Xtol in the 5 liter bottle

[thebarnman]

<p>I see there's 5 liter bottles at Freestyle that would be good for storing 5 liters of Xtol. <br /><br />I know that most say to store it in 5 one liter bottles (I looked and the Jobo 1 liter bottles are discontinued.)<br /><br />So I'm wondering when I should I dump it out BEFORE it goes bad. <br /><br />Even if it's almost full the whole time, or half full or almost empty the whole time, when would it be a safe time to dump it out before it goes bad?<br /><br />Three months? <br /><br />Four months? <br /><br />Six months?<br /><br />I've read some may have theirs stored for a year or two, however they are using multiple glass bottles.<br /><br />Thanks!</p>

 

[bobcossar]

<p>Best thing is to get a 1 gallon wine bag from the store........invite friends to drink it.....wash it with soap and water and it makes a superb storeage container.....lets no air in and is reuseable for several times.....Regards, Robert</p>

[leicaglow]

<p>I could understand buying 1 liter bottles if you don't use much of it. I would mix it in something large enough to evenly disperse the powder until it settles out. Then put it in 1 liter bottles if you like. It might last a little longer, but as is, two or three months should be fine. I rather doubt it would be very good after about 6 months.</p>

[john_shriver]

<p>1 liter soda bottles are just fine.<br>

Ideally the best is to put it in single-use bottles, either 8 ounces or 16 ounces, full to the top.</p>

[sergei_antonov]

<p>I would say shelf time could be close to 12 months if you careful enough. I store Xtol in 500ml brown glass chemical bottles in cool dark place. All bottles are filled to the top and corked. Just finished the last one and refillled new batch. If you are using plastic bottles of larger volume make sure you test your stuff every time before processing -- which for me is more annoying than spending time once to find all bottles for the 5 liter batch. Opposite to common opinion I find that Xtol is nice and reliable developer, if you store it right. Storing it in 5 liter bottle would be bad idea, unless you will use it in one-two months.</p>

<p>--Sergei</p>

[thebarnman]

<p>I like the wine bag idea the most! Though I don't drink and it's rare when I get with friends. I can see as the bag empties, the bag collapses and keeps it dark and air tight. If I could buy a new one without the wine, I would give that a try. <br /><br />What would probably be easiest for me is to store it using 1 liter soda bottles. It will have to be Diet Coke or Diet Pepsi. I normally don't buy soda...even at restaurants, so I'll just have to "soak it up" as they say. <br /><br />Seems like the 1 liter soda bottles would be air tight. I know they are before it's opened, however I usually find that soda in those bottles turn out flat after even just one day of being opened. And the fact they are not blocked from light, though they will be stored in a place that usually does not see any light. <br /><br />So how does the air tight part work out after those bottles have been opened? <br /><br />Putting Xtol in 8 or 16 ounce bottles...I understand the concept. However I don't think my use would be frequent enough to go through all 5 liters within 3 months. So what I'm thinking about doing is putting them in 1 liter bottles and for what ever amount of film I develop in one session, I'll simply dump the rest of that bottle...if I don't plan on developing within the next day or two. And during the next batch of developing, I'll simply open up another new, full 1 liter bottle. <br /><br />There seems to be a lot of varying information about self life. I've read 3 to 6 months, and I've read from 1 to 2 years. I'm sure it all depends on how it's stored. I'm thinking about calling Kodak to see what they say about shelf life. However in soda bottles, I'm thinking of full change over at 3 months time...regardless. And all the talk about Xtol's "sudden death" (where it works one day and not at all the next) at least when talking about today, I think it's hogwash. It may have been true some time ago when there was faulty packaging, however I'm sure that's not happening anymore.</p>

[rick_jones5]

<p>It is very difficult to answer your questions because there are so many variables that can effect storage life. For example - how the developer is mixed. When I mix hot and cold at the tap to obtain a specific temperature the water comes out milky due to the suspended air bubbles. If the developer is mixed before the bubbles disburse all bets are off as to storage life. If a lot of air is whipped into the solution as the powder is mixed, again, all bets are off. If accordion bottles are used for storage all bets are off. If half full bottles are left without replacing the air with an inert gas who knows when the developer dies. Water quality must also play some part. However, if the developer is mixed and stored carefully a 6 month life should be no problem. But someone not using 5 liters in 6 months would, I believe, be better served by a developer such as HC110 which can be mixed one shot as needed with the unmixed syrup lasting a very very long time. But then again I'm one of the few that believes all developers are pretty much the same unless you have a very sophisticated eye for the possible differences.</p>

[robert lee]

<blockquote>

<p>I like the wine bag idea the most! ... If I could buy a new one without the wine, I would give that a try.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Do you drink coffee? Even if you don't, go to your neighborhood chain caffeine pusher and ask for a take out coffee carrier. These one gallon, metalized Mylar bladders might as well be designed for storing Xtol - gas impermeable, optically opaque, and collapsible down to the last ounce. </p>

<p>It takes me about 6 months to go through 5L of Xtol. Two of the one gallon bladders does it from beginning till end.</p>

[chuck_albertson1]

<p>I use a five-liter bottle (the ones Kodak sold for storing E-6 chemistry) to store Xtol, and typically get more than 6 months out of a batch; the bottle I'm just finishing has been half-full for a year. It's hard to tell when it's going bad, it picks up a slight golden color as it ages but that doesn't necessarily mean it's off-song. Usually when I'm down to the last inch or so of solution in the bottle is when I'll pitch it. Also, mixing the stuff with distilled water seems to improve longevity, at least with our local water.</p>

[Giovanni Cappai]

<p>I also like the wine bag idea. Are you sure those bags do not react in any way with the chemicals? I would like to use it with E-6 Tetenal though.</p>

[thebarnman]

<blockquote>

<p>go to your neighborhood chain caffeine pusher and ask for a take out coffee carrier. These one gallon, metalized Mylar bladders might as well be designed for storing Xtol - gas impermeable, optically opaque, and collapsible down to the last ounce.<br>

It takes me about 6 months to go through 5L of Xtol. Two of the one gallon bladders does it from beginning till end.<br>

llon, metalized Mylar bladders might as well be designed for storing Xtol - gas impermeable, optically opaque, and collapsible down to the last ounce.<br>

It takes me about 6 months to go through 5L of Xtol. Two of the one gallon bladders does it from beginning till end.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Liked the Wine idea, though I think I like the coffee idea even better. It too sounds like a "bladder" type storage that's collapsible. Sounds like you use two one gallon coffee carriers. So you must be filling them up half way each? Either way I don't think it would matter since the system is collapsible to the last ounce. <br /><br />Is this what your talking about?<br>

<a href="http://www.mrtakeoutbags.com/store/bulk-beverage-carriers.html">http://www.mrtakeoutbags.com/store/bulk-beverage-carriers.html</a></p>

[robert lee]

<blockquote>

<p>So you must be filling them up half way each? Either way I don't think it would matter since the system is collapsible to the last ounce.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>That's about right. A completely full bladder is a bit tricky to pour out. The spout is too close to the vertical.</p>

[steve_johnston4]

<p>I use Xtol to develop large format tri x and 120 Ilford Pan F+. To be safe and not put my shots at risk, I keep mixed Xtol for max 30 days.</p>

[steve_johnston4]

<p>I use Xtol to develop large format Tri-X and 120 Pan F+. To be safe and not risk my shots to dead developer, I keep mixed Xtol for a max of 30 days.</p>