Color of soy candles not even...ideas?

[Mysticalle]

Hi all, need your help:

I just poured my second batch of candles and had something happen that didn't happen in the first batch. I melted 3 lbs of soy flakes and when it was at 175 degrees, I added 4 oz of liquid fragrance and 1, .5 oz cube of red color. Mixed well and poured into 3, 6 oz glass containers which had been warmed in the oven first. Everything seemed fine until it started to set and if the picture I attached came out okay, you will hopefully see what I am talking about. The color is lighter, cloudier at the bottom and then darker and not cloudy the rest of the candle (3/4 of it). I have no idea why.

Any ideas?

[Candybee]

From your picture it looks more like a problem with glass adhesion than color. Looks like the wax pulled away from the bottom of the candle creating a large 'wet spot' that goes around the bottom. Wet spots are normal but can be annoying when you are striving for perfection.

[Mysticalle]

How would I avoid this in the future if it is in fact a "wet spot"?

[soy327]

What wax?

[Stella1952]

if it is in fact a "wet spot"

It's a wet spot. Look at how the wax appears to be "on the glass" in the middle and away from the glass on the bottom... that's a "wet spot" aka area of poor glass adhesion. Washing the glassware in HOT water with Dawn or sudsy ammonia is the first preventive step you can take. Cooling directly on a countertop can also cause this (the countertop robs the bottom of heat more quickly than the rest of the candle). Different waxes are more prone to this than are others, but rapid temperature changes can cause this with nearly any wax. It does not affect the burn or throw of the candle whatsoever. It is a cosmetic issue that plagues all chandlers.

[Mysticalle]

Thanks for the info about washing the glasses prior to using. I dont cure them on the counter but use an elevated wire rack, but I bet that allows the bottom to cool too quickly also.

[Stella1952]

Cooling on a rack allows air to circulate around the cooling candle. The idea is for the candle to cool evenly. There is a happy medium you want to strike between placing the candles close enough together to cool slowly, and evenly, but not so close as to retain too much heat in the space between them. The same goes for the top and bottom of the candle. If your home is quite cool (as in wintertime) or drafty (due to heating systems), the cooling won't be as even. If the candle sets directly on any surface, the bottom can either stay too warm for too long or become too cool depending on the composition of the countertop and how cool it is. In the wintertime, I put a large cardboard box over cooling candles to create a draft-free mini environment. If it's real cold (I live in a drafty old house) sometimes, I turn my oven on low (150°F), allow it to warm, then turn it off and put the candles in there on the racks to cool slowly to room temperature. I don't remove the candles until they are completely cooled all the way through (like the next day).

It's all about finding that balance in your environment that works the best for your candles.

[Shewill5]

You might want to look at threads on wet spots. I use a box for mine and it helps to cool them more evenly. I've never worried about it much because I used to buy Yankee's and locally made candles with wet spots. It doesn't bother consumers nearly as much as the candle maker

[Abbiepql]

I gave up worrying about wet spots years ago - you can do all the tricks to avoid them and then the first time you take them outside for a delivery trip in the cold weather or you burn them in a colder room they reappear. The wax will expand/contract with changes in temperature, not so much the glass as well - it's pointless to worry about it in my opinion -

[islandgirl]

I gave up worrying about wet spots years ago - you can do all the tricks to avoid them and then the first time you take them outside for a delivery trip in the cold weather or you burn them in a colder room they reappear. The wax will expand/contract with changes in temperature, not so much the glass as well - it's pointless to worry about it in my opinion -

Totally Agree .. Don't even worry about them..

Mysticalle - Nice job. Your candle color looks Great!!!

I could never get my soy candles to look that good with color.. They were always pastel colored and frosted like a snowstorm!! :rolleyes2

I am now dye free!! LOL.. One less thing to worry about..