Bad coffee

modafoto · Nov 14, 2004

Hi

I was trying out the wonders of Caffenol but with failure as a result.
Can someone tell me where I did wrong?

Here is the details:

Tri-X rated at ISO 400
Developed in 300 ml. water, 4 teaspoons of instant coffee and 2 teaspoons of washing soda
Developed it for 30 minutes @ 68F
Agitation: 1 minutes continuous, 10 sec. every minute.
Washed the film with water
Fixed it in Acidofix
Washed in running water for 20 minutes

The negs came out VERY thin. All I could see in the film was a few highlights. The start of the film, which is exposed when loading and unloading the camera, was not black (as it was supposed to be) but light grey.

The film was, as I see it, heavily underdeveloped.

Please tell me where I went wrong....

Greetings Morten

PS.: I guess it's the punishment for messing 'round with other stuff than Hot Rod.

oriecat · Nov 14, 2004

The recipe i've seen calls for 8 oz of water, which would be more like 225-250 ml of water, so if you used 300, then it was probably diluted too much.

Sorry it didn't work out for you.

Rocky · Nov 14, 2004

Hello,

I don't think you did anything wrong. The only time I read of using coffee as a developer the article indicated that the negatives were extremely flat and thin. It was simply done to prove that coffee could develop film.

IMHO,
Rocky

Peter Schrager · Nov 14, 2004

Coffee

Use XTOL and drink your coffee!
Peter

TPPhotog · Nov 14, 2004

peters said:
Use XTOL and drink your coffee!
Peter

Better still use Rodinal and drink the coffee with a single malt in

rbarker · Nov 14, 2004

peters said:
Use XTOL and drink your coffee!
Peter

XTOL and drink the coffee? Morten would probably rather put the coffee in the XTOL and drink selenium toner if he was barred from using Rodinal.

modafoto · Nov 14, 2004

TPPhotog said:
Better still use Rodinal and drink the coffee with a single malt in

Yes...but I won't drink instant coffee. I'll brew me some goooood coffee instead. But I WANT to succeed with this Caffenol stuff...So I hope someone can help me out.

TPPhotog · Nov 14, 2004

modafoto said:
Yes...but I won't drink instant coffee. I'll brew me some goooood coffee instead. But I WANT to succeed with this Caffenol stuff...So I hope someone can help me out.

Must admit I'm interested in hearing more as I've been tempted ever since reading about it here LOL But couldn't resist the last comment

David A. Goldfarb · Nov 14, 2004

Rate the film at 200. It's hard enough to get an EI of 400 out of Tri-X, even with something that's supposed to develop film.

rbarker · Nov 14, 2004

modafoto said:
. . . But I WANT to succeed with this Caffenol stuff...So I hope someone can help me out.

I haven't tried coffee-as-developer, but has anyone tried espresso instead of instant? Maybe with a twist of lemon rubbed on the edge of the tank?

Peter Schrager · Nov 14, 2004

Coffee

I think someone got into Morten's cuboard and he's drinking the Rodinal. He's so delusional he thinks he can make pretty little pictures with his coffee! Better forget the coffee and just head straight for the MALT!
Peter

Ole · Nov 14, 2004

TPPhotog said:
Better still use Rodinal and drink the coffee with a single malt in

That's alcohol abuse. that is! If you put anything in coffee, use whiskey - not whisky.

Now go and rinse your keyboard in HCA

TPPhotog · Nov 14, 2004

Ole said:
That's alcohol abuse. that is! If you put anything in coffee, use whiskey - not whisky.

Now go and rinse your keyboard in HCA

OK &^&*_ ^& )*() key^&*^*&boards now £%^% !"£ washed but it _)(_£$"£ don't work $%^£% very %$£%$ well ^&$£"% now

Christian Kolinski · Nov 14, 2004

modafoto said:
Hi

I was trying out the wonders of Caffenol but with failure as a result.
Can someone tell me where I did wrong?

The negs came out VERY thin. All I could see in the film was a few highlights. The start of the film, which is exposed when loading and unloading the camera, was not black (as it was supposed to be) but light grey.

The film was, as I see it, heavily underdeveloped.

Please tell me where I went wrong....

Well, you simply went wrong by thinking you could get away without testing .

The results of Caffenol varies widely depending on the brand of coffe you use. In a discussion in photo.net we kinda figured out that the better coffee is the worse developer. When using a 100% Arabica I have to use almoust twice the amount of coffee than using the cheap robusta.

modafoto · Nov 14, 2004

TPPhotog said:
OK &^&*_ ^& )*() key^&*^*&boards now £%^% !"£ washed but it _)(_£$"£ don't work $%^£% very %$£%$ well ^&$£"% now

SEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAANNNNNNN!!!!!!!

SOMEONE IS HIJACKING MY THREAD.

