Even after about 5 years of testing my own candles it can be good to take a "refresher course," especially as, after a 6 yr hiatus, I will likely get to help with testing new waxes and FOs!
I've learned so much from this video, that I never even considered. I've been doing it wrong, and lucky for me I found you after only two days of mistakes. I have to rethink my expectations when making and testing candles. Thank you.
Hi Pamela, So glad you found us. We also have a blog that covers a lot of things with in-depth detail. soapcandlemaking.blogspot.com/ And always happy to help. There is SO MUCH information out there and unfortunately most of it is bad or misleading. It really is one thing to make a candle and another thing to make a good candle. Best to you on your journey!!!!
this is not the way you do a test burn... use the recommended wick for the vessel all suppliers tell you what wick to use per vessel then you test one wick up or one wick down depending on how the recommended wick burns. This is a video of how NOT to do a burn test in my opinion.
@@patchguy6879 Fragrance plays a huge role in determining the best wick. Based on the extensive testing done with Candle Cocoon Fragrance Oils in a 3" diameter jar with GW464, that can be from a CD10 for Vanilla Voodoo, to HTP1212 for Lovely Lilac. Others use CD 14, 16 or 18, or CDN 12, 14, 16, 18. If you were to try to use just one wick for that wax and jar combo, you would have some candles that burned well, some that tunneled, some that produced smoke and soot.
I'm so happy I found this video, so far is the only test that shows all the stages of a tall candle jar. There is a trend now to over-wick the candles and got me a bit nervous as my candles need a wall to respect temperature limits! I'm sharing this video with everybody. In the end, which wick did, you chose then?:)
Hello Maria, Video editing is not my strong point so I did put it in the end of the description. The winners were ---- Amore Dolce required a CD18 and Rose Petals and Cream a CDN12. Thanks for asking :)
@@mariaocampo7240 I know it is hard to see. I think is is because the "show more" button needs to be clicked to see the results. Maybe I can fiddle with moving it up more....I do want to make more videos. We have been incredibly busy but I appreciate your asking. If I can get more help (and a haircut) I can make more in the near future. And maybe a video editor....Also, you may also want to check out the Candle Cocoon videos as we are moving away from the Karner Blue channel. Thanks so much!
Good question. It does depend on the jars and the amount of wax that needs to be broken though. Overall it does still take about the 3 hours for the full melt point to form half way down in a 3" straight sided jar. In my observation the more overhead curve of container the quicker the full melt pool forms.
Any plans to do the follow up video explaining why you chose the wick you chose? It would be great to see it in action to see why it was the best too. In this video it's hard to see flame sizes and melt pools. That aside there is loads of great advice in here and I've watched it quite a few times. Thanks!
This is a very long video with a ton of tips and tidbits. If you don't want to watch all three hours I recommend watching some of the beginning, middle and end.
Thank you so much for taking the time to make this video! I'm super happy I found it after making only two candles! It will help tremendously as I'm super picky about my candles. Making them for personal use but who knows what the future holds... Smiles from Canada :)
I’m only 15 minutes in and maybe you mentioned it and I didn’t hear! But do you do your testing with the wick trimmed or untrimmed? So informative so far, thanks!
Thank you so much. I have been looking for this type of informative video. What was the length of the wick for the first ever burn? When i m wick testing, should i assume that the customer will not trim it throughout test at all?
When we started the burns we had the wicks at 1/4". Most candles are cut for the first burn. And as you probably saw in the video the way we test is how a customer would burn. So we try to cut the least amount of times as possible. Because we all know that most customers don't trim their wicks.
Is it standard in the candle industry to put out the flame by dipping wick in melted wax at the test burn? Most of the coreless wick such as CDN, HTP tend to lean at one side and this is frustrating.
Hello! Not sure if it is the standard but that is how you do it if you don't want tons of smoke and what to "re-prime" the wick for the next burn. Also, the wicks are supposed to lean for the best burn. That way the edge of the wick hits the hottest part of the flame and burns off without producing mushrooms (carbon/soot). I know it can be frustrating because the wick won't be centered. But when it is wicked properly it should self correct.
