Hi everyone!!

Boy am I happy that I found this site!!  I am having trouble (of course) with what I thought was my first attempt at sourdough starter..

I am using BBA method for Seed Culture, hoping to get to the Barm stage at some point.  I have two questions.  #1) I see here that many say that this method (BBA) is a method for Wide Yeast NOT Sourdough starter.  Can someone clear up the difference for me?  And how does one start a Sourdough Starter?

More Importantly... #2)  Having trouble getting my seed culture to develop according to what BBA says should be happening...  This has been my method and results...

 DAY 1:  4.25oz coarse rye flour & 6oz room temp water (NYC water run through my Brita filter).  Put in plastic beaker, marked height.

DAY 2:  Saw small rise (I think maybe 50% or less-can't quite remember).  Mixed in 4.5oz bread flour & 4oz water.

DAY 3:  I think this is the day that I had a pretty big rise - maybe double, maybe a bit more.  Discarded 1/2 the starter.  Added 4.5 oz bread flour & 4oz water.

 DAY 4:   maybe 50% rise.  BBA said that I should have had at least a double this day, or to allow it to sit out another 12-24 hours - so I left it alone until...

DAY 5:  Still no double, maybe 50% rise - decided to  discard 1/2 and feed again.

DAY 6:  Same - no double, but fed it again.. 

Day 7 - TODAY.  Looks like I had 75% rise, but then it fell back again to 50%.  The past couple of days (I'm getting confused, should have kept a journal) it seems to rise best between when I feed it and maybe 6-8 hours later, then it seems to stall and then falls back by the time it gets around to 24 hours.. 

 AM I STARVING IT?  I've read that many methods discard and feed every 12 hours.  Should I try this?  I'm still waiting for the double rise without falling - then BBA tells me to use 7 oz of this "seed culture" with 3 1/2 cups (16oz) flour and 16oz water to make the barm.

 This that I've made smells a bit sour and a bit bready - not bad, I think that day 3 was the worst smell (and the best rise-was this just bacteria.?

 Sorry for the long post, I appreciate any help that you can give me.  I just fed it for today, may try to feed again in 12 hours.

Thanks.