I made apple yeast water and used it to make my starter. On day 1, I mixed 100g flour with 100ml of yeast water. On day 2, I mixed 100g of starter with 100g flour and 100ml bottled water, and I repeat the same every time the starter doubled/tripled. For the first 2 days, the starter was very active, easily doubling or tripling within 4 to 6 hours, and I feed it whenever it doubled/tripled. However, on 3rd day onwards, the activity slowed. Over 12 hours it has only risen about 10%, but it still have some bubbles. What should I do now? Do I feed it once in 24 hours and be patient for it to pick up activity?
After you have created the yeast water starter then you inoculate some flour with it to create your levain.
For example...
Recipe:
500g flour
350g water
10g salt
100g levain
So to make your levain just inoculate 50g of flour with 50g yeast water. Wait for it to become active and then proceed onto your recipe. Just like a sourdough.
But I understand it needs higher temperature than a sourdough for good results.
By adding more water to it and refreshing some of the fruit. But you don't use it to start a flour/water starter. Just use it to make a levain.
Thank you AbeNW11 for clarifying what to do with the yeast water. I will do that.
When you refresh your yeast water simply top up what you take out and every so often (not sure how often though) replace some of the fruit. Apparently it takes 5 days for the optimum time for inoculation. But again, just what I've picked up over time. I believe when you refresh just add a bit of sugar or drop of honey to help it along.
I aim to make raisin yeast water someday when I get round to it.
the search box for more YW information on starting, maintaining and creating a levain for breads.
Haooy YW baking
"Do I feed it once in 24 hours and be patient for it to pick up activity?"
Yes, The culture is going thru some major sorting and it is changing and will sort itself out. Bacteria have entered the arena and you are probably getting a thinner starter too. Don't discard for the next feeding but add enough flour to thicken it up and see what happens.