This weekend I decided to try Pyrocat MC mixing it from my own set of acquired chemicals. Previously I had been using R09 and Pyrocat HD bought from the photographers formulary (powder version) but wanted to try mixing my own chemicals and wanted to give MC a try. I prepared 100 ml of Pyrocat MC for part A in propylene glycol (heated to 250F) and used the previous batch of part B that I had from the PF associated with Pyrocat HD. The part A for the MC version has a much different color than the HD version, a strong brown with a slight red tint instead of a very faint brown. When mixed with distilled water at the ratio 1.5:1:250 for a semi-stand procedure lasting 36 minutes at 20ºC the developer starts perfectly transparent, water-like, but at the end of the processing has a strong brown color (that is what goes down the drain to the water treatment central). The color at the end is not the anti-halation dye since I make the film go through 2, 5 minute baths in distilled water before pouring the developer.
The reason for asking for help is that I developed a set of 5x4 Tri-X 320 sheets and while the acutance is high and the compensating effect is also higher than with the HD version, the grain is huge. I guess one can say that the grain was almost as big as with a 135 film. Doesn't seem to be normal and can only think of grain clustering for it to appear that big. Does anyone have any idea what can be wrong or where to look for? Can it be a chemical which is not good? Which one?
My catechol batch is grayish and my metol batch brown. My Ascorbic Acid is white. Can the chemicals be oxidized?
raul
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