Im using pickling crystals included in the lutan F kit and have done a few hides with no problems until now. I made a fresh pickle bath and the PH tested out fine until I placed my deer cape into it. The cape has been properly salt dried, rehydrated then placed into the pickle. Yesterday I tested the ph and it was higher than it should be so as per instructions I added more crystals to bring it back down. Again this evening I tested it and again it was too high, I adjusted it while shaving on the skin and now the ph is back up above where it should be. This is the first time Ive experienced this and was wondering if anyone could explain what is happening. Thanks
Ron
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You have to keep adding acid until it stablizes at the lower pH. Be sure you dont wieght the hide down with a cinder block. You are getting a somewhat normal reaction with th epH rise.
I was starting to get a little worried though all my previous hides have been much smaller than this deer hide.
I'm amazed this topic that repeatedly comes up and nobody addresses the problem. If you look at the archives I have addressed it everytime someone puts a post in about Ph levels rising. Wisachgak answered the question himself. The last post said this cape was much larger than the others he has had. It's not in the salt, its the size of the cape. Larger capes require more acid, normal mixing instructions doesn't account for cape sizes. They give ONE MIXING RECEIPE, thats it. So people with less experience try and tan a large cape with the receipe and bingo the Ph rises. Look at my post in the past on this topic but everyone seems to ignore it!
Sodium chloride has absolutely no influence on pH. It is a strong electrolyte and dissociates completly in water.
The size of the cape surely would have some bearing on this rise in pH, but more than likely another chemical has come into play...was this cape treated with borax perhaps?
Was used on this cape nor has it been introduced to any other chemicals other than the salt (which it took a great deal of) and the pickle. The solution has stabilized now with the addition of more crystals and I am assuming that it was maybe a combination of the salt in the cape and perhaps the size of the cape.
and read the previous post. Salt alone cannot have an effect on pH in your pickle solutions.