LongLife CaffenolC

removed account4 · Oct 6, 2015

ive been processing and printing from a batch of caffenol made 4 months ago .
it is 1/3 new, 2/3 "seasoned"
( seasoned means part of that is probably over a year old )
i've put close to 200 sheets of film, and rolls of film, and paper negatives through it ... ( the seasoned part, probably 3 x that )

anyone else using caffenol c for a long time, or do you use it 1 shot ?

Rudeofus · Oct 6, 2015

I'm surprised that it keeps for such a long time. Common wisdom has it that Ascorbate developers can only be used right after mixing unless one protects the Ascorbate with some powerful sequestering agents for Iron and Copper.

removed account4 · Oct 6, 2015

i don't have any powerful stuff in there
except for sumatran coffee brewed strong -
a healty dump of sodium carbonate, a shake of vit c ...
and lastly, a splash of d72 ( and a splash of dektol from the batch before )

when i process ( paper )
i jump start the whole thing in dektol, and as soon as
an image peeks through the paper, i put it in the caffenol to finish ...
when i process film, i'm blind ( film in the canister or tray ) and i
develop it half the time in dektol ( 1:8 4 mins ) and the rest in the coffee.
prints were made yesterday, and films processed a few days ago ...

i'm thinking of dumping it out soon and mixing fresh, so many processed films/papers makes me nervous !

Kevin Harding · Oct 6, 2015

I honestly wonder if the Caffenol isn't doing anything much anymore, and the Dektol is doing all the work!

removed account4 · Oct 6, 2015

Kevin Harding said:
I honestly wonder if the Caffenol isn't doing anything much anymore, and the Dektol is doing all the work!

not sure .. maybe ?
although i have processed film ( and prints ) in just the dektol at the same dilution in the past
results were nothing like they are with the caffenol after-bath ..
gotta love sumatran coffee !

Rudeofus · Oct 6, 2015

Am I correct with my assumption that you don't wash your film/print between Dektol and CaffenolC? Could it be, that your CaffenolC works like bath B in a two bath developer, i.e. mostly by its alkaline nature?

removed account4 · Oct 6, 2015

Rudeofus said:
Am I correct with my assumption that you don't wash your film/print between Dektol and CaffenolC? Could it be, that your CaffenolC works like bath B in a two bath developer, i.e. mostly by its alkaline nature?

yup, i don't do any rinsing
i got my idea of using the caffenol as a 2nd bath from divided D23

==

just dumped all 6L out, mixed 5 L fresh with instant, and i am brewing 1L of sumatra .. as i type this
i put a lot of carbonate in there, and add enough vit c so it foams ..
..
i haven't used instant for caffneol in IDK 4 years, i hope i mixed it right

Dr Croubie · Oct 6, 2015

Or it could be that whatever "preservatives" are in the dektol and/or D72 are actually keeping the caffenol alive?

removed account4 · Oct 6, 2015

i love that !
its like when i was 18, i figured if
i drank yoo-hoo! and ate twinkles
i wouldn't need to be embalmed

GO DEKTOL !

removed account4 · Oct 6, 2015

Michael R 1974 said:
It's Yoohoo not Yahoo !!!!

thanks michael ... i;ve fixed it
dang, brainwashed by the inter web

removed account4 · Oct 7, 2015

Michael R 1974 said:
I just couldn't let that one slide because I loved Yoohoo when I was a kid and it was one of those special things we couldn't get in Canada so I'd only get to have it when we went to the states.

nothing like milk products that don't need to be refrigerated
I loved it too .. and after spending 6 hours retaring a driveway they tasted
almost as good as "swamp water" ( getting a super big gulp at the local 7-11,
and filling it up with all but the diet sodas at the self serve soda fountain ...)
good times ...

nosmok · Oct 9, 2015

I just tried week-old Caffenol C "energized" to Caffenol CM (add some coffee and soda) and got hardly any development at all, so I think Dektol may be the magic ingredient here. I am off storing Caffenol for awhile now. BTW if anybody has a foolproof recipe for tmax 100 in caffenol of any stripe without added KBr, this fool could really use one… will probably try Delta STD next but the usual suspects don't work in my little corner of the universe.

removed account4 · Oct 9, 2015

thanks nosmok-

for 6L of developer it is about 120cc of dektol in total ( about 15cc / L ) ... and the last 15cc went in there 200 developments ago ...
and 15cc of dektol 200 before that -- probably a year ago when i mixed it all fresh ...

dektol doesn't have 6month or 1year lifespan (mixed or stock), and 120cc of dektol won't develop 120 sheets of film, so im not really sure ...

sorry i don't have a no fuss caffenol recipe for you ( maybe the flickr group caffenol home and other fun alchemy or the cookbook can help )
i have only been using 1 recipe for about 10 years, i don't really wander off the path much.

good luck !
john

TheToadMen · Oct 9, 2015

Nice thread to follow

I have only used Cafenol-C-M using instant coffee this far (and like it), but hope to experiment some more upcoming winter.
So, jnanian, it will be nice to follow your endeavors.

I recently bought me a can of KBr, so I can start testing other Caffenol recipes as well, like stand developing.
And I got me some real beans (not Arabic, mind you) to brew my own coffee instead of using instant - should be fun too.
Films to be developed are: mostly Ilford FP4+ and Fomapan 100, maybe some Ilford Delta 3200, Fomapan 400, Neopan 400 as well.
I wondered what would happen if I'd add a little Rodinal or so. Could I boost the shelf life without intervering too much with development? Seems so, due to your experiences.

Bert from Holland

removed account4 · Oct 9, 2015

hi bert

sounds like fun !
i'm sure a jigger or shot of rodinal would be just what the doctor ordered

love to hear how your experiments worked out !
john

LongLife CaffenolC

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