If the wick is actually leaning because the melt pool is too deep (1/2" or more) then your wick is likely too large. In deep vessels or those with shoulders, or when the mouth of the container is smaller than the diameter in the middle, the trapped heat can melt the wax to a greater depth. If the wick then starts leaning so much that it drowns, it is too large.
In a perfect world, the perfectly sized wick will self-trim. The best wicks are designed to curl so the tip stays in the hottest part of the flame, thereby self trimming. Two wicks can have very similar burn profiles with a particular container, wax and FO, but one might be cleaner overall. That would be the one to go with.
The industry standard for burning a candle is 1 hour for every inch of diameter. When test burning your candles you need to decide how long your burns are going to be and stick to a schedule. For a 3" diameter candle we burn between 3-4 hours at a time. What you see in the video is what happens at the end of the prescribed burn time. You are just not seeing the other 3ish hours of burning. So it probably looks like we keep relighting them right away.
determineddiva A and B are simply used to keep track of the data assigned to each wick since we use two of each wick. For instance we use 2 cd10s. We give one the label A and one B so we can track them. And yes, we test cd and cdn. Thanks for watching
Hello Roy. Thanks for asking. I couldn't figure out how to splice a video after it was uploaded. I have the conclusion above :) But, here you go! CONCLUSION - Amore Dolce required a CD18 and Rose Petals and Cream a CDN12. I wanted to put this into the end of the video but video editing is not my strong point. As you can see the scent used can greatly affect the wick that is needed.
And even 2 more years down the road, the procedure and what to look for stays the same. Right now, with fragrances that have been fully tested in GW 464, they are testing in BW917. Initial set-up for one FO involves 24 jars, 2 each for 12 different wicks. soapcandlemaking.blogspot.com/2022/01/updated-wick-testing-for-coco-extreme.html
Sorry, I don't understand the question. Do you mean do we pour out hot wax? Then the answer would be no. Absolutely not. Let me know if I did not understand the question correctly.
Hi Soraya, Hot Throw testing is an entirely different test(s). You can find more info on how we set up for our hot throw test on our blog - soapcandlemaking.blogspot.com/2019/02/testing-for-scent-throw-in-candles.html
Hi Cam, Not sure what you mean. The entire video is about what to look for when selecting a wick size. If you mean what wick did we end up with It is in the description and in a bunch of replies. Unfortunately I don't have the skills to splice videos together so I was not able to add it to the end of this video. CONCLUSION - Amore Dolce required a CD18 and Rose Petals and Cream a CDN12. I wanted to put this into the end of the video but video editing is not my strong point. As you can see the scent used can greatly affect the wick that is needed. HTH :)
Must be perspective. This is for testing purposes. They are on a table in the middle of a work area. It is not right up against the wall and there were no kids, pets or customers in the testing area.
It depends on where you are at in business. We are working to find the absolute best results. Which actually save time and resources. Not to mention that we then have data if there is ever an insurance claim.
Absolutely not. If a candle is more than 2 inches deep it has trapped heat. As a candle burns down it burns out. In this situation if it had a full melt pool at the beginning it will be a flamethrower by the end burn resulting in too hot glass and lots of soot. If it is a shorter candle it will need a full melt pool at the beginning.
You may be assuming that the wick is always kept to 1/4 of an inch. We have found from over 20 years of working with customers that this is not the case. Most just let it burn. So we test as if it is the customer burning the candle.
@@christopherlloyd6174 No, you won't. On a candle that is more than about 2" deep, you will get trapped heat as the candle burns down further. We use jars that are more than 3" deep (including wide mouth 1 qt. mason jars). We do not get a full diameter mp until the wax level is about 1" below the original wax level for the shorter jars (less than 4" tall), and it can be further down in the qt jars. If we were to use a large enough wick to get full diameter on the first burn, by the time the candles are 1/2 burned (less with the 1 qt. jars), the flames would be 1-1/2 inches or more tall, producing soot and too much heat. Our jars wind up with only a trace of wax and no soot. We always test at least 3 wick sizes, 2 or 3 jars for each size, for each jar and fragrance oil combination. That means that for each of 4 jar styles & sizes we have used, we have burned at least 2 to 3 dozen test jars.
