Pickling Question

[russch]

Hey all,

I have started a new batch of Pickle.  My old Pickle was Oxylic acid from a kit that I purchased some time ago.  The new Pickle was made from "Pickling Crystals" purchased from Van Dyke's.  I see no place on the container which lists the type of acid.

I have switched pickles simply because I ran out of acid for the old pickle and purchased new acid from Van Dyke's so I started from scratch.

I check the pH and salt concentration daily.

Here is my issue.  The "old" pickle ALWAYS smelled OK, not overpowering, and remained a very yellow color.  It has had several fatty mammal skins through it and is about 6 weeks old.

The new pickle is brown and has a very "earthy" smell to it.  It looks like very dirty brown water.  It has had mammal skins in it for only about 7 days.  The smell is very different and a bit overpowering.  Not overpowering with respect to chemical smell but to the earthy smell, not like rot but musky.  I did add a new pelt to it yesterday and the pH was fine, but the salt concentration was raised to a bit over 60.  I target 40-45.

I did notice that one of the mammals that I added first had a bit of visible blood on it but nothing out of the ordinary.

I did not wash these hides added to the new pickle before placing them in there.  The larger mammals added to the old pickle did get washed in Skin Prep and Lysol.

Any thing appear out of the ordinary to anyone?  I have ZERO knowledge of Van Dyke's Pickling Crystals.

Thanks for the help.

   

[oldshaver]

Your crystals are most likely oxalic crystals. The water is dirty, and a little smelly, because you skipped the re hydration bath. The re hydration bath, is where most of the blood, dirt,etc, comes out of the skin. A re hydration bath allows for a more stable pickle, in respect to measuring salt content, and Ph.

You can skip this step, but it will at least double pickle times, make for a dirty pickle, and give false readings on a salinometer. Your salt content is probably still at 40, but it is reading higher, from the impurities in the pickle. A sour smell will result.

[russch]

Aubrey,

Thank you.  I guess that I will wash the next hides and change over the pickle as soon as I pull these hides out.

I appreciate your response.

[Danny Buckner]

VanDykes pickling crystals are non-toxic and are a citric acid. I have used this pickle on deer and caribou with great results.  I never noticed the earth odor you describe but I change pickle baths frequently. May be overkill but it has sure kept me out of trouble and I have not worried about ph breakdown.

[fishslayer13]

Yes citric acid is a crystal sold in bags. Puts a nice swell on a skin, But blows at holding Ph very long. I think last time we messed with it we had to use 6 o/z per gallon
of water. Was good a coupe days then we had to CHARGE IT up every day to bring Ph down.