Finally Am Trying to Activate My Starters

[dmcavanagh]

Glass is a much better material then plastic to store your starter in. Starter can be well sealed when under refridgeration as it will basically be dormant, but once out at room temp it will activate and must have a vent so gases can escape.

[norma427]

Hi all,

I've been reading up on using starters to make dough for a while, and will try activating my yeast tonight. There is a helluva lot of information on these forums, which is great! and I've been slowly going through it all.

I just have one question for now that I can't seem to find the answer too. What type of container do you keep your cultures in? I'm specifically interested in how airtight they are.

I assume when you first activate the yeast the container is left open to the air. Is it ever sealed? Is it sealed air tight once refrigerated?

Does exposure to air or not affect how the yeast works?

Any help would be much appreciated

Thanks!! from a newcomer..

Welcome to the forum snelly! 

I only used the plastic containers show in this thread to activate my starters and did close them tightly while trying to start my starters.  It did work for me, but John’s and
dmcavanagh’s answers are  really good, because I never activated starters before.  I can also see the advantages in using glass while activating a starter.  I think most members do use glass. I made some “wild yeast” starters before with the help of Toby (Infoodel) and I only used plastic containers for them as well  http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,10008.0.html

Right now I am playing around with milk kefir starters and I do have them in glass containers covered with just linen.

Good luck in activating your starters! 

Norma

[MrPibbs]

Norma, even though this is an old topic, following your journey using the two Italian cultures I just ordered from www.sourdo.com is invaluable because I also have never done a starter/poolish before.  I ordered the "Classic Sourdoughs" book, but the process is a lot clear to me after reading this thread.  Thanks for starting it, and everyone's posts.

I sort of jumped off the 'Varasano Bridge' after reading and printing out a copy of Jeff's website, and cutting off the Whirlpool Oven Self-Cleaning locking latch with my Dremel a few days ago.  I get up to 850°F on the stone within 35 mins; 1000°F at top.  Kind of scary cooking a pizza in 2mins, and burning it in 3 mins!     Jeff is right that the temps surrounding and in cabinet above the oven never went above 87°F.  With only two pizzas down, many lessons being learned.

[norma427]

MrPibbs,

I am glad that you ordered two Italian cultures from www.sourdo.com and am also glad this thread helped you with the posts from many members. 

Your journey sound interesting and I wish you well with your starters.  You are really into your journey if you tried a oven hack already.    Just be careful with that.  I am still learning lessons, as I am sure you will too.  In each pizza that is made there are always questions, but in the end you then learn more.

Looking forward to seeing when you used your starters and seeing the final pizzas.

Norma

[MrPibbs]

Thanks!  By the time I remember to take pictures, the pizza has been eaten.  Have to keep the camera handy!!!   

[TXCraig1]

Thanks!  By the time I remember to take pictures, the pizza has been eaten.  Have to keep the camera handy!!!   

I had to cut off a few fingers early on, but now everyone is trained not to touch the pies until I take a picture. 

[norma427]

Thanks!  By the time I remember to take pictures, the pizza has been eaten.  Have to keep the camera handy!!!   

MrPibbs,

Yep, keep the camera handy.  Most members do like to see pictures and even if something doesn't turn out right, then members are here to help you on what you might need help with.  I have lots of pizzas that didn't turn out the way I planned, but then there were members that stepped in and help me.

Norma

[norma427]

I had to cut off a few fingers early on, but now everyone is trained not to touch the pies until I take a picture. 

Craig,

 

Norma

[MrPibbs]

I have not received my book and starters from sourdo.com yet, but for pizza planning purposes....once the starter process is begun for the first time, what is the approximate number of days before you can have a useable result?

I can share a couple pix of how easy it was to cut off this little hook tab and have the Whirlpool Self-Cleaning cycle start up.  No other modifications were needed.

[norma427]

I have not received my book and starters from sourdo.com yet, but for pizza planning purposes....once the starter process is begun for the first time, what is the approximate number of days before you can have a useable result?

I can share a couple pix of how easy it was to cut off this little hook tab and have the Whirlpool Self-Cleaning cycle start up.  No other modifications were needed.

Mr.Pibbs,

Those are great pictures of how you did your oven hack.  If you are getting good results with you pizzas I think members would be able to see what you did better if you posted the oven hack under the oven board. 

It all depends on how long it takes you to get your starters activated when you can start making pizzas with them, but for me I started activating my starters at http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,11578.0.html and then made my first pizza with a starter at Reply 61 http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,11578.msg106880.html#msg106880

Peter explained more how I could experiment with starters at Reply 51 http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php/topic,11578.msg106667.html#msg106667

I have experimented with starters many times, but still don’t full understand what the best methods are.  I would have liked to offer a starter dough pizza at market, but had too many problems with different variables to be able to do that.

Once you get started making pizzas with your starters and start your own thread it will be interesting to see what you post about using starters and how you like the taste of starters in the final pizzas.  Usually starters in pizza dough do taste better if the temperature is controlled while fermenting your dough, but you can play around with cold fermenting too.  Cold fermenting does slow the fermenting down though if using a starter.  There are a lot of members on this forum that know a lot more about using starters than I do.

Norma