ID-11 going brown overnight?

jcausey · Apr 11, 2005

Folks,

I mixed up a 1-litre package of ID-11 last night by instruction; I used distilled water to do so. I put it in a brown plastic 1-litre bottle, which I sealed with saran wrap and tightly closed the cap.

This morning, roughly 12 hours later, when I went to use this stock ID-11, I discovered (much to my dismay) that it had already turned light-brown, like watered-down cola! Luckily I had a bottle of HC-110 concentrate handy (as well as the sweet Rodinal).

What could have caused this? My thoughts so far:

-- I stirred the stock VERY vigorously last night to completely get part B into solution; could I have stirred too much oxygen into the stock?

-- The bottle had previously been used for ID-11 that had turned brown; I thought I'd thoroughly cleaned out the bottle after dumping it, but maybe there was leftover contamination...

bobfowler · Apr 11, 2005

How did you clean the bottle? Just rinsing usually isn't enough, especially if there was crud on the bottom...

Christopher Colley · Apr 11, 2005

Even just a small amount of old dark dried developer gunk can change water different color. The times I leave my tray unrinsed after dumping developer out when finally washed change the color of the water a lot more than I originally expected..white trays.

Ive never had my ID-11 stock change any color. Always been clear when under a floating lid in a 2 gallon tank with about about 1 liter in it for 2 months and another 2 gallon tank with 2 liters of id-11 that had been used once in it and without a floating lid again for 2 months. If any color was in anything it was in the used id-11 and it was barely noticable yellow/amber.

Even ID-11 I've left in a tray overnight (great habits I have eh?) didnt turn as dark as you seem to be suggesting..

If anything to me, it sounds as if it was contaminated at some point a long the line

Max Power · Apr 11, 2005

I've had it turn slightly yellow in colour, but only after a month or so in one of those 'accordion' type bottles. It still worked perfectly, though.

I've never had it turn colour quickly; I'd be worried that it was contaminated somehow.

Kent

resummerfield · Apr 11, 2005

I once mixed some Dektol which turned brown within a few minutes. I didn't use it, but I suspected the foil package had small pin holes, which allowed the powder to absorb moisture? The next package I mixed was normal.

gainer · Apr 12, 2005

Here's a case where it is handy to have 36 exposures all of the same subject so you can develop a short piece to see if colored ID-11 is bad, or if uncolored Xtol is still good. This assumes you have a 35 mm camera, but it doesn't have to be an expensive one. A snip of exposed film leader can give you a rough idea.

jim appleyard · Apr 12, 2005

I can only tell you not to shake your dev. when mixing, just stir. By shaking you added unnecessary oxygen to the mix and shortened it's life. However, it should last more than 12 hours. My guess is you've got another problem in there.

Bob F. · Apr 12, 2005

I used some ID-11 yesterday that was mixed 11th April 2004 ("Happy birthday to you, ... Happy Birthday dear ID-11, Happy ..." etc, etc). The bottle has been 3/4 full for about 3 months and kept in a dark cupboard. Very, very, very, slight colour and worked fine. The stock was made up with London mains water (i.e. more calcium than most people's shin bones). No help really, but does indicate that under normal conditions ID-11 stock, will last quite a while.

As this is the last of that batch and it's time to make some more (and there is now less than 100ml in the bottle) I will, in the interest of science, take a few ml out and let it oxidize to treacle and then add it back to the bottle and see if it effects the good stuff. I expect no effect, but we shall see.

Cheers, Bob.

jcausey · Apr 12, 2005

bobfowler said:
How did you clean the bottle? Just rinsing usually isn't enough, especially if there was crud on the bottom...

I imagine that's the problem... I "thoroughly rinsed" the bottle, but there was probably crud on the bottom of the bottle.

Thanks!

jcausey · Apr 12, 2005

gainer said:
Here's a case where it is handy to have 36 exposures all of the same subject so you can develop a short piece to see if colored ID-11 is bad, or if uncolored Xtol is still good. This assumes you have a 35 mm camera, but it doesn't have to be an expensive one. A snip of exposed film leader can give you a rough idea.

Yep, that would've been a good idea -- I even had such a roll in a drawer, but a solid case of brain fade prevented me from digging it out.

ID-11 going brown overnight?

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