# Microbubbles on half my candles?



## JWPalmer (May 1, 2017)

Melanie, I have not seen the bubble like you have on my tapers. When I first saw the picture, I thought the wax was too cool, but 80C is 176F and that is actually too hot. So, first I would check you thermometer by placing it in boiling water and make sure it reads 100C. If it is accurate, 70C is a lot closer to the 160F that I shoot for. I do not try to slow the cooling in the silicone molds, only the jar candles I pour. The other thought was water in the wax, but that would have caused bubbles in the top half of the candle if you pour with the candle upside down. I hope you figure it out. Takes a lot of time for a pillar to cool, only to come out of the mold looking, uh, not good.


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## Dragonray (Mar 16, 2021)

JWPalmer said:


> Melanie, I have not seen the bubble like you have on my tapers. When I first saw the picture, I thought the wax was too cool, but 80C is 176F and that is actually too hot. So, first I would check you thermometer by placing it in boiling water and make sure it reads 100C. If it is accurate, 70C is a lot closer to the 160F that I shoot for. I do not try to slow the cooling in the silicone molds, only the jar candles I pour. The other thought was water in the wax, but that would have caused bubbles in the top half of the candle if you pour with the candle upside down. I hope you figure it out. Takes a lot of time for a pillar to cool, only to come out of the mold looking, uh, not good.


 Thanks  I will try it again tonight and test the thermometer (I have two so i might test both - one is for food but dipping in wax one time to test out should be fine  ) and also pour at 70C/160F and see if that makes a difference. Thanks for confirming you don't need to slow the cooling for non jar candles, that at least makes one less problem which could be interfering.


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## AstroZomBEE (Aug 1, 2006)

What is the ambient temperature of the room when pouring into molds?


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## John Davis (Apr 29, 2014)

JW's comment about water is still a possibility. Wax that was processed/cleaned over boiling water (not remelted in a double boiler) can have small areas of entrained emulsified water that will settle and usually look like what is on your candles. I agree usually at the bottom, but if you are pouring the emulsified water would be at the end of the pour and be in the top of your upside down mold. Sacrifice one candle and cut through the bubbled area. If on the surface it probably a temp issue. If all the way through, emulsified water and you may need to filter through something like a coffee filter to get it out. Look at your source wax for small sandy looking areas often at the bottom of the wax block.


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## Dragonray (Mar 16, 2021)

@AsrtoZombee I pour in my kitchen at this stage as just starting out so it varies based on our temp, usually about 20-25 degrees but could be a lot cooler. Can that make a significant effect on the bubbles? I am not sure I can alter the room I work in easily (thanks open plan houses!) 

I have one perfect candle this morning after pouring at about 65C/149F (and checking my thermometer) with non white bubbles just under the surface and on the last 1cm of the candle (not obvious or ugly) and one with bubbles just on the lower part of the candle which I poured at 70C/158F. I do pour into upside moulds you are all correct. I am going to cut open the one I have now with the bubbles and see if they are surface or all the way through.

Thanks everyone for your comments so far this is helping out so much!!


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## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

I process my own beeswax by melting it in water, without any boil, then letting it cool slowly and scraping off the debris off the bottom of the wax cake. For the very first melt, sometimes I use a steamer with the wax in a paint strainer bag. Anyway, then I do it again (from here on always in a pot of water), and again if needed, as many times as needed, until the wax is clean.

Then I use the microwave to melt the wax in a 4 quart measuring cup, without water in it, using temp settings that melt it slowly without boiling the wax or having any wax splatter. I then pour the wax into the candle molds. I spray the candle molds with wax release before pouring in the wax, which I pour very slowly. I let the candles cool slowly as I can. I'm doing this all in my kitchen, so it's always not too cold in the room.

I've never had the bubbles like you are showing. Maybe something I do or don't do will give you an idea of what might be going wrong for you.


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