Help with vinegaroon

[Davi]

Hey guys, wondering if anyone can help me with the batch of vinegaroon I'm attempting to make. 

Its my first batch and it's a bit of an experiment. 

I managed to get a big bottle of non brewed condiment cheap and 2 full packs of wilkinson down brand wire wool. I combined them and placed a brewing bung / airlock in the top and placed outside. 

Qfter about 2 weeks there has been some reaction as a test piece of letter went a medium grey colour but there is a lot of wool left and the liquid is still pretty clear. 

Do you think the cold temperature outside has slowed it down or is the NBC just never going to work for this?

I've brought it inside to see if that helps and will give it another month but if the consensus is that this won't work, I'll start assembling the ingridienta for another batch. 

[Tob]

I used about 12 oz. of vinegar in an empty and clean alfredo jar and stuck some 00 steel wool in it.  At least once a day I'd mix it up and move it around, then just stick the lid on loosely.  Took a while for all the steel wool to completely disappear.  From what I have read, 70+ temps enable to the process to go quicker.  Mine does leave a darker shade of gray, with subsequent applications getting darker to a point.  Oil and other finishing touches gives a fairly dark dark gray/black.  If you use strong tea or coffee, it gets even better prior to applying the 'roon.  All this I have gleaned from this site.

Biggest thing, keep warm, mix at least once a day, filter when done, have patience, and enjoy.

Last step for using 'roon: make a mixture of water and baking soda and rinse and lightly hand rub the leather to neutralize the acidity of the vinegaroon.

[YinTx]

Not sure what non brewed condiment is, but assuming it is just vinegar.  You should get a really dark black if things go right, and you have to keep it out of the "orange" stage.  There was a post here a while back about how to make the stuff pretty fast compared to the traditional techniques - I may try it next time I need a batch.  

Myself, I've just soaped some 00 steel wool to get the oils out of it, fluffed it up some, and dunked it into a quart glass mayonnaise jar (mason jar, etc will work fine) filled with vinegar, with a very loose lid and waited for a couple of weeks - over 75F.  Never bothered to stir it, then gently decanted it into another glass jar.  Apply to leather, wait 15-30 seconds, and dunk in the baking soda rinse, and then rinse really well in a clean water bucket.  Let it dry, put on some neetsfoot oil, and off to the races with some nice, black leather!  (sometimes, you have to wait a few days for the odor to subside...)

YinTx

[Tob]

Different leathers will react differently.  Sometimes from the same hide.  Try on a piece not critical to your project, ala scrap.  Some will need the extra tannins from the coffee or tea.  Best part is no rub off.  Some extra care will be needed to make sure you get all the acids neutralized if you are going to use it next to steel.