January 21, 2015 - 7:06pm
Sourdough Starter Issues
I have a quick question for the Fresh Loaf community regarding sourdough starters. I have been trying to get a starter going for about a month now but have been unable to get it to peak within 6-8 hours. It is definitely rising within that time but takes about 24 hours to fully peak. The starter is as follows:
100% hydration, fed at a ratio of 1:1:1, fed at 24 hr intervals, room temp of 74 deg F.
Thank you all in advance for your help or suggestions
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Just feed more frequently. I'd say at minimum 2x per day, but the more often the better.
Try this 3-stage method and tell us what happens (borrowing from dabrownman's post):
You'll have 126g of starter at approx 65% hydration that should be more active.
Thanks cranbo, that was worked perfectly; much easier than I expected!
Could you explain to me why a lack of food would have prevented the starter from rising in 6-8 hours (I am a complete beginner). My assumption is that there was enough yeast in the starter but the little guys ran out of food before the starter could peak? I am unclear however, as to why the starter would peak (almost triple) after a full 24 hours if the yeast had already run out of food. My other thought is that the method you provided actually increased the yeast population in a short period of time?
Thanks again for the help.
The more often you feed, not only are you re-innoculating your culture fresh food and fresh yeast, but you are creating an increased metabolic rate for your starter culture.
Here's one metaphor: you can increase your own body metabolism by eating no big meals every day, and instead only eating smaller meals more frequently. This way your body gets used to eating constantly and speeds up its own metabolism.
Not much different for yeasts & LABs. By feeding the more frequently you are helping to emphasize the yeast & LABs that metabolize the most quickly in the culture. By contrast, if you feed only infrequently you are emphasizing the yeast & LABs that can survive without being fed the longest, aka, ones with a slower metabolism.
A starter culture is a living, thriving ecosystem that will adapt to the environmental factors that you provide: it will work faster if it's kept warm or fed more frequently; conversely it will work more slowly if it's colder or fed infrequently.
What flour are you using?
Are you feeding by weight?
How often do you wish to bake with it?
Have you done any successful bakes so far?
Thanks AbeNW11, I am using AP, feeding by weight, I only bake about once every two weeks (I am a chef by trade and only use bread in my daily specials on occasion), I've used the starter to bake for flavour but used commercial yeast to leaven.
Thanks AbeNW11, I am using AP, feeding by weight, I only bake about once every two weeks (I am a chef by trade and only use bread in my daily specials on occasion), I've used the starter to bake for flavour but used commercial yeast to leaven.
Can you feed it then take a before and after photo?
Don't forget that not all flours rise the same. When I feed my whole rye starter it rises a lot with big bubbles. If I make a spelt pre-ferment it'll rise differently with lots and lots of smaller bubbles.
I never use AP flour but i'm sure that's different too.
We get too bogged down on this pre-conceived idea that all starters have to rise the same for them to be healthy! Everyone's starter is different. I just want to know that your starter is alive and it can produce bread.
Have you even tried baking sourdough with it?