Editing Recipes

This page provides recipes for people that want to make their own bubble juice. There are excellent [[:Category:readymade|commercial products]] available for those that prefer not to brew their own juices.

This recipe list is '''not''' in order of preference or quality. It is more-or-less in order that the recipes were added, although there are exceptions. The page is in the process of being re-organized (August 2013). You can see how most of these recipes perform by taking a look at the related videos and pictures. Your success with these recipes will depend quite a bit on the atmospheric conditions and your bubble wand.

If you want to learn what makes bubble juice work, read [[Bubble Juice Basics]].

What is the best bubble juice? Read Edward's thoughts about [[Best_Bubble_Juice|the best bubble juice]].

If you are looking for a recipe that uses easy-to-find ingredients and also creates world-class bubbles (of any size), I recommend trying this simple [[Recipes_Guar_EAS|guar-based recipe]].

All of the recipes on this page are capable of creating great bubbles. What recipe you like best will depend a lot on your own personal preference.

Popular recipes include: the [[Recipes_Guar_EAS|guar-based recipe]], [[Recipes#Mike.27s .22Gooey Mix.22|Mike's Gooey Mix]] and [[Recipes#Mike.27s_.22Stir-.26-Go.22|Mike's Stir 'n Go mix]]. Many people are fond of [[Recipes#EGoo._Super-concentrate_for_Giant_Bubbles|eGoo super-concentrate]], but it takes some experimentation to get the amount of [[PEO]] right as it seems to be sensitive to variations of PEO potency. If you are serious about bubbles, try an [[Recipes#HEC-Based Giant Bubble Recipe|HEC-based mix]], too.

If you spend much time browsing the internet, you will notice how radically recipes vary. For example, one finds water to detergent ratios of (by volume) anywhere from 1 to 1 to 20 to 1 -- usually, however, you don't get to see the solution in action or know how it compares to other solutions. At this Wiki, we are trying to engage (as much as possible) in fact-based postings. When adding recipes, provide as much information as you can about your water quality and how you use the solution -- and add pictures or link to movies.

It is quite possible that the radical variations that people recommend are because of variations in local atmospheric conditions (a solution that works well in a locale with high humidity may not work well in a locale with dry air) and water quality. While tap water seems to work as well as (or better than) distilled water in most recipes in most locales, some recipes may be more sensitive to the qualities of the water than others.

As time goes on, we hope to document (in other articles) the relative characteristics of different detergents and even different tap waters in the hope of determining whether there is a way to predict whether one should be using tap or distilled water for a particular recipe.

*All recipes, photos and videos provided with the creator's consent.

When the wiki started, there were only a few recipes. The number of recipes has grown a lot and continues to grow. We get a lot of questions asking for the [[Best_Bubble_Juice|best recipe]].

While there is no single best recipe for beginners (for the reasons why, see the page [[Best_Bubble_Juice|Best Bubble Juice]]), we can offer some advice. The [[Recipes_Guar_EAS|guar-based bubble juice]] has become very popular since it was published as it is easy to mix, uses ingredients that are generally available locally and makes world-class bubbles. There may be recipes that you will eventually find even better, but many people are so thrilled with the bubbles that they stick with it. Brian Lawrence's [[Recipes_Brian#Simple_Mix|simple mix]] uses easy-to-find ingredients and many love it. Glowby has provided his version of Brian's mix [[User_blog:Glowby/Giant_Bubbles_with_Supermarket's_Stuff|here]].

If you have J-Lube or PolyOx WSR301 (see [[PEO]] and [[Ingredients]]) you might find [[#Mike.27s_.22Gooey_Mix.22|Mike's Gooey Mix]] or [[Recipes#Mike.27s_.22Stir-.26-Go.22|Mike's Stir 'n Go mix]] or [[Recipes EGoo|eGoo]] a great place to start. Or, you might try mixing up some [[Recipe Bubble Power Powder|Bubble Power Powder]]. [[Recipes#Brian_Lawrence_Recipes|Brian Lawrence's recipes ]] are also popular with some.

'''Equipment and Environment'''. One last thought for those getting started. Your equipment and the environment (heat, humidity, wind, pollen, pollution, etc.) have a huge impact on the bubbles you make (or the ability to make a bubble at all). If a recipe isn't working for you, it is worth giving thought to whether the equipment or [[Ideal Conditions|conditions]] might be part of the problem.

[[File:20120715_snapseed_IMG_1707_crop.jpg|thumb|400px|A free-floating (though short-lived) giant from this session. 1.5 grams guar/liter water.]][Added June 2012] This simple [[Recipes_Guar_EAS|guar gum-based recipe]] is quite effective -- especially if you don't have J-Lube or PolyOx WSR301. It may actually outperform PEO-based mixes (i.e., those with J-Lube or PolyOx) when conditions are dry (30%-45% humidity).

