Dyeing Red-Brown with Quebracho — The Industrial Tannin of South American Hardwood

Use 15-30% WOF of quebracho extract. For 100 g of wool, weigh out 15-30 g of extract. Quebracho extract is sold as a concentrated powder or dark red-brown block. It is far more concentrated than raw bark — a little goes a long way. The extract should be a deep, dark red-brown. If using a block, shave or grate it into small pieces for faster dissolving.

Add the quebracho extract to 4 litres of hot water (80°C) and stir vigorously until fully dissolved. Quebracho extract dissolves readily in hot water — much easier than working with raw bark. The liquid will turn a deep, vivid red-brown within minutes. If using block extract, it may take 10-15 minutes of stirring and soaking to dissolve completely. No overnight soaking is needed.

Pre-wet wool in lukewarm water for 15 minutes, squeeze gently, and lower into the quebracho dye bath at room temperature. Slowly raise to 80°C and hold for 45-60 minutes. Turn gently every 10 minutes. No mordant is needed — quebracho tannins bond directly to protein fibres with excellent permanence. The wool will develop a rich, warm red-brown — deeper and redder than cutch or oak bark. For burgundy tones, use a higher concentration (30% WOF). For lighter rust-red, use less (15% WOF).

Turn off the heat and let the wool cool in the dye bath overnight — the colour deepens significantly during cooling. Remove, squeeze gently, and rinse in lukewarm water until the runoff is mostly clear. The final colour is a warm, rich red-brown to burgundy — the most vivid red achievable from any tannin dye. Washfastness is excellent — tannin-fibre bonds are among the most permanent in natural dyeing. Lightfastness is good. Iron modification shifts the colour toward dark chocolate-brown to near-black. Quebracho also serves as an excellent tannin pre-mordant for cotton and linen. Dry in shade.