D76 or Water?

[bvy]

I might have goofed and bottled some distilled water labeling it D76. I'm 99% sure that what's in the bottle really is D76, but I'd rather not find out after pulling out a clear strip of film.

The challenge, of course, is that D76 is pretty much colorless and odorless. Is there a quick and dirty test to tell what it's in the mystery bottle? I don't think I want to taste it -- but maybe D76 mixes with gin, who knows.

Thanks.

 

[Vaughn]

A piece of photopaper (an old unused piece of a test strip) in a small amount will start to develop in 30 sec or so.

Or just put some on a couple fingers -- as an alk., your fingers will feel slippery in the D-76.

 

[MattKing]

Have you any photographic paper? I bet D76 would develop it to black.

If you have any indicator stop, drop a drop of the solution into a drop of the stop and see if it changes colour.

 

[pentaxuser]

Use the first couple of inches of the film leader. It'll go black if the D76 is in fact D76. If it is water the leader will remain the same.


pentaxuser

 

[Mainecoonmaniac]

Put a drop of it on a piece of glass and let it dry out. If there are crystals, it's probably D76.

 

[Klainmeister]

Gurgle it like Listerine and if it forms thin bubbles in your throat, then it's probably d76. If not, most likely water.

 

[Rick A]

Dip your fingers in it, D-76 is slippery, plain water not so much.

 

[brian steinberger]

I did something similar to this one time, mixing up my pre-soak water and developer. I was thinking that maybe I did this while the film was "developing" in the water. I should have known that pre-soak water comes out colored and this pre-soak water (actually the developer) didn't come out colored! I tried smelling it, that didn't work. I wish I had know the slippery fingers idea! After that episode I gave up pre-soaking.

 

[Wade D]

I like the snip test idea the best. A small piece of film leader will indeed turn black within 30 seconds. The slippery between the fingers test is good also but then you have to wash your hands.

 

[bvy]

I like the Listerine idea best. (Not.) I think I'll clip a piece of film leader, place a few drops of Probably D76 on it, and see what happens.

Thank you all! (And I learned a thing or two about the stuff in reading the responses...)

 

[dancqu]

Litmus will turn blue more so in D76. Keep some on
hand. Does come in handy. I know. Dan