Test burn

A test burn is the process of lighting sample candles from a new recipe, wick, or container combination and watching how they perform over several burn cycles, rather than assuming a recipe is finished once the wax sets. It is one of the standard steps between mixing a recipe and offering it for sale.

Test burning matters because many issues, like tunnelling, mushrooming wicks, excess soot, or a flame that drowns in its own melt pool, only show up once a candle has actually been lit and burned for a few hours. As a standard precaution, always test burn on a heat-safe surface away from drafts, curtains, or anything flammable, never leave a burning candle unattended, and keep test candles within sight for their full burn each session.

Keep simple notes on wick size, burn time, flame height, and melt pool for each test candle so results are easy to compare across containers and wax batches. A common mistake is testing only one candle from a batch or only a single burn cycle. Multiple candles and multiple burns give a more reliable picture before wicks and wax ratios are finalized.