New Dektol Mixes Dark Brown

[John Olsen]

I mixed my first batch of Dektol from the new, plastic packaging and panicked when it turned dark brown. So dark I couldn't see if the crystals on the bottom of the pot were dissolving. I've read posts about Kodak changing some suppliers and I guess this is another example of inadvertent product change. I went ahead and used it, returning to a negative that I had been working on. The result seems to be identical, so my concern was for nothing.
If you're mixing Dektol, notice if the crystals in the bag are a pale sand color - that's the stuff that will mix to a dark brown with a disgusting scum on top. But it works.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/49624549257_d0faf3a19d_c.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2iB9MAR)PalouseFalls I LFF (https://flic.kr/p/2iB9MAR) by John Olsen (https://www.flickr.com/photos/153201054@N08/), on Flickr

[Keith Pitman]

A friend gave me a number of old (really very old) packages of Dektol. They mixed up brown like yours, but work fine. Interesting that your new developer looks like very old developer.

[LabRat]

But can stain trays and paper base...

Steve K

[ic-racer]

In 35 years I have never experienced brown developer altering paper color. Maybe it is because I use acid stop bath.

[John Layton]

Even though achievable contrast range and d-max might seem ok (but are they up to spec?), I might worry about possibly accelerated oxidation rate and solution capacity.

Hate to sound cynical...but I've just got this feelin' that the days of fresh, reliable, and consistent pre-mixed (both powder and liquid) developers might be numbered!

[Mark Sampson]

That has to be oxidation, not a good thing. It will be interesting to see how long the stock solution lasts. Of course we don't know to whom Kodak has outsourced their production, but it sounds like the packaging is letting air in. I'm just old enough to remember when developer came in cans... that ended in about 1973. Open one of those cans today and I suspect the contents will be as fresh as the day they were packed.

[Eric Woodbury]

Why risk and worry about one's prints for a couple of bucks worth of developer?

[Doremus Scudder]

The brown color is definitely the result of oxidation and not optimal, even if it works. Your stock solution shelf life is likely shorter.

I'm sure Kodak Alaris would like to know their packaging is not doing the job, so please report this to them! If they never hear from people that have such problems, they'll never make any changes.

Best,

Doremus

[John Olsen]

The brown color is definitely the result of oxidation and not optimal, even if it works. Your stock solution shelf life is likely shorter.


That's a useful warning. I'm going to attach a note on my stock bottle and pay attention to shelf life. My previous stock solutions would last the full six months.

[Paul Ron]

i had old packs of dektol that mixed dark brown. it was 5 yrs out of date in sealed bags.

i bought new dektol thinking the old stuff went bad n got the same dark brown solution. i processed using both and saw absolutely no difference in image quality.

im glad i didnt get rid of all my old stuff.

[John Kasaian]

I don't like surprises with chemicals!
https://youtu.be/wcmmLvAYqkI

[Robbie Bedell]

I got a new bag of Dektol and it had a tiny hole in the side. It also mixed up a light brown but is OK..I think if any air at all gets in there in will oxidize for sure but seems to work OK if now too brown..Now how it got the hole in the side is a mystery..

[Jim Noel]

In the days when Dektol, and D-76 it's predecessor, were packaged in metal cans this oxidation never occurred. It began when the company saved money with paper packaging and raised the price. A few years ago I was out of the packaged stuff and opened a can. It was still barely tannish.

[John Olsen]

Update: When I started this thread there was a question about early expiration of the stock or decreased capacity in the working solution. Having just discarded my stock and working solutions yesterday, I can say that storage life is as claimed, at least 6 months, and the working solution doesn't show premature exhaustion.

I mixed up fresh stock and working solutions and the Dektol seems to be fine, despite its disgusting color. Next time I won't mix so soon after having the septic system pumped, if you get my drift. Anyway, my worries were unfounded.

[Mark Sampson]

Jim, you're lucky. Kodak started putting developers in foil packages in 1974... Of course they never imagined that people would want to use products made decades before. The foil envelopes used thru the 2000s did well, as long as you didn't wait years to open them.
I did clean out our department's little stockroom at Kodak c.2004... I threw out all the foil Dektol packages that had brown stains around the hanger slot in the top of the packages. We hadn't used any Dektol in some years, had gone to machine processing and liquid concentrate developers (Polymax?)
I'm sorry to read of the issues people are having- but I'm happy to see that the developers still work. i'm also sorry to see, once again, that my once-proud former employer is still struggling. (I've been using Liquidol for prints, but who knows if that will be available again?)