May 17, 2020 - 1:13pm
when to use starter
Hello, I checked my starter at 11:45 am and it hadn't quite doubled. I fed it at 10:30pm last night pacific time after removing from fridge . i stirred it, did the float test, the larger blob floated but the little bits sank. i marked the jar, and it's been a couple of hours since, but it's still growing. Is it ok to use now? i figure if it's still growing it hasnt peaked yet???? I would appreciate any guidance. Thanks so much..
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Is this a newly established starter or one you have used for baking before? It sounds like it is peaking right about now since it has been 12 hours or so. It also sounds like it is ready to go! However, well-established starters usually peak a little sooner than that, but perhaps it was really cold coming out of the fridge, your kitchen temp might be cooler or you used cold water for your refresh. My starters usually double or triple within about 6-8 hours. Hope it works out...post some pictures if so! Happy Baking!
this starter is now a little over 2 months old . had baked with it before but wasn't satisfied with the oven spring and many other little things as i'm new at this. i did feed it right out of the fridge , cold, with room temp water so those are factors. i think i did 50:80:80 with whole wheat flour. when i decided to use it it looked quite bubbly so i'm not going to use the float test like i used to anymore.
Ok this might sound like a dumb question but here goes. Let's say i take some starter and feed it 1:1:1 and i take some of the starter from the same mother and feed it 1:2:2. All other factors are constant. same type of flour, temp etc etc the only difference is the ratio. the 1:1:1 starter should peak first because it has less food right? so let's say the 1:1:1 starter peaks in 6 hours and is ready to use. and of course the 1:2:2 starter hasn't peaked yet. so if i go ahead at use the 1:2:2 starter anyway, it's not going to perform as well as the 1:1:1. is the reason for that, because the concentration on yeast in the 1;2:2 starter isn't as high since there's still uneaten food in that starter?
The best moment to use your starter is when it has peaked and fallen just a little. That's a sign that the bacteria's food is exhausted and they are ready and craving for more. You could also use it earlier or later, but that might lead to inferior fermentation rate because the bacteria might be overwhelmed or exhausted. But rather use it too late than too early if you miss the perfect time.
thanks, i'm having some trouble determining when its peaked.
I am a beginner and doing my first sourdough start. I am doing the 7 days process and on day 2 it more than doubled after it’s feeding quite quickly. I waited until it deflated to feed it again and after the first day 3 feeding it is growing very slowly. House is the same temperature. Only difference is rain outside today. Is this normal? The discard was so fluffy and beautiful and jar full and now it’s just blah again ;( Anyone?
Read the article I'll link below and follow the link at the end & read part 2. It should give you a much more thorough understanding of what is going on with the microscopic organisms in your starter.
To answer your question, yes, it's normal. The first organisms that moved into your culture weren't the ones we want in sourdough. The sudden apparent drop off in activity is because those organisms have died off and others are taking over. There's really just as much life, but the current residents don't happen to make bubbles. Although seeing so many bubbles and then having the culture suddenly look dead is always very discouraging to newbies who don't know to expect it, it is actually a good sign that you are getting closer to the end result you want.
Be very careful you don't overfeed during this "dead" phase. It will slow down your progress by diluting your culture. If the recipe you are following directs you to start feeding 2x/day, do not do that until you see lots of activity again.
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/10856/pineapple-juice-solution-part-1
I’m so so grateful for your thorough and thoughtful response. Just my intuition had thought I decided not to feed it a second time today and will wait until I see another rise and then when it begins to fall I’ll feed it.
Thank you thank you so much. I will rest easier tonight :)