When to move from Phase 2 to 3? (re Reinhart's pineapple seed culture...)
Hello,
Obsessive neophyte here. Reading Peter Reinhart's "Artisan Breads Every Day" and after reading Debra Winks letter on pineapple juice, I decided to try Reinhart's seed culture recipe last Monday:
Monday evening, Day 1, Phase 1: 3 1/2 TB whole wheat flour + 1/4 cup pineapple juice
Tues and Wed: aerated culture 3 x a day. House temp. varies 23-25 degrees C. I keep my culture in a glass dish on the counter, loosely covered in saran wrap.
Thur. evening, Day 3, Phase 2: bubbles appeared, so I added 3 1/2 TB whole wheat flour + 2 TB pineapple juice to the Phase 1 seed culture.
Friday morning: aerate
Friday evening: I come home from work, and I am thrilled: there are bubbles throughout and my science experiment smells really beery. DH spoons a taste and comments on the sour flavour. I lick the spoon and promptly spit it out.
The culture must have foamed and fallen at some point during the day, because the top of the saran wrap is coated. I mix ("aerate") for 10 seconds and it deflates some more, along with the bubbles.
I go out. Came home just now..and....it still smells beery but it hasn't foamed up. There are bubbles. I mixed it and now, well, I'm wondering if I should be proceeding to Phase 3 according to Reinhart's book (page 40). I didn't feed it today so am concerned that it won't foam up again and be bubbly. Did I miss the boat?
Phase 3 consists of adding 7 TB flour with 2 TB filtered water. Should I have added it this evening?
thank you!