Broken Thermometer :-(

[AnjieBurdett]

OK, how does a girl who sooooo stupidly dropped her thermometer on the floor and smashed it know when to add her FO?? Are there any tell tale (visual) signs that the temp is around 190? Like, when it gets to around pouring time for rustics you see little streaks appear on the surface. Anything like this happen that will tell me I am adding FO at the right time?

I could slap myself in the head....stupid stupid STUPID!

Anjie,x.

[sudsnwicks]

Erm, maybe wait until tomorrow and get another one? I just the simple kind (like a candy thermometer) that can be bought at any supermarket.

[AnjieBurdett]

I've never seen one in my local supermarket. I've ordered on online but am making candles tonight as tomorrow is going to be manic around here.

Anjie,x.

[Wick'n'Wax]

anjie, what a bummer

If it were me, I'd wait till the water in the pan is bubbling like a mad 'un. I'd be more worried about the pouring temp though

[sudsnwicks]

Hmm, in the baking section they don't have them? How do people make chocolate things like fudge, candy, and divinity then, as these are temperature sensitive? Well whatever it is, I hope you can get a replacement soon. If you are ordering online, you could also consider one of the metal stick ones, those wouldn't break I don't think.

[Wick'n'Wax]

we're in the UK and our shops SUCK for anything like that

although Anjie, there is a meat thermometer in Tesco, not sure how suitable it would be, but if you are desperate and theres one local?

btw, sudsnwick, whats divinity? and please don't get me started on american candy and sweets...........oooooh I'd kill for a Mr Goodbar, I love Hershey.

Thats what got me hooked on candle making. Searching ebay for some hershey in the UK, spotted a melt shaped like a bundt cake, thought mmmm I could make those and the rest as they say........ is history

[AnjieBurdett]

Pouring temps not a problem Yvette, I can judge that really easily as I only ever pour rustic.

Anjie,x.

[sudsnwicks]

Wick'n'Wax, I didn't realize candy making wasn't popular in UK (for if it was, the thermometer will be sold in the baking section along with things like wax paper which is also needed for making the various candies). Divinity is similar to fudge, but it doesn't contain chocolate. It's made with sugar, corn syrup, eggs whites, and nuts. The reason thermometers are needed to make these things is that there are different stages to the process, they have names like "soft ball" and "hard ball". Each stage has a specific temperature range, so without a thermomter, you would not know what to do if the recipe says to cook until the hard ball stage, which is what is required for divinity.

Don't they have good candies in UK too? I remember loving Black Magic during my visit there, so there's no need to crave for American candies!

[britishgirl]

OK, how does a girl who sooooo stupidly dropped her thermometer on the floor and smashed it know when to add her FO?? Are there any tell tale (visual) signs that the temp is around 190? Like, when it gets to around pouring time for rustics you see little streaks appear on the surface. Anything like this happen that will tell me I am adding FO at the right time?

I could slap myself in the head....stupid stupid STUPID!

Anjie,x.

if you can hold fire till monday i have a cook shop round corner from me with the exact thermometers you need same as you get on line if memory serves me right they are either 3 or 4 quid, can get one posted up to you

[cnfrost]

That's terrible. I had that happen to me about a week ago. I accidentally banged it on my pouring pitcher and the tip broke. Had to run down the street to the grocer's to buy a replacement and ended up paying twice as much as it would have cost to order one online. I think the next time I place an order, I'm going to purchase a backup.

[honebun]

btw' date=' sudsnwick, whats divinity? and please don't get me started on american candy and sweets...........oooooh I'd kill for a Mr Goodbar, I love Hershey.

[/quote']

Wick'n'wax have you tried www.cybercandy.co.uk you can get american sweeties on there, in fact sweets from all over the world. We tried peanut cups, oreos, loads of stuff. Ooops mouth watering again lol

As to the thermometer, I know exactly how you feel, did the same myself early on a Sunday morning. Went out as soon as some of our shops opened at 10 am and got another one - it was a metal jam making one, not great I prefer the glass ones. Monday went away up the town and bought 3, just to make sure I never got caught without one.

[chauntelle]

try your local hardware store mine has sugar thermometers with a clip for the side of your jug/pan only 2.99 bargain!!

[SatinDucky]

Better yet, buy a metal, digital one and never have to worry about the glass again. I hated my candy one. It's soooo slow to show temp changes. Now that I have a digital, I'll never go back!

[Wick'n'Wax]

don't want this to turn into a hershey thread lol, but yep I used to use cybercandy, but had to buy loads in bulk, and just couldn't help myself. The lot would go in a weekend, and I wouldn't let my kids near it.

Kept telling them, nope its all got nuts in and its ALLLL for me hehe

Is there a digital thermometer in the UK then? Havent' seen one.

I've got 2 thermometers now, just in case. Got a double boiler and 2 pouring pitchers, but unless I'm pouring a lot of wax, I have to sit the thermometer inside the pitcher as even at its longest it doesnt quite reach inside.

I kick myself because I got my pitcher for 25p each from a carboot and they had 3, thought only need 2!!

