OT - Wild Yeast critter maintenance - care and feeding of sourdough starter

CTMike

I am more than willing for one of you guys to ship me a blob of goo. 

20stone

CTMike said:

I am more than willing for one of you guys to ship me a blob of goo. 

I'll be in NYC this week and can bring some up.  PM me if yould like me to bring a blob. 

CTMike

20stone said:

CTMike said:

I am more than willing for one of you guys to ship me a blob of goo. 

I'll be in NYC this week and can bring some up.  PM me if yould like me to bring a blob. 

I really appreciate the offer, but I wouldn’t be able to make it to the City to meet up with you. Maybe someone can bring a blob to Butt Blast?

20stone

lkapigian said:

I've gone from a burger on a grill , to the " right of passion" overnight cook to the " multi day " sous vide " and the Multi Week " lactose fermentation" now to the forever bread .....

...and the. the livestock

lkapigian

Well I Am going to give this a run this week, since I’ve got various containers of lactose fermentation going on, why not this.......I am still a bit confused on starting....day 1 100 g of flour 100g of water...day 2 repeat day 1.....am I adding completely to the existing 200g? So at day 3 you have 600g total? How much of a starter do you use in a batch of bread?

caliking

lkapigian said:

Well I Am going to give this a run this week, since I’ve got various containers of lactose fermentation going on, why not this.......I am still a bit confused on starting....day 1 100 g of flour 100g of water...day 2 repeat day 1.....am I adding completely to the existing 200g? So at day 3 you have 600g total? How much of a starter do you use in a batch of bread?

you pitch  most of it before you feed it. Otherwise, it increases exponentially!

I save about a tablespoon (eyeballed) and feed it every 1-2 weeks. My starter stays in the fridge. When I'm baking a loaf,  I typically use 50g of starter straight from the refrigerated tub.  Then pitch most of the starter except for a tablespoon, feed it, and back into the fridge. I may decrease or increase how much starter I use, depending on the planned timeline for that particular loaf. 

lkapigian

caliking said:

lkapigian said:

Well I Am going to give this a run this week, since I’ve got various containers of lactose fermentation going on, why not this.......I am still a bit confused on starting....day 1 100 g of flour 100g of water...day 2 repeat day 1.....am I adding completely to the existing 200g? So at day 3 you have 600g total? How much of a starter do you use in a batch of bread?

you pitch  most of it before you feed it. Otherwise, it increases exponentially!

I save about a tablespoon (eyeballed) and feed it every 1-2 weeks. My starter stays in the fridge. When I'm baking a loaf,  I typically use 50g of starter straight from the refrigerated tub.  Then pitch most of the starter except for a tablespoon, feed it, and back into the fridge. I may decrease or increase how much starter I use, depending on the planned timeline for that particular loaf. 

thanks @caliking so the first few days of the starter only save a bit of it, then thereafter for the feedings do the same.........Thank you

jeffwit

This is the vibe I’m getting from this discussion. 

caliking

@jeffwit - your starter will work its way into your heart as another living member of the household Its customary to name one's starter, BTW.

caliking

Forgot to mention that it will take a week or two of repeated feeding cycles for your starter culture to establish itself. It will start to have that wonderful, inviting yeasty aroma, as opposed to smelling like flour and water, or sour. Its ready to bake with it once it smells like that. 

 If you smell strong notes of acetone, you may have to acidify the culture. I think many folks use pineapple juice for that. 

20stone

caliking said:

lkapigian said:

Well I Am going to give this a run this week, since I’ve got various containers of lactose fermentation going on, why not this.......I am still a bit confused on starting....day 1 100 g of flour 100g of water...day 2 repeat day 1.....am I adding completely to the existing 200g? So at day 3 you have 600g total? How much of a starter do you use in a batch of bread?

you pitch  most of it before you feed it. Otherwise, it increases exponentially!

