New Starter; What are These Layers?
I have never grown a sourdough mother before now.
I used whole grain flour and equal parts water, basically I just went for slightly above 100% hydration to get things going. Only ingredient I added was, perhaps about two tablespoons of calamondin juice (an invented type of citrus half orange and half kumquat, which is both sweet and highly sour like a lemon, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calamondin).
After day one, the flour condensed below, leaving a very small layer of water on top. With no worries, I have continued feeding every 24 hours. I simply removed most of the flour and water and then added equal parts of flour and water to replenish. This has all been at a cool room temperature, in a cupboard.
On day 2 1/2, I checked the starter and I found three layers. I have found some reading about layers, some from this forum, but I have not found anything on this setup of layers, and I'm concerned about feeding in this regard. The bottom layer is flour, and within it tiny bubbles. The second layer is water, cloudy and with wispy upward plumes like I'm used to seeing with yeasty water. Above that is a cap-looking layer of bubbling, frothing flour, and this is the largest layer.
The middle layer of water is confusing me. Too much water? What is on top and what is on the bottom? Is this the yeast or the souring organisms? The smell is sweet and clean, and it smells like wheat. There is no sour smell. What do these layers mean and which part should I leave in?
Thank you for your help.
Just give it a stir and carry on.
like you should be or using equal volumes of flour and water which you should not be doing? Looks too wet to me and what it would look like using equal volumes of flour and water instead of weight. Using whole wheat flput and water at 100% hydration shouldn't separate like that after 24 hours.
Happy baking
It is by volume, but it isn't equal. This shot it was more water than flour. I mixed and fed it with less water this time to be about 100%, and I'll see what happens I guess.
no more!
Yes, I agree with dabrownman. Too much water for sure. For 100% hydration it should be equal parts water and flour by weight (so, 100 gram of flour and 100 grams of water). If by volume, use approximately half the volume of water to the volume of flour. Stir it well. You can also stir it between feedings to keep it bubbling.
is separating in the middle layer but that is not really a bad thing to have a very wet starter, it won't trap gas but it will ferment faster. I would start thickening it up if you smell yeasty beasties and keep stirring, about 2 to 5 times a day when you walk by. No stress. It looks like it's coming along nicely. What is it's temp?
After thickening and fermenting, reduce the size (so it's not out of control) and give it equal weights of water and flour.
Mini
I hadn't realized it should by 2:1 by volume. Doh!
It's day 3 1/2 and no layer of water has formed back. About 5 hours left until next feeding time. It isn't frothy this morning, but there were tiny bubbles trapped in it. I stirred it vigorously--not having read your advice to stir 5 times per day, yet--and that brought the bubbles out. The smell that came out is the smell that comes from wine after the second or third day of fermentation. It's a weak smell, but it is that smell. After a few minutes, some more bubbles emerged and there's some partial foaming. It's definitely alive with something.
I'm glad the extra hydration got it going quickly, even though I did mistakenly go overboard, but I thickened it down yesterday and returned it to proper hydration. I'll reduce it to a much smaller amount, like you said, today. Felt like I was using too much flour already anyway.
Thanks everyone.