Hard Broom Incense Workshop: Follow-Up!

Hi everyone!

Thanks so much for participating in the incense workshop  - it's truly such a pleasure to share and partake in incense making with you all. I know we covered a lot of information in 2.5 hours, so if you have any questions do not hesitate to reach out via email: hardbroomstudio@gmail.com.
I'm always refining and adapting my teaching methods to make the most of that time, so if you found something particularly helpful or have any practical suggestions, I'm open! 
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DRYING TIME: Just a reminder to take that accordion paper rack out of the box, and leave those cones to air dry for about 3 days (72 hours). If your cones are on the wider side, it may take about 4-5 days to fully air dry - fyi.  These are ballpark estimates, so if you burn a cone that feels dry to the touch and it doesn't burn properly, it likely still needs more dry time. The center of the cone may still be damp. 

If you have a dehydrator, you can also pop those in but make sure you put it on the lowest setting (~90 degrees). Additionally, if you have a little fan, that could help to speed up the air drying process too. 
Once those cones are bone-dry, then you can go ahead and burn them directly on a fire-safe dish. I included a bag of white ash with your take-home box. Place the contents of that bag into a small ceramic or concrete dish then pack down the ash and burn your cones on top!

Light the tip of your incense cone and let it burn for about 10 seconds, blow it out and let the cone smolder down to a pillar of ash. Once it's completely burned you can just pack that ash down with the rest - and keep it going.

Let me know if you have any questions! I have a Highlight on my IG page called "Burning Tips" that gives you a visual of ^^^. 


STORAGE: In terms of storage, you can use that cardboard box I gave you! Honestly, that's how I store my dried incense - paper bags & small cardboard boxes. As long as you keep your cones in a cool, dry place they will last a while. (I have incense cones I made 5-6 years ago that I still burn.)

SOURCING: If you want to keep making incense and are not sure where to find Makko powder, here's a few good options:

  • You'll find a lot of vendors on Etsy who sell Makko and incense ingredients. Here's one for example.
  • Scents of Earth sells small portions of all their offerings and is a great place to try a bunch of different resins, herbs and barks. Their makko powder is great - this is what I use. 
  • Shoyeido also sells Makko powder, but only in 500g bags. That's a bit much if you aren't regularly making incense. This is also the company that sells the bamboo charcoal I burned during the workshop. They also sell white ash, as well. 
GETTING STARTED: As with most things, making incense takes some experimenting and patience. Don't get discouraged - it took me years to figure out how to do this with consistency and confidence.  I've found that investing in a few items to get started is well worth it.
  • Gram scale
  • Stone mortar & pestle (for crushing resins)
  • Handheld coffee grinder
  • Mesh sifter
  • Mixing bowls
  • Wooden boards for rolling incense

Have fun with it and take notes so you can learn from your mistakes!

ADDITIONAL REFERENCES: (Blog Posts)

I wrote some blog posts a while back that reiterate and cover some of the basics I lead with in the workshop. Maybe these will come in handy!

What Is Natural Incense? A Beginner's Guide to Plant-Based Aromas

What Makes Natural Incense Burn?

Building Scent: Aromatics and Fixatives

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I don't know if I mentioned this but incense cones make a great gift! If this is something you're interested in continuing with and want to give away as gifts, I find that these kinds of pillow boxes are great for packing incense cones of varying sizes. There are longer ones you could also purchase for sticks, too!

Don't hesitate to reach out if there's anything that needs clarifying! I'll do my best to answer any/all questions. 

Stay in touch,

Morganne