I save about a tablespoon (eyeballed) and feed it every 1-2 weeks. My starter stays in the fridge. When I'm baking a loaf,  I typically use 50g of starter straight from the refrigerated tub.  Then pitch most of the starter except for a tablespoon, feed it, and back into the fridge. I may decrease or increase how much starter I use, depending on the planned timeline for that particular loaf. 

You might also check out the recipe for waffles in the OP. I hate to throw starter away, and the waffles are great. 

The Cen-Tex Smoker

20stone said:

caliking said:

lkapigian said:

Well I Am going to give this a run this week, since I’ve got various containers of lactose fermentation going on, why not this.......I am still a bit confused on starting....day 1 100 g of flour 100g of water...day 2 repeat day 1.....am I adding completely to the existing 200g? So at day 3 you have 600g total? How much of a starter do you use in a batch of bread?

you pitch  most of it before you feed it. Otherwise, it increases exponentially!

I save about a tablespoon (eyeballed) and feed it every 1-2 weeks. My starter stays in the fridge. When I'm baking a loaf,  I typically use 50g of starter straight from the refrigerated tub.  Then pitch most of the starter except for a tablespoon, feed it, and back into the fridge. I may decrease or increase how much starter I use, depending on the planned timeline for that particular loaf. 

You might also check out the recipe for waffles in the OP. I hate to throw starter away, and the waffles are great. 

We are crushing those waffles! 

lkapigian

Since I always have lactic fermented peppers around....could one start a starter with that active ferment juice? Guess I could just try and see

caliking

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

20stone said:

caliking said:

lkapigian said:

Well I Am going to give this a run this week, since I’ve got various containers of lactose fermentation going on, why not this.......I am still a bit confused on starting....day 1 100 g of flour 100g of water...day 2 repeat day 1.....am I adding completely to the existing 200g? So at day 3 you have 600g total? How much of a starter do you use in a batch of bread?

you pitch  most of it before you feed it. Otherwise, it increases exponentially!

I save about a tablespoon (eyeballed) and feed it every 1-2 weeks. My starter stays in the fridge. When I'm baking a loaf,  I typically use 50g of starter straight from the refrigerated tub.  Then pitch most of the starter except for a tablespoon, feed it, and back into the fridge. I may decrease or increase how much starter I use, depending on the planned timeline for that particular loaf. 

You might also check out the recipe for waffles in the OP. I hate to throw starter away, and the waffles are great. 

We are crushing those waffles! 

Did the pancake version this past weekend, and these were the pancakes I’ve been yearning for. Texture, flavor, etc were spot on. 

caliking

lkapigian said:

Since I always have lactic fermented peppers around....could one start a starter with that active ferment juice? Guess I could just try and see

Seems like you answered your own question:)

maybe try one one version with fermented pepper juice vs. side by side with the standard protocol? 

lkapigian

 caliking said:

lkapigian said:

Since I always have lactic fermented peppers around....could one start a starter with that active ferment juice? Guess I could just try and see

Seems like you answered your own question:)

maybe try one one version with fermented pepper juice vs. side by side with the standard protocol? 

   just got another one going ...nothing to lose

lkapigian

I have to say @ 24 hours cool temps, the brine starter is in the lead

lkapigian

Even with plenty of room for expansion, Apparantly its not a good idea to leave your starter on top of your brand new refrigerator....don't ask me how I know this 

caliking

lkapigian said:

Even with plenty of room for expansion, Apparantly its not a good idea to leave your starter on top of your brand new refrigerator....don't ask me how I know this 

I already knew that.

Dont't ask me how, either.

lkapigian

caliking said:

lkapigian said:

Even with plenty of room for expansion, Apparantly its not a good idea to leave your starter on top of your brand new refrigerator....don't ask me how I know this 

I already knew that.

Dont't ask me how, either.

I just spit up my drink 

caliking

Question for the sourdough heads: 

My starter has seemed somewhat lazy lately. What's the best way to wake it up some? 

Feed with whole wheat flour instead of AP for the next few feedings? Arrange a conjugal visit with someone else's starter? 

