Starter Help!!!
Hey Guys...
I am still trying to get my first starter off the ground. I have made many mistakes so far. I was using Chlorinated water, I was useing bleached flour. I have fixed those errors but I am still have a problem.
This time I starter using purified water and rye flour. Feeding twice a day, usually keeping 2 tbls of starter, adding 4 tbls of rye flour and 3 tbls water.
By the ennd of day 2 I was starting to get some expansion from the bacteria. Within 4 days I was getting LOTS of expansion from bacteria and it smelled REALLY bad.
After a week and a half the expansion slowed down and the smell was going away. So I switched to useing unbleached bread flour. It was rising a bit for a few days but now it seems completely inactive. It is getting a large amount of hooch on it, but no expansion.
Did I rush on the bread flour? Is this just a dormant stage before yeast grows? Should I be using AP flour and not bread flour? I just tasted it and it sorta tastes like yogurt, not sure if that is important.
And ideas would be greatly appreciated.
-D