How Long XTol Is Useable?

gilpen123

gilpen123

Gil
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I have not developed film for about a year. The on and off film shots 1-3 rolls/6 months were just sent to a local lab. Now I want to do much more film so I have some questions. If using expired mixed (concentrate) and unmixed XTols are not good, I'll just grab some D76.

1. I have a gallon of mixed XTol more than a year, is it still useable?

2. If not, what about an unmixed, unopened pack supposedly expired for a year?

Btw, the mixed XTols are stored in a plastic gallon not exposed to light.
 
I have used perfectly good Xtol stored in an air free wine in a box bladder kept in my refrigerator for 13 months.
Case closed.
Rodinal, HC 110 and Pyrocat mixed in Glycol theoretically will last longer.

Wayne
 
I think Kodak says 6 months, but I've heard of people getting up to a year. I'd suggest mixing with distilled water if your local water is very hard. Also, store in glass bottles with a good tight lid.

For really long life, use HC-110 or Rodinal / APH-09, and just mix what you need as you go.
 
the best (and also most convenient, IMO) solution to store Xtol is the wine bladder as mentioned by Wayne. Using distilled/de-mineralized water is also a good idea.
Plastic bottles of unknown properties are bad, because some plastics are permeable for oxygen. You can always test the developer with a piece of film. If it turns dark quickly, it should be usable. But my guess is that it's dead.
The powders have a much better shelf life, so I guess it is okay to use a package that is past its best before date by a year or so. However, be prudent and do not use any important stuff for the first roll.
 
Yes I think I will discard the mixed Xtol. Can't find a wine bladder here in my country. One reason why I went for Xtol is because of it's long shelf life, I used to use D76 and had very good results with it except it easily stale.
 
Unmixed, unopened, unused powder-form of Xtol/D76 should last way way longer than 1 year, probably many years if I am not mistaken.
 
Gil, that gallon of yours might still be good for the first roll(s) of film. But after opening the container for first time use after one year of storage, I would not trust it for subsequent rolls even if the first try worked out. So, yeah, probably best to discard and mix from scratch.
Your powder that is out of date by one year: personally, I would use it.

Greetings, Ljós
 
Considering the price of Xtol I wouldn't use it.

+1 for the wine bladder.
 
Somewhere on the internet I saw a 1 gallon empty water storage bag in a box. Just like wine in a box except the spigot was easier to remove & reuse. I can't find it now. I'll keep looking.

Wayne
 
Keith, Xtol is not available locally, i bought mine from BH Photo. D76 though is available here.

Wayne, I believe I can consume 1 gallon in a month if I just shoot more film. The "7 day film shoot challenge" Keith has set will restart my developing of film again.

I think I'm still lucky I have about 50 Neopan 400 in my fridge and a couple of Ilford XP2.
 
gilpen123 said:
Keith, Xtol is not available locally, i bought mine from BH Photo. D76 though is available here.

Wayne, I believe I can consume 1 gallon in a month if I just shoot more film. The "7 day film shoot challenge" Keith has set will restart my developing of film again.

I think I'm still lucky I have about 50 Neopan 400 in my fridge and a couple of Ilford XP2.
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From memory my last couple of packets of Xtol came from Freestyle ... powdered chemicals are hassle free for shipping internationally thank god! :D
 
I haven't done stand developing yet, I also want to try that. What is the best developer, I know Rodinal is good and someone here in the Philippines has a good concoction called Pa-Rodinal but very limited stocks.
 
Should be amber or straw colored when mixed fresh. I have never used XTOL, but I have read on other forums that it doesn't necesarily change color when it goes bad.
 
Mixing Part A is the key to proper Xtol making. Every last grain of Part A MUST be dissolved prior to adding Part B. As I recall, Part A mixes up about the color of dilute apple juice. After adding Part B, it is colorless.

Rodinal is the king of stand development. HC-110 is a close second.

I use Xtol 1:3. 5 liters go a long way.

Wayne
 
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