Hi there. I'm sure the answers I'm looking for exist somewhere on this site, but a search brings up an exhaustive amount of (great) information, so here goes:

I've slaved over my scale and coutertop for the past month, but have now happily created a new starter, now just over 30 days old, kept at 100% hydration with bread flour and fed twice daily. It's remained healthy, doubles readily between feedings, and smells wonderful.

Yesterday, I converted it to an approx 66% hydration starter and put in fridge for storage. It essentially trippled overnight. My plan was to feed it once or twice a week, but as it's expanded so quickly, I'm afraid of it starving. My questions are:

1. While it's in the refridgerator, can I essentially ignore the volume, and just feed once or twice a week, with confidence that it won't exhaust itself of food?

2. How do I take a portion of this starter to put aside for "insurance." (ie: freeze, dried,???)

Thanks in advance!

--Rick

I'm in a hurry to try to get my starter built for a loaf of Hamelman's mixed flour miche because this AM when I baked I completely messed up my loaf. Looking at my upcoming schedule for the next three days, if I don't bake today, I won't be able to bake until Monday.

So, I have whole wheat and rye starter in the fridge, both have been fed less than 7 days ago. If I take them out and feed, give them about 2 hours at 76 degrees, do you think they will be refreshed enough to use for baking? Or, would that be severely pushing my starter? I'd really prefer not to add commercial yeast as I'd like to try to make this formula as close to the book as possible. (other than combining the two starters rather than building up one with two flours)

Thanks!

I think I've got a plan that will work, but wanted to run it by the gurus here before I act on it. I've come to love my 3 home-brewed starters very much (a whole wheat, a whole rye and a whole spelt), and would be really put out if I lost them in a cross-country move.

Here's the situation: I'm moving from Watertown, MA to Corvallis, OR on July 28. My wife will be flying out with our 3-year-old, but she'll be staying in a hotel until my father and I arrive sometime on Aug. 1 (probably very late) with the beds and the rest of our earthly belongings.

The plan: