nice smooth creamy top.

I honestly don't see the difference between adding a little 147 MP paraffin when it can be perfectly acceptable to add UA which has a 184 MP. I guess I'm still not quite sold on straight soy. I haven't found the right formula to get the awesome scent throw I am expecting.

I saw that Nature's Garden says one can mix their MP126 (J50) wax 1:1 with their soy to get better cold throw and smooth tops. I may give that a try before I commit to working totally with MC soy.