tang and flavor to me, are not the same things. my sourdough is years old. the flavor improves with age indeed, but the tang to me is something you can steer in either direction (more tang, less tang) depending on which recipe, flour, etc.
so, if your sour has lost some of its tang, to me, the question would be, did you change anything? if so, what?
The only thing which I changed is that my bread making technique improved with each loaf. 1st loaf was the tangiest but it was also pretty flat & dense. While it was far from ideal, it did have a great flavor.
I'd say no. The starter consists of the same micro-organisms [more or less] that it began with. Changes to the quality of flour and water will affect starters but once a regular routine is established I've found them to be fairly stable. Note the use of the word "fairly" - I've had instances where the starter went through some "strangeness". Careful attention brought it back. Never, ever take your starter for granted - it must be attended too and even pampered at times.
A more sour starter can be made by introducing a small percentage of rye flour [< 10%]. It's effective at inducing a sour note in starters and breads.
I am new to making starters, mine is only a week old. But from what I hear, the flavor supposedly gets better with age.
tang and flavor to me, are not the same things. my sourdough is years old. the flavor improves with age indeed, but the tang to me is something you can steer in either direction (more tang, less tang) depending on which recipe, flour, etc.
so, if your sour has lost some of its tang, to me, the question would be, did you change anything? if so, what?
The only thing which I changed is that my bread making technique improved with each loaf. 1st loaf was the tangiest but it was also pretty flat & dense. While it was far from ideal, it did have a great flavor.
I'd say no. The starter consists of the same micro-organisms [more or less] that it began with. Changes to the quality of flour and water will affect starters but once a regular routine is established I've found them to be fairly stable. Note the use of the word "fairly" - I've had instances where the starter went through some "strangeness". Careful attention brought it back. Never, ever take your starter for granted - it must be attended too and even pampered at times.
A more sour starter can be made by introducing a small percentage of rye flour [< 10%]. It's effective at inducing a sour note in starters and breads.
Wild-Yeast
Thanks for the info. I'll try the rye flour.