starters - proofers

[anton-luigi]

No,  temps stay very well controlled in there.  Best of luck with your feedings,  I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.

[artigiano]

So far so good with the starter activation.  After about 10 hours, I fed the starter again with the 3/4 cups flour and 1 cup of flour.  The starter had a pleasant smell and a nice layer of hooch on top.  I mixed everything togethor and will probably feed again in around 8 hours.  I imagine that the jars will become quite full with the feeding amounts.  Is this a concern?  I will split the starter into 2 jars but I am wondering after a few days of feeding will I need even more than the 2 jars?  As I continue feeding should I be using the same amount of food (3/4 cup flour and 1 cup water) or should the amount of food increase/decrease?

cheers,
Alessandro

[anton-luigi]

That is what I ended up doing with mine as well,  I split into two different jars after the second of third feeding, cant remember.  I actually had the hooch at the bottom of the jar at that time,  but despite the cautions about washing it due to contamination,  I split the jar and continued with the feedings,  and emailed Ed Wood.  Seems like splitting the jars when I did,  gave the culture the opportunity to cleanse itself by dilution,  then growth of the "right" culture.

[artigiano]

Well, I just checked mine and the hooch is directly in the middle.  I have kept the temperature bang on 29 degrees C just as the instructions recommended.  I will feed in an hour and I am wondering if I should feed first then split the jars as they are getting quite full, or split and then feed?  I don't know if it should be washed yet as the hooch is in the middle and not yet at the bottom.

Al

[Frankie G]

don't rush.....The slower the rise... the better the flavor.

[Fingerstyle]

I made a small activation box from a frozen food shipping styro box, a night light, instant read thermometer, and extension cord, works great. For cool weather proofing, I use a 25 Watt lamp in a pots/pans cupboard above the fridge - perfect. I also use the cupboard w lamp to germinate seed for the garden.

[artigiano]

2 jars now and hooch is back on top! yes!  I still feed with 3/4 cup flour and 1 cup water.  I mix all togethor but then my jar is totally full so I dump some out until it is 2/3 full.  Is this the right idea?

[anton-luigi]

Dump out the waste portion BEFORE you add any new flour or water.  Actually the directions say to switch to 1C flour and 3/4C flour for the feedings,  and feed every 6 to 12 hours until it gets foamy and expands,  and/or has a layer of foamy bubbles on the surface at least 2 inches thick.  As far as how much you wish to keep in the jar,  is up to you.  It all depends on how much you will be using the starter.  I'd say 2/3 full would be more than you'd probably need to keep in there at any given time.  I usually keep my 1 QT jars somewhere between 1/4 and 1/3 full,  pull out 1/2C of starter for use,  and make a preferment out of that 1/2C for use.

[artigiano]

sounds good.. i guess i just felt bad throwing out the activated starter before the flour and water... seems like my patience is going down the drain or something and that the jars wont have much starter but a lot of food.

[anton-luigi]

Well,  they'll have a lot of food,  which allows the culture to multiply more,  and into the mixture that you just added.  You are trying to dilute all the byproducts that are left in the culture during dormancy.  When you feed then dump,  you are dumping out potential food for the culture.   It is still diluting the culture of course,  but why waste the new flour?  You do feel strange dumping a bunch of starter out in the beginning.  But when you start trying to keep it,  you start filling up the fridge with jars. 

[artigiano]

well,

Starters are interesting.  I started with the hooch on top and some bubbles and foaming in the 1st 24 hours.  The following day the hooch moved to the middle and after splitting the jars and feeding the cultures the hooch has moved back on top.  I am on day 3 now and the hooch is still on top with not much smell at this stage.  The 1st day it smelled like a beer fermentation type of smell,  then turned into an almost dairy type of smell followed by a somewhat other dairy/ yeasty type odour which wasnt quite as pleasant.  Now I dont have too much smell at all but a healthy looking culture from what I can tell.  Alway have a nice inch thick layer of hooch hovering on top.  The adventure continues.

Al