One day I will have a room all to myself, it will be full of presto pots, shelving units full of 16oz FO's, slabs and slabs and bags of wax.......

hey, its dreaming that keeps me going lol

hope it worked out anjie xx

[AnjieBurdett]

Yvette, turn it into any thread you want to and if it involves choccy then WEYHEY

Funny you should mention about having your own workshop We are buying my sister-in-laws HUGE house and moving in around 4 weeks (6 weeks tops), hubby will have his own games room, kids will have their own bedrooms, and guess who is getting their own 'candle making space' (sorry can't help it :whoohoo: ) True its only in the garage but OMG my own shelves, cupboards and work surfaces! And he's going to buy me my own calor gas burners so I can "stay the hell out of HIS kitchen" Ok excitement over YEAH RIGHT .

Where did you get your digital thermometer Satin? Is it specifically for wax use or is it a sugar one?

Anjie,x.

[Wick'n'Wax]

Yvette, turn it into any thread you want to and if it involves choccy then WEYHEY

Funny you should mention about having your own workshop We are buying my sister-in-laws HUGE house and moving in around 4 weeks (6 weeks tops), hubby will have his own games room, kids will have their own bedrooms, and guess who is getting their own 'candle making space' (sorry can't help it :whoohoo: ) True its only in the garage but OMG my own shelves, cupboards and work surfaces! And he's going to buy me my own calor gas burners so I can "stay the hell out of HIS kitchen" Ok excitement over YEAH RIGHT .

Where did you get your digital thermometer Satin? Is it specifically for wax use or is it a sugar one?

Anjie,x.

Oh if only, you lucky lucky lady

We have our house up for sale, and are looking for a 4 bed, so the boys don't have to share, and they both have at least a fighting chance of not killing each other sometime soon lol.

Been to see a couple of 5beds. THeres one thats a bit too far for the kids to walk to school, but! it has 5beds so one each (or a room for me ) and a garage (a room for me ). Its at the top of our price bracket, but also needs totally decorating, new bedroom, new kitchen and new windows. so.... but I'll keep looking

[sudsnwicks]

And he's going to buy me my own calor gas burners so I can "stay the hell out of HIS kitchen"

Anjie, will it be safe melting your wax over a gas burner? Didn't mean to spoil your excitement, but I always thought we should use electric so there isn't an open flame around?

[Donita]

I feel for you. Several years ago I happened to run into a bin of instant read thermometers at a Dollar store. I bought several dozen. I sold some in candle making kits, but still have about a dozen left for me. If I only had one....I would go crazy looking for it all of the time. They always get buried under things in my studio. I also keep a couple in the kitchen for cooking and I can take it outside and put it on the deck to check the temp outside. I would be lost without my thermometers. Who knew. I used to be a candy maker and had microwave thermometers. Those are cool but I don't see them anymore. Well....I am not making candy any more so maybe I just haven't seen them. Anyone else know where to find them? I was doing old fashioned turn of the century molded hard candy lollipops and could do it in the microwave. Donita

[AnjieBurdett]

We're moving from a 3 bed to a 4, so we both have the same situation of boys sharing ARGHHHHH the little monsters need their own space now they are getting older, and baby is still in a cot in our room. So I feel your pain! This has just been an unbelievable break for us, I thought we would never move and then it's handed to us on a plate.

The rustics I made last night turned out fab! except one, that broke in half as I pulled it out of the mould LOL its the first time that has happened and hopefully the last.

Anjie,x.

[AnjieBurdett]

Sudsnwicks, I use gas now as thats all we have, my hob is gas. So it will be no different, I am always very careful when melting wax. Thanks for your concern though.

Anjie,x.

[Wick'n'Wax]

mines a gas hob too

[Candle Man]

About Glass Candy Thermometers...

I started with them years ago but soon found out they don't all read the same. The way they are made the numbers are attached to the inner glass tube, with the red liquid in it, and are not attached very well and can move on that tube, causing the temp to be wrong. If you have more than one, check one pot of heated wax, and you will most likely find that each read differently. So I would say to ditch all the glass candy thermometers and get a digital one. The digital ones don't have a long enough metal probe and you have to hold the thermometer by hand to get a reading, but it is more accurate than the other. Also you can calibrate the digital one. Here is what the digital one looks like

Here is a list for digital thermometers in the UK http://www.kellysearch.co.uk/gb-product-94496.html

[Wick'n'Wax]

ooh thanks candle man, talk about above and beyond the call of duty

will take a look and see how much they are in the UK.

Can I ask, how long you have to hold them in before you get the reading? my pitcher are just about big enough to put my hand in at the top, but if I move my hand slightly, yowzer lol

[Everito Bandito]

I know this place isn't in the U.K. but maybe shipping wouldn't be as bad on them since they don't weigh a lot or maybe someone in the U.K. carries them.

I have 2 of these that aren't digital but they are accurate. They clip on the inside side of my presto pots which are about 6 inches deep, and reach to the bottom. They are all metal except for the face and the glass face cover.

I also support what candleman said about the paper being able to move a bit inside the glass ones. I have one of those also (my first one) that I still use, but it's 10 degrees off from my metal ones, so I have to take that into account and adjust accordingly.

CandleScience offers an 8 in. digital, but I'm not sure exactly how long the metal stem is. I assume that when they say 8 inch that they are talking about the stem and the body of it.

Just click on equipment to view the others that they have.

http://candlescience.com/equipment/pro-thermometer/

[sudsnwicks]

Can I ask' date=' how long you have to hold them in before you get the reading? my pitcher are just about big enough to put my hand in at the top, but if I move my hand slightly, yowzer lol[/quote']Yes, I understand about the yowzer. Try wearing gloves.