Candle Batch Calculator

Scale a recipe to any batch size and get the whole shopping list at once — wax, fragrance oil, wicks and vessels, with a wastage allowance built in.

Wax type

The default for container candles. Most soy container blends hold up to about 10%, though many makers get the best scent throw around 8%.

Vessel size

Fill level%

Batch size

Fragrance load%Percent of wax weight.

Wastage allowance%Wax left clinging to the pot and jug. 5% is a sensible starting point.

Shopping list

Wax to buy

2449.4 g

2332.8 g in the candles, plus 5% wastage

Fragrance oil to buy

196 g

186.6 g in the candles, plus 5% wastage

Wicks and vessels

12 of each

Per candle

Wax

194.4 g

Fragrance oil

15.6 g

Finished pour weight

210 g

Into 216 ml of usable space

Show the calculation

1
Wax per candle
240 ml × 90% × 0.9 g/ml
= 194.4 g
2
Wax for the batch
194.4 g × 12
= 2332.8 g
3
Fragrance oil for the batch
2332.8 g × 8%
= 186.62 g
4
Add wastage to both
× 1.05
= 2449.44 g wax, 195.96 g oil

Melt the wax first and weigh the fragrance into it at the pot, not the other way round. Adding wax to oil makes the load impossible to correct if you overshoot.

Buy for the batch, not for the candle

Working out one candle and multiplying in your head is how batches end up short. Wax clings to the pot, the jug and the spatula, and the loss is proportionally worse on small batches. Five percent is a reasonable allowance for a normal setup, and the calculator adds it to both the wax and the oil.

Order of operations at the pot

Weigh the wax for the whole batch, including the wastage allowance, and melt it.
Take it to the temperature your fragrance supplier specifies.
Weigh the fragrance oil into the melted wax. Never the other way round — you cannot take oil back out if you overshoot.
Stir for two full minutes so the oil binds properly.
Let it come down to pour temperature, then fill the jars.

What changes when a batch gets bigger

The quantities scale linearly. The physics does not. A large pot holds heat far longer than a small one, so the wax stays liquid longer and cools more slowly in the jar. Slower cooling generally gives a smoother top, but it can also cause frosting on soy and pull away from the glass more.

Practical consequences

Test a scaled-up batch before committing to a market or a wholesale order.
Pour in a warm room and leave jars undisturbed until fully set.
Keep notes of pour temperature per batch size — it is the variable that most often needs adjusting.

Curing

Cure time does not scale with batch size, it is just waiting. Soy wants one to two weeks before the scent throw settles. Build that into your planning: a batch poured the night before a market has not cured, and it will smell weaker than the same recipe made a fortnight earlier.

Frequently asked questions

How much wax do I need for 12 candles?+

For twelve 8 fl oz jars of soy poured to 90%, about 2.3 kg of wax plus a wastage allowance, and roughly 190 g of fragrance oil at 8%. Change the jar size or wax above and the figures update.

How much extra wax should I melt for wastage?+

About 5% covers what clings to the melt pot and pouring jug. Increase it if you pour from a narrow jug, use a large pot for a small batch, or work with a wax that sets quickly.

Can I scale a recipe up without changing anything else?+

The quantities scale linearly, but the process does not. Bigger batches hold heat longer and cool more slowly, which changes the finish. Pour temperature and cooling conditions may need adjusting when you jump from 12 to 100.

Should I add fragrance to each jar or to the whole pot?+

To the whole pot, weighed in at the correct temperature and stirred for two full minutes. Dosing individual jars gives inconsistent loads and poor binding.

How do I work out the finished weight for my labels?+

Finished pour weight is wax plus fragrance oil, which the calculator gives per candle. If your label needs total product weight, add the vessel weight — weigh an empty one on a scale.