This is a great recipe with which to get started as it uses ingredients that can usually be sourced locally. The recipe is so forgiving that a four-year-old can mix it up. A video showing how to make this bubble juice is available on [[Recipes_Guar_EAS|its recipe page]].[[File:2012 07 15 guar giants|thumb|400px|Watch in HD on YouTube! Some highlights of an epic session. This was a slight variation of this recipe that used table salt as a dispersant when hydrating the guar gum.]][[File:2012 07 12 guar juice bubbles-in-bubbles|thumb|400px|Bubble-in-bubble is easy with guar-based mixes with the correct amount of guar gum.]]

This is not a bubble juice recipe per se. BLM is a polymer mix that turns water and dishwashing liquid into great bubble juice. '''See the full recipe''' [[BLM|here]] .

Read the [[Jumbo Juice|Jumbo Juice article for]] the recipe of one of the premier giant bubble recipes -- which is also great for small bubbles and bubble sculpture.

[[File:MikeMiller_p1070283.jpg|thumb|300px|Mike making great bubbles with this mix.]]Mike Miller is the founder of {{SBF}} whose beautiful videos speak for themselves. Mike recommends mixing this up as a concentrate and mixing on site with distilled water. Mike has a lot of great video of his bubbles at his [http://www.kermitbubbleboy.net/ Bubble Project] site.

'''VERY QUICKLY''' add 4 grams J-Lube powder and immediately stir briskly with a large fork creating a convection-shaped motion within the mix while trying not to froth/foam the surface. Continue beating until there are very few clumps left. This will take a minute or two with a healthy wrist.

To make the bubble juice, add two cups of concentrate to one gallon of distilled water. (Edward notes: unless you have really bad water, you should be able to use tap water without ill effect.)

'''Mike's notes'''. Mike notes that the concentrate seems to improve with age for at least a few weeks. He typically mixes it up the night before a bubbling session and will turn the jug end-over-end, jiggle and shake the jug of concentrate too, before going to bed and before making bubbles the next day to make sure that it is well mixed. He uses cotton piping cord for his tri-string loops and fabulous garland wands. He prefers [http://www.simplicity.com/p-871-wrights-632-cotton-piping-cord-50yds.aspx Wright's 6/32 inch Cotton Piping Cord] which can be found at Joanne's Fabrics among other places. Note: this cord is also available as Wright's 6/32-inch Cotton Filler cord. As such, it is often available in the sewing needs section of Walmart.

'''J-Lube Note''' (March 2015). The amount of J-Lube used is quite a bit compared to many other recipes. We suspect that this amount may need to be adjusted down somewhat if you are using fresh, full-potency J-Lube. If the diluted mix is TOO stringy (see [[PEO]]), try using half the amount of J-Lube.

[[File:Bubbling Mount Davidson|thumb|left|660px|All bubbles made in this video made with this recipe]]{{ClearFloat}}

[[File:Bubbling Sutro Heights Park|thumb|left|660px|A fabulous video made with the solution described here (some shots in the video make use of Sterling's recipe).]]{{ClearFloat}}

#Fill bucket with 1 gallon of the hottest tap water possible. (Mark your bucket at this level for future mixes so you can fill directly from the sink.)

# Sprinkle in the J-Lube as slowly as possible to avoid clumping while quickly stirring the water with a chopstick. (I use a coated/lacquered chopstick to keep the J-Lube from sticking and accumulating on it, you can probably use a knife or fork.)

# (Mark the bucket at this level for future mixes.)

'''IMPORTANT NOTE''': The amount of J-Lube you use may have to be adjusted. This recipe is based on full-potency J-Lube. The result will be a slightly stringy mix. The amount of J-Lube is about 8 times what we call the nominal minimum effective concentration (NMEC) of fresh J-Lube (see [[PEO]]). If your mix is not "stringy" (see the [[PEO]] article) at all you may need to increase the amount by 2-4 times.

[[File:How To Blow Giant Bubbles Part 3|thumb|right|335 px]]Wayne Schmidt performed extensive testing of a number of recipes and recipe variants and came up with a J-Lube and Surgilube based recipe that you will find [[Recipes_Wayne_Schmidt|here]]. On his [[Recipes_Wayne_Schmidt|recipe page]], you will also find a link to the excellent page where he details his search for the ideal bubble recipe. '''Don't miss it'''!{{ClearFloat}}

In the Soap Bubble Fancier's Yahoo group, Sterling Johnson -- who creates amazing bubbles with just his hands and bubble juice -- has [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/soapbubblefanciers/message/9501 published] his preferred recipe which is reproduced with the author's permission. It is very good at different dilutions for anything from small to large bubbles. It can be used with your hands as the wands, or with traditional bubbling equipment.

