Starter "cycles"?
My starter often seems to work in cycles. It will be happy and active and bubbly and wonderful, making loaves that puff up like nothing you've ever seen out of whole wheat, then after a number of months it will falter. I'll get a month or more of half-hearted bubbles and mediocre rises paired with an increased tang. After a little while, it will pick up again. I don't think this is normal, but I'm not sure if anyone else has had this particular problem. I want my starter to be consistent, and I want to understand what is causing the fluctuation. I keep a fairly liquid starter (I believe it is 100% hydration) and keep it in the fridge. I typically feed it every 3 days, sometimes more when I bake more often during the week. I'm not sure if this is related, but I've noticed that often during this time, the hooch does not rise to the top, but settles in the bubbles in the starter or at the bottom of the jar. That makes it difficult or impossible to pour out. Any advice?