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Same starter but looking different

breadandthebees's picture
breadandthebees

Same starter but looking different

Hi everyone! Does anyone have an idea why these two starters of mine look sort of different?

AbeNW11's picture
AbeNW11 (not verified)

Same flour + water but are they fed exactly the same?

Are you feeding both the same ratios? For example 1:1:1 or 1:2:2 or 1:3:3

Are they at the same stage of fermentation?

Are they kept at the same temperature?

 

P.s. when you said different I was expecting... well, different ;)

breadandthebees's picture
breadandthebees

Hi Abe, yeah, I hold back 4 oz of each and then feed each with 4 oz of water and (white AP) flour each. They sit side by side all day. The second one was some of the discard I thought I'd use as a backup.

AbeNW11's picture
AbeNW11 (not verified)

is different sized containers. One is more spread out than the other so more bubbles breaking the surface. The other one is climbing better with less bubbles breaking the surface.

But both look healthy to me.

breadandthebees's picture
breadandthebees

they are both in the same sized containers. I'm not very tall and when I hovered over the containers to take the picture my angle was off.

AbeNW11's picture
AbeNW11 (not verified)

One is placed in such a way that it is in more direct sunlight and therefore slightly warmer than the other. Or one is slightly nearer another heat source like a bench top oven or something therefore fermenting quicker.

:)

But seriously I don't think there's much in it.

breadandthebees's picture
breadandthebees

they reside in my basement. I placed them on the counter in order to take a better looking photo. Sorry, it's the art director in me(!). Yeah, I shouldn't complain since they are healthy and haven't given me any problems. Guess I'm just really curious why they look different. Thanks for your responses, Abe :-)

AbeNW11's picture
AbeNW11 (not verified)

Your starters have different personalities. They are twins but behave differently.

breadandthebees's picture
breadandthebees

... but why?? :-(

I should just let it go, huh?

AbeNW11's picture
AbeNW11 (not verified)

But I'm no expert.

Take a clipping from one flower and replant it in a pot. Will both flowers grow exactly the same from now on?

Start your sourdough starter in one country and then take the same starter to another country and even then that same starter will change characteristics.

Your starters are now different! The yeasts inside the two starters are permanently changing and although they come from the same starter those original yeasts are now long gone (each yeast only has a short lifespan).

Infact when people say their starter is 10 years old its actually not true. Your starter is never older than so many hours! The lifespan of the yeasts before they feed replicate and die. And what's more when you feed with flour you're introducing new yeasts as well.

So overtime a starter will change.

breadandthebees's picture
breadandthebees

I see. I see. This is interesting... that make sense. Thanks! I can get back to work now :-)

AbeNW11's picture
AbeNW11 (not verified)

Phew :)

breadandthebees's picture
breadandthebees

Hahaha...

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

and the other male....and they live on different planets?  Just a guess from Lucy.

breadandthebees's picture
breadandthebees

 and clearly the bubblier one is... female?

WendySusan's picture
WendySusan

and she's always right!

;-D