Fermentation Temperature affect Results?

Hello all,

I've been noticing something about how the fermentation temperature affects how a starter comes out. For example, I was following the guide by Maurizio Leo that was recommended by Deborah Wink, putting my starter in the proofer at 75 degrees. The starter came out really nice; the texture was light and fluffy, the smell was sour but not overwhelming, and the leavening power was right on point.

I used to ferment my starter at 85 degrees in the proofer, and the leavening power was perhaps a little stronger, but so was the smell, and the texture was more liquidy, more bubbly. The flour had probably been degraded more.

And sometimes, if I know I can't get to my starter for a while, I'll leave it on the counter, and my house stays at 60-65 degrees in the winter here. When this happens, the starter hardly rises. When I get to it, it is fully fermented, with lots of bubbles, but I can tell by the streaks on the glass it hasn't risen but maybe 50%, instead of the 300%+ I'm used to. The leavening power is reduced, though still workable, the smell is fine, barely detectable.

My question is: Is there an ideal temp for the right kind of starter development? Are there temps that if you fall below, you will not get proper development. I ask because I see a lot of people developing their starters in the fridge partially, and I don't think that would work for my starter, seeing as it has trouble at 60 degrees.

Thanks!

Most importantly, nobody knows the complete truth about what you're asking. There are many wrong ideas floating around, and a smaller but still considerable number of right ideas - but nothing comprehensive; no one has 100% of the picture yet.
There's a well-known difference between getting a new starter going vs maintaining a starter that's already good. A new incomplete starter can't tolerate cool temperatures, but an established one certainly can.
Different composition (different flour for instance) causes different performance, and also causes different appearance - the look of bubbles in rye flour is not the same as the look of bubbles in wheat flour, etc etc.
The ultimate test is not the look, not the smell, not the temperature, but the quality of the bread. If it makes good bread, you are "on the money" regardless of appearances.
Because the topic is not perfectly known in all details, every thing you learn from experience (by manipulating the conditions and noting the results) is useful information.

BakersRoom - David is right on every point.

To pick up on his point about flours, I had noticed once and then experimented with the different influence of using AP flour and unbleached bread flour to feed my starter. Under identical conditions my starter fed with AP flour had a remarkably greater rise for the same length of time. They both worked well to make bread, but my starter was dramatically more active with AP. I have no idea why, but that was my observation.

I'd also agree with his point about a new vs old starter. I'm very neglectful with my starter, and yet he forgives me and rises to the occasion every time with a little bit of feeding. He's virtually indestructible! It's remarkable. So my experience is that the best thing you can do for your starter is let it age a few years.