Starters.... Using, Keeping and keeping it SAFE!!!!
Okay, first dumb question. I assume I can keep a tight lid on the started AFTER it has become a mature starter? As in, it doesn't need wild yeast anymore. It is mature enough for baking. For what its worth, its about 500g of 100% hydro, kept in a 2 quart cambro container. Way more container than what is needed, so, plenty of air trapped in there.
Mostly though, I am wanted to know how you use your starter. Most recipesĀ call for 200-400g of "built" levain, using a tablespoon of mature starter. So, they call for building twice as much and only using half, replenishing your starter..... Me? I hate the idea of replenishing. I would rather ruin a batch of bread than my starter and having a step where I MAY forget to replenish and use the whole levain scares me.
So, I propose taking what I need and leaving my starter alone. I keep a very tight schedule for feeding and since I am only keeping 100g's of mature starter, tossing out 400g's of starter, adding 400g's of flour and water to feed, I would think that the only thing I need to worry about is making sure that I don't take too much that I am left with less than 100g's of starter and I need to concern myself with how ripe the starter is when I take from it. Obviously, if I feed at 6am, I am not going to pull from it at 7am. If I need to pull in the morning, I pull prior to the feed. If I pull at noon-2pm, I can almost pull my full amount and have no need for a levain build, unless I need a particular flour for the build. If I pull late at night or just before the feeding, its going to be more acidic and maybe I should take a little less or ferment less, if I want less acid.
Also, I never make one recipe of bread. At the very least, I make 2. Sometimes 3 or 4 and sometimes I stagger the builds and final dough mixes. I write up a "pan up" sheet and keep things pretty organized.
Thoughts?