Combine the concentrate ingredients. If you can leave it uncovered overnight, it may improve the mix. Combine 1 part of concentrate with 6 parts water. Add BLM at the rate of 1 to 4 ounces per gallon. Sterling notes that he uses a little less than 6 parts water for indoor work.

[[File:Early Morning Bubbles. Hilly Fields. London SE4|thumb|left|660px|Lionel demonstrates his bubble juice]] {C}{{ClearFloat}}

'''It is good to remember, when you have a good mix, you still need special air qualities for the really big bubbles. If your formula is one that is supposed to be good for big bubbling and does not seem to be working, it is usually an air quality issue. The answer to "What's the best formula?" depends on Wand Size and Material, the conditions of the bubbling site and your bubbling goals. If I say I think something works better, that means I think it makes bigger bubbles. Any big bubbling mix should also work great for small bubbles as they are easy to make.'''

When Procter and Gamble (maker of Dawn and Joy) messed up the dishsoap formulas again (so our regular, simple formulas quit working), we began to look for a new one. In 2005 "Ehud the Bubbleman" joined in the fun here in Oregon. He became somewhat obsessed with bubbling and with very open-minded bubble formula experiments. After hundreds of hours of testing my ideas and his ideas and those discussed on the Soapbubblefanciers Yahoo group, we came up with this formula that works well (even in light to medium rain)! This batch makes a pretty full 5 gallon bucketful: sorry, I don't have the metric conversions handy.

[[File:2011 11 Beach Bubbles|thumb|left|660px|Beach Giants made on a windy day with this recipe.]] {{ClearFloat}}

*69 grams Dawn Pro dishwashing detergent

The next day, you can no longer use our article here!

[[File:2618_phc_slightly_slightly_diluted_06_cropped.png|300px|right]]These recipes are viscous bubble juices for those that like slow-flowing mixes. They are capable of creating long tubes and beautiful giants. [[Recipes_PHC|PHC Recipes.]] They use PEO, HPMC and CMC.{{ClearFloat}}

This recipe uses only ingredients that should be easy to find locally. Glycerin can be found at WalMart or Whole Foods and in most health food stores. This bubble juice is good but not as good as recipes that make use of J-Lube. It is appropriate for small wands and medium-sized rigid wands (with loops up to about 5 or 6 inches in diameter) and small to medium-size tri-string wands (tri-strings with top strings up to about 30 inches or so).

The concentrated, undiluted version of the recipe is really only appropriate for using with small wands (it is great with the little plastic wands that come in small bottles of bubble juice) as it is very very viscous and too messy for using with larger wands (and too expensive, too). But it is great with those small wands. You will get many many many very colorful bubbles per dip.

*3 oz Dawn Manual Pot & Pan. [This can be found at Smart & Final and janitorial supply shops]. If you can't find Dawn Manual Pot & Pan, you can use Ultra Dawn or Ultra Joy, or (even better) Dawn that is marked as 'Non-Ultra' on the back. Dawn 'Non-Ultra' was discontinued a few years ago (this article is being written in Sept. 2010) but still is available in some dollar stores. If using an 'Ultra' detergent, don't use less than this recipe calls for. The ultra detergents don't see to behave as if they are more concentrated when being used for bubble solution.

'''Mixing instructions''': Use 1/2 cup (4 ounces) of hot but not boiling water. (You can use either very hot tap water or heat the water in the microwave). Mix the hot 1/2 cup of water with the lube. Stir vigorously until the lube dissolves/incorporates into the water. Add the detergent and glycerin (if you are using it) and gently stir. You don't want to foam up the mix. Put the remaining water in the bottle or container that you will use for storing the bubble juice. Now, add the detergent/lube/glycerin mix to the bottle containing the water. Put the top on the bottle and turn it gently end over end to mix the ingredients. {C}The bubble juice can be used right away, but it will improve if you leave it for a day or two--occasionally turning the bottle end over end--as the KY-Jelly takes a few days to fully hydrate and mix. Some people find that leaving the top off of the container for a few days also makes a difference.

Add your recipe below here. The wiki editors will move it into place.

[[File:Daddy' Engineer's Guar Recipe|thumb|right|335 px]]Hello, love your site and have been learning about giant bubbles for a few years now. Started a blog and put up an easy to mix Guar recipe - nothing novel but also included a video on mixing. Hope it's value add to the site.

Andrew aka DaddyEngineer

Mix all together and that's it,enjoy!

Not used up "soup" keep in the fridge, before use warm it up a little.