If by "5 'cycles'" you mean five complete inversions of the tank, that
may be too much.  In Ilford's beginner's guide to film developing
(http://www.ilford.com/html/us_english/pdf/Film%20Hobbyist.PDF),
it recommends four inversions in 10 seconds once every minute for
agitation.  The data sheet for FP4 Plus recommends the same level
of agitation.

Overdevelopment will make a film's grain more apparent.
If you know an experienced photographer who can take a look at your
negatives, ask him or her if they seem to be over-developed.  Many of
the introductory books will have illustrations of over-developed
negatives, but most people find it hard to judge a negative against
these illustrations.

Warren B. Hapke
    wbhapke@prairienet.org

Are you printing on hard paper?

One possibility is your thermometer; it has happened to me.  If you are
using a dial type, they can easily be off from being jarred or otherwise
aggressed upon.  You might want to calibrate it against a good mercury (or
other) lab type thermometer.  Or even take it to a store and see how it does
against others there.

Dick

Vanessa:

You should not see grain in 11x 14's from FP4.

The recommended time is also probably too high. What kind of enlarger
are you using, and enlarging lens?

Agitate by inverting and rotating simultaneously TWICE per minute (in
immediate succession) after the first minute. NO MORE THAN THAT!
(During the first minute right after you pour the developer in,
agitate with FIVE inversions and rotations during the first 10-15
seconds.) Then STOP! Just stand there and watch the timer. Don't move.
Don't hold the tank or touch it. Set it down and step away from it.
Keep the tank from vibrating. Don't place it on anything that moves.

 The procedure is correct. How is the contrast of the
negatives? I don't think you are overdeveloping but the
contrast will tell you that. Development time determines
contrast.
 The only things I would change about your procedure are:
 Initial agitation should be continuous for the first 30
seconds. After this whack the tank to knock off any air
bubbles.
 Secondly, Ilford's times are for agitation of 10 seconds
once a minute rather than the Kodak agitation of 5 seconds
every 30 seconds. This should not make a big difference.
 Ilford does not specify the contrast index in its
development charts but generally rates its films for
development to a somewhat lower contrast than the ISO
standard. The Ilford contrast is about midway between that
needed for diffusion printing or contact printing and
condenser printing.
 Nothing in your procedure should result in excessive
contrast so I am a bit puzzled. FP-4 is a reasonably low
grain film.
 I suggest trying the following.
 Try another similar film. Probably the closest is Kodak
Plus-X. See if it gives you significantly finer grain. There
should not be a big difference. What I am getting at is that
the FP-4 you have may be defective, it wouldn't be the first
time Ilford has had trouble.
 Without seeing the prints its hard to know how much grain
you have or what it looks like so its hard to analyse the
problem.
 There are finer grained developers than D-76 1:1 although
its fairly fine grain. Kodak Xtol will yield finer grain.
You can get very fine grain by using a developer like Ilford
Perceptol or Kodak Microdol-X at full strength but will lose
some sharpness. At this point I am suspicious of the film.
 Keep in mind that if you are working with 35mm film you
will see some grain except on the slowest films.
 Minimum grain is gotten with tabular grain films like
Kodak T-Max and Ilford Delta or Fuji Acros. They all require
somewhat more care in development since they gain contrast
faster with time and temperature than other films.
 What kind and grade of paper are you using.

 --

---
Richard Knoppow
Los Angeles, CA, USA
dickburk@ix.netcom.com

Maybe it isn't the process.  FP-4 does have noticeable grain, but not
objectionalble grain for most users.  You can see it if you look hard.  If
the film is old or has been improperly stored  the grain could become larger
and some veiling fog appear.  Try a fresh batch of film if your negatives
seem overly dense in the unexposed areas.  You might try a different film,
perhaps 100 TMax or Pan-F, and see if the grain is more to your liking.  You
could also try developing in undiluted D-76 or another fine-grain developer
for less noticeable grain with a slight loss in edge effects and apparent
sharpness.

At least 2 people have stated the proper development time is 8.5
minutes. If so, 11 minutes is way over-development.
Also, Condenser enlargers require a bit less development than
diffusion enlargers for the same filter and paper.
Try 8.5 minutes and a grade 2 or 3 filter.
An indicator of over agitaion is often higher density toward the
edges. The film releases bromide, into the developer, which acts as a
development restrainer, in the highlights, where the most bromide is
released.  This keeps highlights from blocking up. Over agitation
washes this bromide away from the areas that need it.
Dan

Colorado Springs, CO
My advice may be worth what you paid for it.