I have been using Trubond 1000b and getting good results. When I make the pickle using 1 lb of salt and 3 oz of citric acid per gallon it has a pH of 1.5 after adding the skins the pH goes to a 2 and later to a 2.5. Although it has never gone any higher, I would be more at ease if it was a solid 2. Can I spike it by adding some more citric acid or should I mix another gallon of pickle and add it, or should I just leave well enough alone?

Is there a benefit to leaving a hide in the pickle longer or shorter? If so, what?

The only other tanning solution I have used was the orange bottle and it did not have a pickling stage. The results were not as good imo. Is it because of the lack of pickling?

Thanks!

I always used safety acid. We lived in the country at one time and the well water always threw off my ph levels.

Why are the skins raising the PH so much.Perhaps you are putting too much skins in the solution(crowding),or your skins may need bating(lowering PH) before pickling.If you wash skins with soap during or after the relaxing soak,this will raise the ph of the skins since soap is alkali.Bating will neutralize the alkali of the skin.With furskins a good rinse in clear water should be sufficient to neutralise soap in the skin.Bating with boric acid or vinegar is usually done to skins that have gone thru hair removal with lime.
You could add a little vinegar to the rinse water,but don't leave the furskins soak in a strong vinegar solution before pickling.

tbn- the pickle seems fine until I add the skins. I am thinking it is not the water.

Boco- I have done skins from dry as well as from fleshing straight into the pickle. To rehydrate I use a water and salt solution. I have rinsed hides with just water, but have not used any soap. Could the moisture in a natural pelt or one that has been rehydrated mess with the pH? Maybe I am overcrowding. I the most I have done was 3 rabbits, 2 fox, and 1 mink in four gallons of pickle and the least I have done is 3 rabbits in two gallons of pickle.

Would a little vinegar in the pickle or additional citric acid improve it?

Adding citric acid will lower the ph.Test with ph papers until you get it around 1.5.
Sounds like a bit too much skins for the pickle.I would do 1 fox per 1.5 gal of pickle.
You can re use the pickle as long as it is clean and the ph remains below 2.

I will try that. Thanks!

Add a bit more salt too in addition to the pickle.

I have to adjust my ph when using Luftan. I just add a slight amount of acid, if I over-do it, a tiny amount of baking soda helps bring it back the other way.

I added another 3 oz of citric acid and a little salt and it brought it down.