Simple questions on the basics :)
First I should say Hi, my first message here since I joined yesterday :)
I have been wondering on peoples oppinion mostly on how to keep the starter, because I find so many conflicting ideas everywhere about it, and today when preparing some of my new yeast for baking, I noticed it smelt much healthier when I kept it in a bowl with just a cloth over it than it did in the jar I keep it in, which I had thought may be going bad from the smell. So my first question, is how to contain the starter? I have been keeping mine in a Mason jar, with the inner lid upside down so it will not form a seal, and the lid very loose. Would it be better to give it more air?
Another concern is material, everywhere says to avoid plastic and metal, but I see alot of people, including on this site, using tupperware containers for theirs(especially starters on the dry side of the spectrum) This is for tools as well, when working with my starter, would it be best to avoid plastic and metal tools? After my first batch spoiled, I have been using a wooden spoon only with this one, but not sure how much it matters ^-^;;
Thanks in advance for any help you can give :)