Questions from a first timer
Hi,
I just found this site a few days ago when I was searching to see what I had done wrong with my first attempt at a sourdough starter. This site is amazing and you all know so much. I have found I have a lot to learn.
I have been baking bread for almost 20 years (just at home , for my family- I don't like store bought bread), but I have zero sourdough experience. I have wanted to try this for a long time. I tried a starter that used potato water and unbleached white and I think I threw it out too soon. I learned here that it needed to be fed more, I think. It just looked tan colored, had a layer of liquid on top and smelled neutral at six days with one feeding on day 5. If anyone can tell me what that meant I'll be prepared for future starters.
After disgarding that, I started a variation of one on this site using pineapple juice. I don't have rye flour, so I used organic stone ground whole wheat. I mixed it with the same ratio, but after reading some comments decided that it needed more juice to look like "thick batter". It has been sitting covered with a linen dish towel for about 23 hours. It doesn't look much different except it is drying out around the edges. I would like to feed it as instructed, but should I remove just the moist parts to a new container. It is in a pyrex dish. I did forget and used a metal spoon to measure the juice, but mixed with plastic.
I would really like to get a good starter going and would appreciate any comments or tips. Thanks.