Indigo Vat Troubleshooting: Dark Blue Vat

Q: My vat is dark blue and not dyeing correctly, any idea what is wrong?

A: If your vat is dark blue, it is under-reduced. Are you using a metal container? If you heat the vat up to 120F (or higher) you can force out some of the dissolved oxygen, and it should redevelop the coppery scum on top. Stir it, let the sediment settle out for at least a half hour, then do another round of dyeing. You can also follow my directions on sharpening on my website : http://www.grahamkeegan.com/indigo-vat-basics/