If you are a beer lover, you know that there’s more to beer than just the way it tastes. In fact, the way a beer smells is also very important to your enjoyment of it. The rich, hoppy scent of a pale ale or the dark, toasty aroma of a thick stout can easily transport you to your happy place in a single whiff.
Today I’m going to tell you how you can enjoy that same aroma even when you’re not drinking beer by making some DIY candles that smell like beer!
These unique candles will allow you to enjoy the rich, complex aromas of your favorite beer anytime you want, whether you’re relaxing at home on the weekends or working hard at the office. Let’s learn
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How To Make Beer Scented Candles
To make beer-scented candles you are going to need some standard candle-making ingredients such as candle wax and wick, as well as some specialized beer-themed ingredients like a beer fragrance and some beer-shaped candle jars (good old beer steins make for some great candle holders).
We won’t be using real beer to make our candles though.
As much as you would like to add a splash or two of your favorite stout, IPA, or weissbier, the alcohol in them can interfere with your candle making process. Not to mention that you never really want to add alcohol to something that’s going to be lit on fire.
Beer Candle Ingredient List
To make your beer-scented candles you will need the following:
- Candle wax flakes
- Yellow or brown candle dye
- Essential oils
- Beer fragrance oil
You will also need:
- Candlewick
- Wick centering device
- Wick trimmer
- Candle jar
- Double boiler
- Spatula
- Thermometer
Pro-Tip: For your candle wax, I highly recommend to use a soy wax as it is biodegradable, non-toxic, produces less soot, and burns much slower than conventional wax types.
Here is my easy-to-follow
5-Step Guide To Making Beer-Scented Candles
- Start by melting your wax. How much wax you need will depend on the number of candles you plan to make. As a general rule, you need about 5 oz of wax per 8 oz container.
To melt the wax properly, place it into a double boiler under medium heat until the flakes have completely melted.
You can use your kitchen thermometer to check the temperature of the candle wax and remove it from the heat once it has reached 200 degrees. At this point, the wax should be liquid with a smooth and syrupy consistency.
- Next, you should mix in your chosen beer fragrance oil as well as your brown and yellow dyes. Keep in mind that essential oils and fragrance oils are very potent, so just a few drops are enough to give your beer-scented candles the aroma you need.
The exact number of dye drops you need to give your candles that characteristic golden hue of beer will depend on your personal preferences, but remember that food dye is also highly concentrated, so start by adding just a few drops and adjust accordingly.
Pro-Tip: Different beer fragrances will have different flash points, which means that you may need to let the wax cool a bit before adding. So read the essence’s instructions carefully before adding it to your candle wax. Also, be careful not to stir too vigorously with your spatula or you will introduce air bubbles into the wax.
- At this point, you need to start prepping your candle jars. You can use regular candle jars or some nice beer mug or a beer glass for a more authentic look. Remember that the wax will be very hot when you pour it, so you need to make sure that your jar has thick walls to prevent it from shattering due to the high temperature.
Secure the wick to the jar by gluing/taping the end to the bottom of the jar, or by tying it to a chopstick and placing it over the jar’s rim so that it remains upright.
- Now pour your melted, scented candle wax slowly into the candle jar, being extra careful to not disturb the wick and shift out of place. A lopsided candle wick will cause the candle to burn unevenly. You also want to make sure that you don’t get too many air bubbles into your wax as you pour.
Don’t fill all the way to the top of the candle jar. Leave about 2 inches of head space.
- Finally, let your candles cool. Allow the beer-scented wax to cool completely, which may take several hours depending on the outside temperature and humidity. Finally, trim the wick using the wick trimmer or a pair of sharp scissors.
And that’s it! Follow these 5 easy steps to make some fragrant beer-scented candles and enjoy the frothy, hoppy aroma for days to come.
