Starters: differences and longevity
Having jumped in to the sourdough way of life in my typical 'all the way' fashion, I now have three very happy sourdough starters bubbling away in my dungeon: the first is from a friend in SanFrancisco,nickname, "Jerry," (what else?) the second I purchased from KAF in Vt., nickname "skibum" and the third is from my outlaws' family in the environs of Paris nickname "Etienne " . All three have been resurrected from their trips here to NJ and each has proven itself capable of rising on command. Tried the same recipe with each and they definitely produce subtle differences. So far, Jerry is the nastiest of them, but he's been here the longest.
First, I was wondering whether, from anyone's experience, these differences intensify over time or whether the ongoing feeding/use cycles tend to blur the distinctions as a result of the infusion of both local strains of yeast and/or the introduction of new strains from the flour being used to feed them. With that, I also wonder whether there is a way to intensify the differences and/or prevent the "NewJerseyation" of these very different starters.
Thanks!
Chris