June 24, 2013 - 11:58am
Help Flat
Ok I started a starter a couple of weeks ago, "George" was doing very good a few days ago more than doubling, but now not even a quater, he is rising maybe a half inch above the mark on the jar. George is a rye starter, home ground with filtered water. I really want to make bread but I am afraid George isn't up to it right now. For feedings i have been keeping 1/4 of a cup and adding 1/4 cup of water and 1/4 + cup of flour to make pancake batter consistancy. What can I do to get George to perk up?
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I keep my starters in the refrigerator and refresh them the day before I want to make bread. I keep the starters at 100% hydration, whereas you are close to 200% hydration and may be starving George. Try using the ratio of 1:1:1 :: starter:water: flour BY WEIGHT. A cup of sifted flour weighs about 4.3 oz. whereas a cup of water weighs about 8.3 oz.
Ford
Thanks I will give that a try. Fingers crossed
Are you feeding daily? Keeping it at room temp? What IS room temp? Yeast is pretty happy at about 78-82F but will still grow (rather slowly) even at 65F and like gangbusters and starve itself at 85F. Any hootch formation at all?
Don't give up. Keep going. Stir during the day. Feed more if hootch forms.
He was getting fed at least daily, but when he started blooming I fed him when he fell, which was about every 12 hours. I think room temp right now is around 78 to 80....I think I might move him down stairs its a bit cooler on the warm days. He had some hooch just before he started blooming. I just fed him and mixed him up alot stiffer than he was, hoping he was just hungry.
I did use pineapple juice to start George. He has risen double in 6 hours with the 100% hydration.
volume than water, your mix ids too thin and anything living int here is starving, 1/2 C of water weighs 110 G and 1/ 2 C of flour weighs 73 g. You want equal weights of both. Once you get to 1005 hydration things will speed up and you will see some rise,.
I agree with Ford and dabrownman, feed by weight at 100% hydration. If you don't want to weigh your ingredients, use this formula, it will get you close to 100% hydration: one heaping tablespoon leftover starter, 1/4 cup of water, 1/2 cup rye flour. Pay careful attention to when the starter peaks. It may be more difficult to tell with the rye because of the lack of gluten.
Do that once or twice a day for a few days and see what happens. I don't think this is a water issue.
No it wasn't a water issue he was hungry and perked right up when he has enough flour. Thanks everyone.