@@christopherlloyd6174 reducing the wick size is more likely to get tunneling. I have followed this procedure in testing over 60 FOs and have made & sold thousands of candles in different sizes of jars (including 1 qt wide-mouth canning jars). My customers loved the fact that the jars wound up so clean.
![[LIVE] : ONE ลุมพินี 88 | คู่เอก "ป้อมเพชร vs อัสลามจอน"](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/1ZqTVVbMgbo/mqdefault.jpg)
Even after about 5 years of testing my own candles it can be good to take a "refresher course," especially as, after a 6 yr hiatus, I will likely get to help with testing new waxes and FOs!
I've learned so much from this video, that I never even considered. I've been doing it wrong, and lucky for me I found you after only two days of mistakes. I have to rethink my expectations when making and testing candles. Thank you.
Glad you found us too! Let us know if you have questions.
I just found this video and I have learned so much...I am a new candle maker and you just saved me from a few mistakes.
Hi Pamela, So glad you found us. We also have a blog that covers a lot of things with in-depth detail. soapcandlemaking.blogspot.com/ And always happy to help. There is SO MUCH information out there and unfortunately most of it is bad or misleading. It really is one thing to make a candle and another thing to make a good candle. Best to you on your journey!!!!
this is not the way you do a test burn...
use the recommended wick for the vessel all suppliers tell you what wick to use per vessel then you test one wick up or one wick down depending on how the recommended wick burns. This is a video of how NOT to do a burn test in my opinion.
@@patchguy6879 Fragrance plays a huge role in determining the best wick. Based on the extensive testing done with Candle Cocoon Fragrance Oils in a 3" diameter jar with GW464, that can be from a CD10 for Vanilla Voodoo, to HTP1212 for Lovely Lilac. Others use CD 14, 16 or 18, or CDN 12, 14, 16, 18. If you were to try to use just one wick for that wax and jar combo, you would have some candles that burned well, some that tunneled, some that produced smoke and soot.
We're about to start producing large candle jars. This video made it that much simpler. Thank you !
So glad it helped!
Very informative! Made the
50 minutes mark so far...
I will comment when I have completed the video.
Okay, I made it 2 hrs 15 minutes into this Very informative video. I've got to see it to the very end....
Thanks again.
Thank you Dale!
I'm so happy I found this video, so far is the only test that shows all the stages of a tall candle jar. There is a trend now to over-wick the candles and got me a bit nervous as my candles need a wall to respect temperature limits! I'm sharing this video with everybody.
In the end, which wick did, you chose then?:)
Hello Maria, Video editing is not my strong point so I did put it in the end of the description. The winners were ---- Amore Dolce required a CD18 and Rose Petals and Cream a CDN12. Thanks for asking :)
@@candlecocoon I didn't see it sorry! Awesome! Would you make more videos like this again? ^^
@@mariaocampo7240 I know it is hard to see. I think is is because the "show more" button needs to be clicked to see the results. Maybe I can fiddle with moving it up more....I do want to make more videos. We have been incredibly busy but I appreciate your asking. If I can get more help (and a haircut) I can make more in the near future. And maybe a video editor....Also, you may also want to check out the Candle Cocoon videos as we are moving away from the Karner Blue channel. Thanks so much!
Thank you this was very detailed
Hope it was helpful :)
best video i have ever seen
Wow! Thank you!
Great tutorial!!!!
Thank you!
Once you’ve gotten to halfway down the jar, should the full melt pool form quicker? Or should it still take 3 hours to form?
Good question. It does depend on the jars and the amount of wax that needs to be broken though. Overall it does still take about the 3 hours for the full melt point to form half way down in a 3" straight sided jar. In my observation the more overhead curve of container the quicker the full melt pool forms.
Any plans to do the follow up video explaining why you chose the wick you chose? It would be great to see it in action to see why it was the best too. In this video it's hard to see flame sizes and melt pools. That aside there is loads of great advice in here and I've watched it quite a few times. Thanks!
rewghob It is really hard to see the flames. Not sure how to get a better picture. We did choose the CD18 for the Amore Dolce.
