Dyeing Roving in my Kitchen

Cool down period can take 3 or more hours.

So I am dyeing roving today (Actually it is top, not roving). I dyed it yesterday and will probably be dyeing all week. I have only been dyeing yarn up to this point. Obviously I love it. I  sold my cottons and wools at our local farmers market this summer and took a carding class at the Taos Wool Festival.

So now all I can think about is dyeing roving. I have done my research. I've read many books, reviewed many youtube videos and bought a few videos. None of these dealt with the issue of dyeing in bulk.

Would you mind telling me about your set up? I really like my Greener Shades dyes and am more interested in dyeing roving, carding it into batts and then spinning it, than I am about batch dyeing yarn.

My set up for immersion dyeing is several 8-12 quart pans on my stovetop (yes, they are designated for dyeing, not food). (By the way, this is the basic way I dye yarn, the exception is that I do a 2-3 step gradiation of dyeing 2/3 of the yarn into one pot and then dyeing the un-dyed bit in another pot.)

1. I soak in a vinegar water bath(1:4 ratio) for 1/2 hour (Longer for non-superwash).
2. I place the damp tied roving into a pot of super hot salted and vinegar water (1/4 C) to which I have just added my dye stock, less hot than most because my boiling point is lower at 2 miles above sea level.
3. I simmer for about 20 minutes until exhausted and add a bit more vinegar if not exhausted after 30 minutes. During this hot water phase, I gently move this roving with a chopstick or tongs to keep it off the the bottom and to try to open up any pockets of denseness.
4. I remove the pot from the stovetop and let it cool down, 3 - 10 hours, depending on if I'm done for the day.
5. I squeeze excess out water and place the roving a rinse bath of same temperature water with a squirt of dish soap. I gently squeeze it a few times, then place it in a final rinse bath and repeat. It has exhausted so I am basically getting the vinegar smell out here.
6. I squeeze excess water out again and put it in my spinner to get it to a just damp state and then hang it to dry for 2 days. I am then ready to card these solid colors into batts.

My roving today is Superwash Merino. I am dyeing in 8 quart wal-mart broth pans. I have an old turkey roaster that I haven't used yet. I haven't dyed in the oven yet.  I've tried the microwave for yarn and it went well, but I want to dye in bulk. I would really like to dye about 200 to 400 lbs twice a year. I'm willing to try anything to dye faster. My true passion is carding and spinning.

Finished batt

My issues so far are as follows:

1. I'm fearful of felting if I change up my method
2. Resisted areas (Do I need the Ties?)
3. Is there a better way?
4. Are my pots to small for 200 grams of roving?

I want to dye in amount over 200 grams
When I dye in those amount, the color resists at the ties and in side dense areas.

Advise from Ravelry was to use giant pots for immersion or use them to handpaint and steam (Thank you Evil Genius Dye Lab). More advise from Wild Onion Studio recommended I not tie my roving, cut out my second rinse, have larger pots for the amount of roving so there is more room, and not squeezing out water as I go from one stage to another. I will take all of this advise and post again, my new routine when I have it down.