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Rye starter problem

lenb's picture
lenb

Rye starter problem

I'm building a rye starter from home milled grain using the method in Stanley Ginsburg's 'The Rye Baker'.  It seemed to start well. On day 2, it took off - lots of volume; I thought I was home free.  On day 3, I was a bit late with the feeding, by the time I got to it (about 6 hours late), the starter had collapsed.  It didn't smell bad or turn black, just sat there.  Since then, despite multiple feedings, it hasn't come back.

No big deal, I'm starting again; but I'm wondering whether this sort of failure is common.

Any insights appreciated.

Happy baking.

Len

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

for old school rye bread from scratch.  I haven't used Stan's method though.  I use PR's 30 g of whole fresh milled rye and 25 g of water.  let sit for 24 hours.  Add 30 g of fresh milled whole rye and 25 g of water.  Let sit for 24 hours.  Divide in half.  Add 30 g of rye and 25 g of flour to each and let sit for 24 hours. Divide one in half so now you have 3 pieces with one twice the size of he other 2.  Add 60 g of rye and 50 g of water to each of the 3 and let sit 24 hours.  On day 5 you can make 2 rye breads with the smaller ones.  The other one is your storage starter for the fridge. 

Divide istorage starter in half.  Build a levai  or any kind if bread with half and feed the other half 40 g of rye and enough water to take the starter to 66% hydration and let rise 25% before putting it in the fridge

Works every time!

Lechem's picture
Lechem (not verified)

There is no need to start again. 

Dabrownman lives in a warm climate and has many years experience to-boot. However many of us live in colder climates and when making one for the first time one lacks the knowledge of how to 'read' a starter. 

It is very normal to see an initial burst of activity and then experience quiet. My guess is instead of slowing down your feeds you speeded them up in order to wake your starter up. This will have the opposite effect. 

What I suggest now is for you to keep the starter warm and don't feed until you see activity again. Give it a good stir once every 24 hours instead. When it wakes up then you can start following Dabrownman's method. 

So try and find a place where the starter will be kept warm at preferably 75-78°F. Once you see activity again (might take a day or two or even three) then do the following...

To 55g of the now active starter feed it 25g warm water + 30g whole rye flour. You'll now have 110g starter. Keep warm and 24 hours later (or more if it needs more time to show activity) then split into two and continue to follow the method above. 

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

for his old school pumpernickel. He makes bigger builds, tosses after each divide and adds caramel on day 4 for the pumpernickel.  I leave out the caramel and use the tossed portion to make another starter or levain.  He starts in day 1 and bakes bread on day 4-5  

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

at 78 F is a good thing to know though.  You don't have to worry about activity with a whole rye starter.  Whole wheat ones don't act like white ones either.  If you want a fast WW starter to make bread in 4-5 days use Joe Ortiz's famous WW, milk and cumin method.  It works every time too.  You can find it on YouTube when he used it on Julia Child's TV show

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P03Aakjx99o

Joe says that the yeast comes from the air but that is incorrect.  It comes from the flour and the cumin 

lenb's picture
lenb

I moved the temp up to 78 and I'm getting activity again.  Will proceed as directed.  Seems like after 4 feedings, the starter should be ready to go which would have been my next question.

I had been using 21C as my temperature since that is what The Rye Baker recommends, but all of my sponge development times have been larger than he lists.  Now, I'm thinking 78F might bring my times in line with those of the book.  Any thoughts on that adjustment?

Thanks for the help and happy baking.

Len

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

Then as the starter culture gets stronger the temperature can be lowered.  But wait until it is going gangbusters to start using temps under 23° C.    26°C is a good temp after a warm first 24 hrs. In the beginning life of a starter.   Four days is not there yet.  Be patient and follow the good advice above.

lenb's picture
lenb

25C seems to be the key!  Patience does not comes easily; however, in this case, at least, it seems to be a virtue.

Rye Starter Day 5