February 22, 2009 - 10:52am
sourdough starter problem
Hi
My Name is sam. I just joined. I am trying to locate an article referenced by Peter Reinhart in his whole wheat book. The article was writen by Debra Wink. I thought he mentioned it could be found on the King Arthur web site but I can not locate it. Thanks.... Sam
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This might be the one you are looking for:
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/keyword/lactic-acid-bacteria
--Pamela
Fantastic. Thanks Pamela thats the one I am looking for.
Have a good weekend......
Sam
Hi Sam, Debbie Wink here. Thanks for asking about my article, but I think the one you are looking for, The Pineapple Juice Solution, is the one I'm still working on getting posted here. One of the other members offered to label some photos for me, and I haven't heard back on them yet. I think he's been busy and can't find the time to get to it, so I'll try and get the text posted without further delay. The photos aren't critical, so it won't be a big deal either way. Thank you for the reminder :-)
Are you having a starter problem?
Debra,
Pardon me for jumping in, but I just read your article on lactic acid fermentation, which I found very informative. I'm having problems getting a starter going, but I've only tried twice, and am will be giving it another go pretty soon. Incidentally, in a former lifetime, on a research project, I prepared big batches of yeast - I believe it was Saccharomyces Cerevisiae. This was done in a huge fermentor at Purdue Univerisity. I was trying to isolate a lactate dehydrogenase, so I was feeding the yeast lactic acid with the intent of forcing the yeast to metabolize it, thus increasing the production of the enzyme I was after. That was a long time ago, and I've forgotten most of the details. Now however, I would really like to get a healthy starter going, and so it's great to have some understanding of the process.
Andy
Andy, I should get the article posted this week, but in the meantime, here is my Sourdough Starter formula. Despite the lengthy discussion, it's a very simple and effective procedure. When you're ready, give it a try and let me know if you have any problems or questions :-)
Third time's the charm. I finally got a very healthy starter going, and began the process of making my first sourdough bread. I'm trying the BBA Basic Sourdough Recipe.
Welcome to the world of sourdough :-)
Hi Debbie
Thanks for the response. I was rushed off to the movies yeaterday and did not get back on line. I really look forward to reading your new article on sourdough. I am not having any problems with my starter now but over time they all seem to have some problems.Presently my interest is strictly academic.
The one I am using now is probably the best one I have managed to keep going. The smell and tast are so good that when I feed it I can not stop myself from licking off the spoon. (Please don't tell anyone I admitted to that. :>) )
Have a good week.....
Sam
Sam, here is the first installment:
The Pineapple Juice Solution, Part 1
Debbie. Thanks. Looking forward to reading it.....
Sam
Debbie,
Thanks for posting the first installment of the pineapple juice solution. I have to confess I had the same experience twice. I tried the sourdough starter in the Bakers aprentice. The first two days it was very active then nothing. The first time I assumed something had killed it so it went to feed the worms.
The second time the same thing happened. It was very active right off then nothing. Since I am not the most diligent person in the world, I lost track of it for a few days and it started working again. I took about two weeks for it to get to the point that I wanted to try it but when I did I was very happy with it. Until i read your article I had just chalked it up to one of those great mysteries of the universe.
Looking forward to the next installment. Have a good weekend.......
Sam
I've had that experience too. Not feeding isn't a problem for the first few days. In fact, there are procedures where you mix your flour and water, and then let it sit for three days before feeding again. They work quite well, if mold doesn't invade. More of an explanation here:
The Pineapple Juice Solution, Part 2 | The Fresh Loaf
Debbie,
A little late but thanks for posting part 2 of the pineapple juice solution. I have not finished reading it yet but the part I have read explains what I was seeing in my own starters. This is a wealth of information that all sourdough junkies will appreciate.
Have a good weekend.......
Sam