hey  i just started my own starter and it seems to be doing what its suppose to do  i've had it for 2 weeks and the first weekend i made 3 loaves and they where awesome  then the middle of the 2nd week i tried to make another loaf  and it didn't rise  i feed it that mornning before work then 9 hours later after work is when i tried it  also i only used 1/4 cup flour/water to feed on that day and i've been keeping it out of the fridg and feeding it every day i geuss im confused on making the sponge  sence all the info i got from the internet says to take out of the fridg  and feed it for a day or 2 before baking with it  but sence its been out of the fridg isn't that the same as keeping a sponge the whole time thanks for any help here

          p.s.  i love baking and cooking in general   and have been making some awesome yeast bread for years with commercial yeast and thought i would like wild yeast better more from scratch if, you know what i mean  anyways thanks again

I am just starting to experiment with making bread and made my own yeast by mixing AP flour and water together and feeding it daily (twice daily at the beginning) per the Joy of Cooking instructions.  It's been 2 weeks and I have what I think is a nice looking bowl of wild yeast - it's pretty fluid (not runny) and has lots of holes on the surface and it smells pretty "yeasty" I think.  Whenever I feed it, it deflates and puffs right back up about 12 hours later. 

 I continue to feed it daily, but I'm not sure if

a) this is considered my "sponge" or "starter" (is this a poolish or a biga?

b) do i have to add commercial yeast when making a loaf if i use this yeast?

c) if i don't have to add more yeast, what is the typical ratio for substitution i.e., if a recipe calls for 1 tbsp of dry yeast, do i add 1 cup of my "wild yeast"?

Thanks for any advice you can provide.  This site has been a tremendous help!

Well, I almost thought I knew what they were talking about when they said "liquid levain" or whichever.  Some books differentiate when they specify a levain type.  But now I'm confused again.  Maybe there are standard definitions?