Brown ID11 / D76

[xwhatsit]

Microphen has been my thing up until this point, used it to develop everything. However I have a large amount of Tri-X now, and wanted to try the `classic combo', so got some ID11/D76.

My darkroom is a bathroom. I use 1L clear plastic soft-drink bottles to store the developer. I have often accidentally left the Microphen bottle sitting on the windowsill while I've been at work before and have never had an issue. I regularly get 15 consistently developed 24-exp rolls out of a litre of Microphen (using the Ilford time-compensation method). Ilford recommend the same approach with their ID11, so that's what I've been doing.

I left both my current litre of Microphen and litre of ID11 sitting on the windowsill while I was at work today; I came home and to my surprise while the Microphen still looks freshly mixed, my 4-roll-old ID11 has turned a fairly dark brown colour. It's winter here, there are trees behind the bathroom, it's frosted glass -- nevertheless, is this (what I thought was an old wive's) tale about exposing developer to light actually true? If so, why did it only affect the ID11? Looking at the ingredients there's not much to distinguish the Microphen from the ID11, the Microphen just seems to have a few extra bits and bobs.

Wondering whether or not to try the developer. Seems a waste to throw it out, but I suppose it's only $NZ10 for a litre.

 

[Ian Grant]

Metol is affected by light and oxidises, Phenidone is far less sensitive. So it'll be wasting film trying it now better to start with fresh.

Ian.

 

[xwhatsit]

Blargh. Right when I have a back-log of 8 rolls and some free time to soup them

Wish there was a local shop I could buy developer.

I wish Ilford (and Kodak too!) would supply this information on their datasheets along with the rest of the storage instructions. I genuinely thought this was a myth!

EDIT: I did a couple of rolls in the Microphen (which, by the way, look well exposed, so no issue with sunlight and Microphen obviously -- must be the phenidone, cheers Ian); while I was at it I dunked the snipped film leader in some of the brown ID11, then fixed it. It blackened like any other film leader. Might have to spool up and shoot a 6- or 12-exposure roll and test this weird brown developer!