Which did you choose for rose petal and cream?
For the Rose Petals and Cream we chose a CDN12 using Golden Brands 464 and .6oz of scent per pound of wax. Hope that helps :)
@@tonyt5919 Sorry, I don't understand what you mean.
This is a very long video with a ton of tips and tidbits. If you don't want to watch all three hours I recommend watching some of the beginning, middle and end.
Thank you so much for taking the time to make this video! I'm super happy I found it after making only two candles! It will help tremendously as I'm super picky about my candles. Making them for personal use but who knows what the future holds... Smiles from Canada :)
Glad you found us!
I’m only 15 minutes in and maybe you mentioned it and I didn’t hear! But do you do your testing with the wick trimmed or untrimmed? So informative so far, thanks!
Hello, we start with the wick trimmed to 1/4" . Thanks for asking
Thank you so much. I have been looking for this type of informative video. What was the length of the wick for the first ever burn? When i m wick testing, should i assume that the customer will not trim it throughout test at all?
When we started the burns we had the wicks at 1/4". Most candles are cut for the first burn. And as you probably saw in the video the way we test is how a customer would burn. So we try to cut the least amount of times as possible. Because we all know that most customers don't trim their wicks.
This is good. I do not trim my wicks at all. I didn't know I had to hehe
I have watched the first part of this video twice now and didn’t hear it. How long are your test burns?
Our test burns are about 1 hour for every inch. We keep the test burns between 3-4 hours.
Is it standard in the candle industry to put out the flame by dipping wick in melted wax at the test burn? Most of the coreless wick such as CDN, HTP tend to lean at one side and this is frustrating.
Hello! Not sure if it is the standard but that is how you do it if you don't want tons of smoke and what to "re-prime" the wick for the next burn.
Also, the wicks are supposed to lean for the best burn. That way the edge of the wick hits the hottest part of the flame and burns off without producing mushrooms (carbon/soot). I know it can be frustrating because the wick won't be centered. But when it is wicked properly it should self correct.
Just make sure your wick is properly centered to begin with. The wicks need to curl in order to self-trim properly.
If the wick is actually leaning because the melt pool is too deep (1/2" or more) then your wick is likely too large. In deep vessels or those with shoulders, or when the mouth of the container is smaller than the diameter in the middle, the trapped heat can melt the wax to a greater depth. If the wick then starts leaning so much that it drowns, it is too large.
I’m new to candle making. Great video! Why not trim the wicks between your burn tests, like a customer would do?
Hi Julia, from our research most customers don't trim the wicks. We do a trim test at a different time. Thanks for the comment!
Thank you for your quick response! Good point about the trimming!
I wish I could get folks to trim ;)
In a perfect world, the perfectly sized wick will self-trim. The best wicks are designed to curl so the tip stays in the hottest part of the flame, thereby self trimming. Two wicks can have very similar burn profiles with a particular container, wax and FO, but one might be cleaner overall. That would be the one to go with.
Why do you test burn it a few times? Don't understand why you burn it for a bit then put out flame and the light it again. Thanks
The industry standard for burning a candle is 1 hour for every inch of diameter. When test burning your candles you need to decide how long your burns are going to be and stick to a schedule. For a 3" diameter candle we burn between 3-4 hours at a time. What you see in the video is what happens at the end of the prescribed burn time. You are just not seeing the other 3ish hours of burning. So it probably looks like we keep relighting them right away.
I know this video is old, but what is the distinction between "A" and "B"? Also are you testing cd wicks and cdn wicks?
determineddiva A and B are simply used to keep track of the data assigned to each wick since we use two of each wick. For instance we use 2 cd10s. We give one the label A and one B so we can track them. And yes, we test cd and cdn. Thanks for watching
We use Golden Brands 464. But we are switching over to Millennium.
ok, so whats the bottom line...whats the best wick for this size candle/jar ???
Hello Roy. Thanks for asking. I couldn't figure out how to splice a video after it was uploaded. I have the conclusion above :) But, here you go! CONCLUSION - Amore Dolce required a CD18 and Rose Petals and Cream a CDN12. I wanted to put this into the end of the video but video editing is not my strong point. As you can see the scent used can greatly affect the wick that is needed.