Seems like only few can come up with an answer...damn!

modafoto · Nov 14, 2004

Christian Kolinski said:
Well, you simply went wrong by thinking you could get away without testing .

This was the first test...

TPPhotog · Nov 14, 2004

modafoto said:
SEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAANNNNNNN!!!!!!!

SOMEONE IS HIJACKING MY THREAD.

Seems like only few can come up with an answer...damn!

Awwwwwwwww we wouldn't do that to you my friend, we're just passing time whilst bumping up your question so that it down't get lost. HONEST

modafoto · Nov 14, 2004

TPPhotog said:
Awwwwwwwww we wouldn't do that to you my friend, we're just passing time whilst bumping up your question so that it down't get lost. HONEST

Ok...I believe you....but ONLY because you are a trusted deputy priest in the COR

TPPhotog · Nov 14, 2004

modafoto said:
Ok...I believe you....but ONLY because you are a trusted deputy priest in the COR

Dean Williams · Nov 14, 2004

Morton, here's what I do, and I know it works with Tri-X rated at 200.

Mix two slightly rounded teaspoons of Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda in 8 ounces distilled water. Mix until well dissolved and water is CLEAR.
Add four rounded teaspoons of Folgers coffee crystals (NOT decaf!)
Mix again until coffee is completely dissolved then continue mixing slowly until all foam is returned back into the liquid.
Develop at 70 deg F for 30 min, first min agitate and 5 inversions in 10 seconds each minute thereafter. Water stop (mostly because I didn't want coffee in my fix) and fix as usual.
I got slightly dense negs with a fair amount of base fog, but they print normally with about a 3 1/2 contrast filter. Slightly grainy, but seem to represent a full range.

I've only done this half a dozen times, mostly just messing around, but it works.

I don't know if you have to use Folgers or Arm and Hammer brands, but I know that they work.

I tried using pure sodium carbonate (no brand name) and it works the same. (By the way, I wrote to the Arm and Hammer Co. and they say their washing soda is pure sodium carbonate).
I tried using strong coffee brewed the old fashioned way and got nothing at all. I tried using baking soda--nothing.

Your turn to try .

rjr · Nov 14, 2004

Morten,

modafoto said:
Yes...but I won't drink instant coffee. I'll brew me some goooood coffee instead. But I WANT to succeed with this Caffenol stuff...So I hope someone can help me out.

Sure, there we got the problem - you give yourself the good stuff while your films have to suffer being bathed in instant coffee? Is this fair? No - no wonder they were underdeveloped... this happens when a film receives no proper treatment and love - just like with kids.

Next time drink the Instant coffee and treat the APX with Rodinal. Or a decent Arabica.

titrisol · Nov 15, 2004

By using 300 ml you need 2 more tsps of coffee and 1 more tsp of Washing soda
Also your development time seems very short, I'd give it another 20 minutes.

I have had the best results with films in the 100 EI range (FP4, JC Classic)

For 300ml (12 oz)

3 tsp Washing soda (dissolve this first)
6 tsp Instant coffee

Develop for about 30-45 minutes @20C

Stop/fix/wash as usual

modafoto said:
Yes...but I won't drink instant coffee. I'll brew me some goooood coffee instead. But I WANT to succeed with this Caffenol stuff...So I hope someone can help me out.

modafoto · Nov 15, 2004

titrisol said:
By using 300 ml you need 2 more tsps of coffee and 1 more tsp of Washing soda
Also your development time seems very short, I'd give it another 20 minutes.

I have had the best results with films in the 100 EI range (FP4, JC Classic)

For 300ml (12 oz)

3 tsp Washing soda (dissolve this first)
6 tsp Instant coffee

Develop for about 30-45 minutes @20C

Stop/fix/wash as usual

Thanks! I'll try with a roll of Agfa 100 (any objections?). What about the T-Max or Delta? Does the grain type of these film respond to this?

Morten

titrisol · Nov 15, 2004

I dodn't have good experience with APX400, but APX100 should be fine
Just note that APX 100 times are usually longer than the rest so 45 min should be fine.
Try bracketing the roll from 50 to 125 or so and see which one looksbest

I just got some EFKE 100 and I'll be trying that one soon.

garryl · Nov 15, 2004

It was just a matter of time---

http://english.pravda.ru/main/18/90/361/14585_coffee.html

Bad coffee

modafoto

oriecat

Rocky

Peter Schrager

TPPhotog

rbarker

modafoto

TPPhotog

David A. Goldfarb

Moderator

rbarker

Peter Schrager

Ole

Moderator

TPPhotog

Christian Kolinski

modafoto

modafoto

TPPhotog

modafoto

TPPhotog

Dean Williams

rjr

titrisol

modafoto

titrisol

garryl

Bad coffee

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