SciAggie

caliking said:

Question for the sourdough heads: 

My starter has seemed somewhat lazy lately. What's the best way to wake it up some? 

Feed with whole wheat flour instead of AP for the next few feedings? Arrange a conjugal visit with someone else's starter? 

I’ll refresh at a 1:1:1 (starter: flour: water) ratio for one feeding, then go to a 1:2:2 ratio, then maybe a 1:3:3 ratio after that. This reduces the acid load in the starter and freshens it up. It may not grow any faster - that’s more a function of temperature, but it makes it healthier in my opinion.

The Cen-Tex Smoker

caliking said:

Question for the sourdough heads: 

My starter has seemed somewhat lazy lately. What's the best way to wake it up some? 

Feed with whole wheat flour instead of AP for the next few feedings? Arrange a conjugal visit with someone else's starter? 

Whole wheat gets them frisky. 

caliking

SciAggie said:

caliking said:

Question for the sourdough heads: 

My starter has seemed somewhat lazy lately. What's the best way to wake it up some? 

Feed with whole wheat flour instead of AP for the next few feedings? Arrange a conjugal visit with someone else's starter? 

I’ll refresh at a 1:1:1 (starter: flour: water) ratio for one feeding, then go to a 1:2:2 ratio, then maybe a 1:3:3 ratio after that. This reduces the acid load in the starter and freshens it up. It may not grow any faster - that’s more a function of temperature, but it makes it healthier in my opinion.

Thanks , Gary. Do you leave it out on the counter for the rejuvenation phase or in the fridge? How long between feedings?

caliking

The Cen-Tex Smoker said:

caliking said:

Question for the sourdough heads: 

My starter has seemed somewhat lazy lately. What's the best way to wake it up some? 

Feed with whole wheat flour instead of AP for the next few feedings? Arrange a conjugal visit with someone else's starter? 

Whole wheat gets them frisky. 

That's what I noticed. I noticed that it seemed to peek perk up when making levain with WW in it. 

SciAggie

@caliking For this type of feeding I leave it out on the kitchen counter. I’ll feed before I go to work and then again in the evening. My house is still on the cool side - 68 degrees - so that slows things some. When I’m ready to refrigerate the starter I refresh it, let it sit out for 2 or 3 hours, and then put it in the fridge. I’ll let it go a week to 10 days between feedings. 

caliking

@SciAggie - got it. Thanks!

lkapigian

Bump: So with a Starter do you make a sponge or go right on to bread making--I have a couple starters ready so I am ready to move forward

Thank In Advance

caliking

lkapigian said:

Bump: So with a Starter do you make a sponge or go right on to bread making--I have a couple starters ready so I am ready to move forward

Thank In Advance

Typically you make the sponge/levain/biga/poolish then add to more flour, and water to make the final dough. I don’t recall what the difference between all of those is, and so I just call everything of that sort levain. Salt usually goes in last. 

I have tried adding starter to the rest of the ingredients, without making the levain first, and it sort of worked. But not as well as it did when I took the time to make the levain first. 

This whole sourdough business will test your patience for sure!!

lkapigian

caliking said:

lkapigian said:

Bump: So with a Starter do you make a sponge or go right on to bread making--I have a couple starters ready so I am ready to move forward

Thank In Advance

Typically you make the sponge/levain/biga/poolish then add to more flour, and water to make the final dough. I don’t recall what the difference between all of those is, and so I just call everything of that sort levain. Salt usually goes in last. 

I have tried adding starter to the rest of the ingredients, without making the levain first, and it sort of worked. But not as well as it did when I took the time to make the levain first. 

This whole sourdough business will test your patience for sure!!

Thanks @caliking I woke up one of my starters, stirred it so hard I broke the jar and all my starter down the drain (devastated) . Thankfully I did 2, so I pulled the second out of the fridge, the one I started with fermented pepper brine, this stuff tastes great as a starter--Waking it up now, my plan is bake this weekend...went on Amazon and bought stuff I am sure I don't really need..Cloche, Banneton , Lame and some misc stuff