I got a lot of information and it was a super long video and a lot I testing it would be nice to see a new video since this one is old
Yes, it is old but the information has not changed :) The filming would probably be better but unfortunately we have no time. Best to you :)
The procedure stays the same . . .
And even 2 more years down the road, the procedure and what to look for stays the same. Right now, with fragrances that have been fully tested in GW 464, they are testing in BW917. Initial set-up for one FO involves 24 jars, 2 each for 12 different wicks. soapcandlemaking.blogspot.com/2022/01/updated-wick-testing-for-coco-extreme.html
Did you throw off the warm wax?
Sorry, I don't understand the question. Do you mean do we pour out hot wax? Then the answer would be no. Absolutely not. Let me know if I did not understand the question correctly.
how do you test for HT?
Hi Soraya, Hot Throw testing is an entirely different test(s). You can find more info on how we set up for our hot throw test on our blog - soapcandlemaking.blogspot.com/2019/02/testing-for-scent-throw-in-candles.html
Not sure where the wick size came into play in this long video
Hi Cam, Not sure what you mean. The entire video is about what to look for when selecting a wick size. If you mean what wick did we end up with It is in the description and in a bunch of replies. Unfortunately I don't have the skills to splice videos together so I was not able to add it to the end of this video.
CONCLUSION - Amore Dolce required a CD18 and Rose Petals and Cream a CDN12. I wanted to put this into the end of the video but video editing is not my strong point. As you can see the scent used can greatly affect the wick that is needed. HTH :)
Could not hear in the beginning as too much back ground noise video too long turned off half way sorry
Sorry Kathleen, not sure how to make that better. Hopefully our equipment will be better nowadays.
That looks a little unsafe or is it just me. Way too close to the edge, and table too close to the wall!!
Must be perspective. This is for testing purposes. They are on a table in the middle of a work area. It is not right up against the wall and there were no kids, pets or customers in the testing area.
please if you speak make sure that there is no noise behind it is impossible to understand correctly
Thank you for your input. We can keep the music off for future videos.
We will agree to disagree this is such a waste of candle materials and time
It depends on where you are at in business. We are working to find the absolute best results. Which actually save time and resources. Not to mention that we then have data if there is ever an insurance claim.
This is so wrong you must always get a full melt pool on the first burn and the glass should be clean no wax all the way down the burn
Absolutely not. If a candle is more than 2 inches deep it has trapped heat. As a candle burns down it burns out. In this situation if it had a full melt pool at the beginning it will be a flamethrower by the end burn resulting in too hot glass and lots of soot. If it is a shorter candle it will need a full melt pool at the beginning.
You may be assuming that the wick is always kept to 1/4 of an inch. We have found from over 20 years of working with customers that this is not the case. Most just let it burn. So we test as if it is the customer burning the candle.
Hi i can see your point but its best to drop down a wick size to get full melt pool first , or you will get tunneling
@@christopherlloyd6174 No, you won't. On a candle that is more than about 2" deep, you will get trapped heat as the candle burns down further. We use jars that are more than 3" deep (including wide mouth 1 qt. mason jars). We do not get a full diameter mp until the wax level is about 1" below the original wax level for the shorter jars (less than 4" tall), and it can be further down in the qt jars. If we were to use a large enough wick to get full diameter on the first burn, by the time the candles are 1/2 burned (less with the 1 qt. jars), the flames would be 1-1/2 inches or more tall, producing soot and too much heat. Our jars wind up with only a trace of wax and no soot. We always test at least 3 wick sizes, 2 or 3 jars for each size, for each jar and fragrance oil combination. That means that for each of 4 jar styles & sizes we have used, we have burned at least 2 to 3 dozen test jars.
@@christopherlloyd6174 reducing the wick size is more likely to get tunneling. I have followed this procedure in testing over 60 FOs and have made & sold thousands of candles in different sizes of jars (including 1 qt wide-mouth canning jars). My customers loved the fact that the jars wound up so clean.