Cheap wine = great chemical container?

Mainecoonmaniac · Jul 3, 2011

Out here in California, we have a grocery chain called Trader Joes. They have 3 liter wine in boxes for under $10 U.S.

I've drank all the wine and I now have an empty box with a bladder and a spigot. I'm going to put some film developer in it. Do you think it's a good idea? The bladder is made of a double layer of polyethelene. Here are some pics. Here's a tip. The black spigot won't unscrew. You'll have to pull it out of the plastic collar. It's also fun getting the wine box empty!

markbarendt · Jul 3, 2011

Yep, works great for XTol stock.

Actually works great.

jp498 · Jul 3, 2011

Rinse it out real good first.

I once went on a week long canoe trip and our leader used these to store drinking water. Water in them for a week had lots of wine taste to it.

Gerald C Koch · Jul 3, 2011

Have you noticed that good wine is never packaged like this? Think about it! Cheap wine is intended to be drunk soon after it is produced. Polyethylene containers are porous to oxygen which is neither good for wine or developers.

tomalophicon · Jul 3, 2011

Gerald C Koch said:
Have you noticed that good wine is never packaged like this? Think about it! Cheap wine is intended to be drunk soon after it is produced. Polyethylene containers are porous to oxygen which is neither good for wine or developers.

Well, here at APUG we should be finishing our developer soon after it's opened to keep film manufacturers in business. Maybe it's good incentive for that.

Mainecoonmaniac · Jul 4, 2011

Buy more wine and film developer

tomalophicon said:
Well, here at APUG we should be finishing our developer soon after it's opened to keep film manufacturers in business. Maybe it's good incentive for that.

I hope I don't ruin a good batch of film developer from this experiment. If it does, I'll hit the cheap wine and I won't care

tomalophicon · Jul 4, 2011

Mainecoonmaniac said:
I hope I don't ruin a good batch of film developer from this experiment. If it does, I'll hit the cheap wine and I won't care

Or just drink the developer and see what happens

BetterSense · Jul 4, 2011

I've been storing my Xtol, D76 and Dektol in these for years. The 5L Franzia ones actually fit a whole 5L batch of Xtol. No problems with storing the stock solution for beyond its specified shelf life, and Dektol stays fresh-colored to the very end so I assume there is no problem with permeability. Very convenient spout, too. You just yank the spout out of its socket to refill. It becomes easier to remove after a couple times.

Mainecoonmaniac · Jul 4, 2011

Good to hear. I'm decanting my XTOL tomorrow into the wine box. APUGers are so resourceful.

hoffy · Jul 4, 2011

I believe that some of the chems used in Frontier type mini labs come in such packages, so I can't see why they wouldn't work.

Ottrdaemmerung · Jul 4, 2011

A few months ago, I had to submit samples of two days' worth of my urine for testing after suffering from kidney stones. The firm that did the testing supplied me (at my later expense, of course) with two sturdy orange plastic 1-gallon containers for the urine collection. Of course, I washed them out thoroughly afterward and kept them for the next time I mix up some D-76! :-D

Monophoto · Jul 4, 2011

At least one chemical manufacturer (Sprint) has been using plastic bladders in cardboard boxes for bulk chemicals for more than 20 years.

Begs the question, though - which is more fun: making the pictures, or drinking the wine.

Murray Kelly · Jul 4, 2011

Works well. Been using the local (Australian ones) which appear to be mylar with 3 layers of aluminised plastic. The Dektol is still good after a year. We don't have '2 Buck Chuck' here but the el cheapo wines have a use by date about 1 year from packing and even that stuff would soon show any signs of acetic acid. Since the bag collapses as you draw off the developer there is no air contamination.

bdial · Jul 4, 2011

The Sprint chems last a very long time in the bags they use. We have some Sprint developers for the VCP darkroom, the last time I tested the stuff it was fine even after a few years of storage.

(The VCP darkroom gets little use these days).

Mainecoonmaniac · Jul 4, 2011

The box wine I got is Aussie wine

I think Aussies give Californians a run for the money when it comes to wine quality. My wine box was probably shipped bulk from Australia then boxed in Cali.

Mainecoonmaniac · Jul 4, 2011

Ottrdaemmerung said:
The firm that did the testing supplied me (at my later expense, of course) with two sturdy orange plastic 1-gallon containers for the urine collection. :-D

Now that's maximizing your healthcare dollars!

Mainecoonmaniac · Jul 4, 2011

Less for the landfill and...

Ottrdaemmerung said:
The firm that did the testing supplied me (at my later expense, of course) with two sturdy orange plastic 1-gallon containers for the urine collection. :-D

Maximizing your healthcare dollars!

MattKing · Jul 4, 2011

Before using it for wine, I might suggest first rinsing it with a small amount of developer first. That way you can ensure appropriate PH .

I think that the mylar based bags are less permeable than the clear ones, but may also be less rugged.

Mainecoonmaniac · Jul 4, 2011

I don't particularly like notes of sodium sulfite nor the metol finish in my chardonnay.

pentaxuser · Jul 4, 2011

As an avid reader of APUG whi tries to read most threads, I think we owe the winebag secret to a Canadian postman. Well I think that is his profession. He is called Murray Minchin.

Maybe someone mentioned winebags earlier than Murray but it is his name I associate with this tip.

I am a big fan of winebags but stick to the ones that look like silver bags. Without anything but gut instinct to guide me I have doubts about the keeping properties of the clear plastic bags.

pentaxuser

hoffy · Jul 5, 2011

http://www.amcor.com/products_services/wine_casks.html

If you look at the details tab, they say:

"Wine packaged in this way will have a shorter shelf life than bottled wine as the bladder is not hermetically sealed."

Define shorter shelf life?

jerl · Jul 5, 2011

Keeping in mind that good wines can last decades in properly sealed bottles, shorter could mean anything from months to years.

Mainecoonmaniac · Jul 5, 2011

Hi Jeri.
This leads me to think that even though some PE bladders are gas permeable, I would think it's a better alternative that a glass bottle that is half filled with developer. The one I'm using has a double layer of PE.

Jeff Kubach · Jul 5, 2011

Does this mean that analog photographers drink too much?

Jeff

Gerald C Koch · Jul 5, 2011

Mainecoonmaniac said:
Hi Jeri.
This leads me to think that even though some PE bladders are gas permeable, I would think it's a better alternative that a glass bottle that is half filled with developer. The one I'm using has a double layer of PE.

The amount of oxygen in a half filled glass bottle is limited. Once it is used there is no more unless the bottle is opened again. However, oxygen is constantly passing through the polyethylene bag.

Cheap wine = great chemical container?

Mainecoonmaniac

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