[Rudeofus]

I wonder what a combination of ascorbate and Glycin would do? I feel an experiment coming on...

Of all the dev ingredients I could imagine for a long shelf life and long tray life developer, ascorbic acid is about the last one I would pick ... even if you pick a suitable sequestering agent (i.e. not Calgon) to capture all the iron, aerial oxidation must still be reckoned with.