Can anyone tell me WHY my buttercream roses are not right. The consistency of the icing is great, they hold their shape perfectly but I can't get the tops of my pedals to be smooth instead of jagged. It's driving me crazy! I've put syrup in them I've added a little bit of water and they still come out jagged. Can anybody tell me what to do I've got tons of icing made and I don't want to have to throw it out and start over.

open the narrow tip of the tube a bit with a butter knife or something

I did that. It's not on just one of my petal tips it's on both of them. Is it possible to be doing it from both of them?

I did that. It's not on just one of my petal tips it's on both of them. Is it possible to be doing it from both of them?

I went back and open the chips more and it's still doing it. It's got to be something wrong with my icing. I added extra Crisco instead of butter so it would be white . Could that be it? Does the butter make that much difference?

don't hate me for saying this -- is the tip perfectly clean? I mean the only way I know to ask that is because sometimes there's old icing in some of my rose tubes that has to be scraped out with a long pin -- and is your confectioner's sugar pure cane sugar?? is your buttercream -- I know you put stuff in it to thin it -- but is your buttercream a little grainy?

if there are lumps in your icing it will clog the tube

I use a pearl head pin to clean out the tube as I pipe too -- you can sweep it around in there without dismantling the whole piping bag -- pearl head pin like they use for banquet skirting -- 

Ok. I'll try that. Maybe there is icing stck in the tip.

Thank you.

Its pure sugar and crisco only. I don't clean at it between Every Rose when I'm making them in succession but they are clean when I start. No I don't take offense. I appreciate your help. I think it's dry. It looks dry. Is not Lumpy and I use a big stand mixer. maybe it's my recipe. I went back and added even more water and it seemed to have helped a little. This is actually just my practice icing but I want to get them right. Thank you so much for all your help. I'm going to try everything you said.

It's too dry. You don't want to thin it down with more water, it needs more fat (Crisco) to make it creamier.

I have this exact problem. My friend thought me how to make roses with canned icing from the store and those were beautiful, when I tried with my own buttercream (half butter half crisco) I always get jagged edges. I can make a pretty carnation, but no rose! If I use the large side of the tip up they turn out okay just super fat and I really dislike that kind of look. Let me know if you find how to fix this problem! I would love to be able to make roses.

Honey, I strive for my roses to have jagged edges!  I think that makes them look more real.    If we could see a pic of them maybe we would have different suggestions.  The one other thing that might be contributing is the recipe/icing.  Maybe you need just a tiny bit more shortening added.  You want the icing creamy as opposed to thinner so don't use a liquid.

I ended up adding more water. The icing was dry. After all the karo I added it was still obviously very dry. So I added even more water, little too thin, put another spoonful of powdered sugar in it and it was just right. And I made roses. I don't like the jagged edges on my roses. I don't think they look real. I want smooth pretty ones. I know next time I make that buttercream recipe I will definitely have to add more milk than called for. Thanks everyone for all your help.

Everyone likes something different. 

I`ve opened my rose tips with a knife.