How to maximize shelf life of Fuji E-6 kit?

I've started developing my own E-6 films in my home darkroom for the first time in two decades. I'm using some three bath kits now, but I want to start using the Fuji-Hunt six step chemical kit. However there's no possible way I can use the entire kit in one go before the chemistry goes bad.

My E-6 usage is low. I might develop some film once a month. It'd likely take me a year or more to use up the whole five liter kit. What I'd like to do is divide up the large bottles of concentrates in the kit into small one-shot single use batches for best quality. I was thinking of measuring out the concentrates into small glass bottles (60-125ml sizes) filled to the brim and each pre-measured for a single batch of film. Then, it's dilute into a working batch and off I go.

So I don't have an army of glass bottles to contend with--the kit has eight concentrates--which are the ones sensitive to air? First developer and color developer for sure. But what of the others? Could they be kept in the original containers and used as is with no worries about oxidation?

Can you mix proportionately for a single session and not the whole batch at once? That's what I do for RA4.

I personally get over a year out of an E-6 kit by doing the following- first of all, the Fuji kits have terrible caps- they are mostly paper with a thin polymer membrane and will decompose over time- I am fortunate to have access to teflon liner material for the caps and a set of hole punches so I was able to make custom inserts for the tops for each bottle with a cap liner that does not degrade- a separate set of bottles could surely work, but make sure you have plastic lined caps or something else that will be durable. Possibly a sheet of 1/16" polyethylene from McMaster and a pair of scissors could suffice. Second, after every use of the individual chemicals I put an argon gas dose over the top of each liquid (argon is heavier than air and provides an inert protective blanket over the top if the sample is not disturbed too much). Wine shops sell argon in small bottles for protecting/preserving wine. I have access to a welding shop so they get argon in my the tankload. The only issue I have with chemicals using these techniques is with the first developer solution which tends to have a portion of it crystallize out (especially if subjected to cool conditions). Heating the pure material to about 100 degrees F and agitation or stirring will get most of the crystals back in, but not all of them. Following the heat treatment, I allow the solution to settle and decant off the top and compensate for anything that might have been lost by adding a little extra (say 5% extra of the pure solution) to compensate. My results to date have all been very good with no loss in development quality that I can notice. but as they say, individual results may vary.... good luck

I do a lot of what the 2 above have said. I have the large mix bottles for all the steps, the 10 to 20 liter stock bottles. I use a replenished system for all my color work. I have 1.5 liters of working solution mixed up as much as 3 liters of stock solution to use for replenishment. all of the prior are stored in wine bladders that keep the air out and prevent oxidation. they also make it easy to dispense and add more working solution. the stock bottles, I also use inert heavy gas in the stock bottles to keep oxidation out. I am on almost 2.5 years on my original stock buys, having to add 10 liters of both 1st developer and color developer as they are large amounts required for replenishment. the 2 are the ones I worry about most, as far as going off, so if I dont use them in a month, I take out and then add 120ml to each to freshen them up. I have not had any problems with bad development, except when I make a mistake.

I love the results I get from doing my own color development. you can make it work easy. with the 5 liter kits I would buy 1.5 liter wine bladders and use them to store your working solution and the other to store your stock solution if you mix as you go, or the store your replenished solutions. make sure to use distilled water when mixing your solutions. I also store them solutions in the dark. not sure it makes a difference, but Im trying to be safe.

john

Thanks to the folks that replied. From the posts and some more reading it looks like the first developer, reversal bath and color developers are the ones that oxidize. The bleach and fixer concentrates, not so much. I'll try re-bottling the developers and reversal and further blanket them with argon gas. Time will tell if it works or not.