Is my starter ready?
I am trying to make a whole wheat sour dough starter for the first time and cannot tell from all my research whether it is ready to be used.
I used 1/2 cup of freshly milled hard red winter wheat and 1/2 cup filtered water. Put mason jar covered with coffee filter in a warm (70 degree) dark place in kitchen.
Next day showing signs of bubbling. Discarded half and added 1/2 cup of flour and 1/2 cup water.
Next day it looked like pictures of starters that are ready to use. Doubled in volume. Looked like a sponge. Smelled slightly sour. Some hooch liquid - not at the top, but at the bottom of the jar.(But it can't be ready so soon, right?). So I discarded half and fed it again.
Next day it appeared and smelled exactly the same. So I tried the floating test. The sponge floats! But still not sure it could be ready for use. So another day of feeding.
Today it remains exactly the same. Doubled in volume, Nice sponge., Hooch at bottom. Slightly sour but sweet aroma.
Could my starter possibly have been ready on Day 3? Is is ready now? What do I need to know that I don't know?
Any help would be greatly appreciated.