Starting starter in a yogurt container, for now....

Hey Stef,

Welcome to the forum !

I myself keep an active and healthy sourdough starter in a one-quart yogurt container, and have not yet experienced any problems with it. I have been using the same container for several months now; I keep a back-up "mother" starter in the fridge in case the unthinkable should happen (I shudder even to hint at it), but always have at the ready the starter in the yogurt container, which I feed once in the morning and once at night (I use all the "spent" starter to make injera two or three times per week). 

I keep it covered with a small piece of cheesecloth folded over itself (thus double-layered), fixed around the rim with a rubber band. This permits the starter to breathe and keeps out the larger predators; smaller predators (bad bacteria and yeasts) don't really stand much of a chance against the Legion of Good that already inhabits the container.

Your starter probably doesn't need any bells and whistles like wine-making valves or windows. Cheesecloth is pretty cheap if you can find it, but if you can't, I'm sure a coffee filter and a rubber band will be just fine. Most of the "wild" yeasts and bacteria are coming from the flour itself, and less from the air. To take a cue from Lord Chad Robertson, the quality of your starter will depend largely on feeding schedules and rhythms rather than the environment. Doubtless, the latter will contribute its own subtle nuances to the starter's ecosystem, but the flour will provide the real meat and potatoes.

Good luck, and feel free to ask more questions . . . 'round these parts, they often lead to answers :D

Or any clear jar with straight sides and a replaceable lid. I use a pint jar with a plastic lid for my white starter and a plastic peanut butter jar for my rye starter. You can put the lid on loosely enough for everything to get a little air. It's easy to tell how active it is, see if it's doubled, and with a wide mouth jar it's easy to put flour and water in and scrape it out. If you keep a backup jar or two with lids you can move a dab of old, tired starter into a clean new home to rejuvenate while you scrub out their old digs. I'm up to my hips in canning jars, anyway so no shortage.

Having said that, I kept a couple of starters going for YEARS in an old margarine tub and a yogurt container. I find that clear, labeled (with a sharpie) jars tucked into the refrigerator door are easier to locate and MUCH less likely to be tossed out as 'spoiled yogurt', though. When I feed and leave them out to replenish I set them in a bowl or saucer on the counter in case they get ambitious and climb out of their jars. I never keep more starter on hand than what fits comfortably in those two little jars.

It's been a while since I started a starter but if memory serves I never used any larger containers the last time. My kitchen is full of friendly bacteria, I think.