Does anyone know how much Formic Acid is used to make a 5 gal. pickel? And what the Ph should be?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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Hello James,
Its 3/4 fluid oz. per every 1 gallon of water. Ph of 2.0-2.3
With a PH above 2 I would be sure to add some Bactericide to it.Rittel's PS-650 is ideal.
Hope this helps,
Dave
I use 10ccs of formic to 4 gal water.5lb of salt and 2 0z pre-tan 110
never have any problems. Too much formic will result in stiff skins
with no stretch
Formic Acid comes in different percentages. Usually its sold as 85% or 90%. Each one requires a different dosage. I have used the 85% - using 0.9 fl. ozs. to each 1 gallon of Water, plus 1 Lb. of Salt. This is an excellent pickle. The PH is usually 2.0-2.2 PH. I havent heard of using too much Formic Acid will cause stiff skins with no stretch - but using an excess of Acid may cause "singe" in the fur or hair. Otherwise, once neutralized, the effects of the acid are eliminated and much of the final "stretchiness" of the skin will depend on your choice of a tan and oil.