Which way are these these ratios read?

I am getting confused by the feeding ratios everyone talks about. 1:1:1 obviously can be read any which way and you get the same results. 1:2:2 is also not confusing because I don't think I've ever seen anything to make me think anything other than starter goes first.

But what does 1:4:5 mean? Is it starter:flour:water or starter:water:flour? More hydration or less?

I was beginning to think I was going insane (or at least finding proof I'm getting too old to learn anything new) because I kept thinking I had it straight then seeing something that clearly stated the opposite of what I was thinking. Then I just came across this thread, and one poster (breadforfun) in the thread states it is starter:water:flour. But a different poster (Cody Bradford) states it is starter : flour : water. No wonder I'm confused!

This thread in case anyone cares:

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/62970/starter-help-bubbles-no-rise

I apologize if there is a FAQ somewhere where I could have looked this up. I have briefly looked through the site's reference material and it seems that most refers to things other than sourdough. If I missed the sourdough reference section, please point me to it!

Hi, and I’m sorry if I contributed to your confusion. I personally use starter:water:flour (and state it to be clear) because that is the way I mix them. I add water to starter, then add flour. This is a personal preference, and I don’t know if there is a “correct” way to do it. As long as you are consistent for yourself and let everyone know how you define it, anything works, I think.
-Brad

Thanks! Perhaps I'll start trying to get in the habit of using that order when I do a feeding and that might help me remember.

1:4:5 is starter:water:flour

I recognize it because that's exactly how I refresh my starter before a bake: 4 gr starter + 16 gr water + 20 gr flour = 40 gr @ 80% hydration -- which btw is not a widely used starter hydration. Most bakers these days (a la Robertson) like 100% although some bakers/cultures go low ("stiff"): 40,50,60% (e.g., Italy)

Tom

Thanks!