The Fresh Loaf

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Update 3/27/16: How to Blast Thru My SD Starter's Plateau??

bastet469's picture
bastet469

Update 3/27/16: How to Blast Thru My SD Starter's Plateau??

Hey,

So I've tried several of the suggestions on how to liven up my sluggish White SD Starter. The problem was that after weeks of feeding, I couldn't get it to double in less than 12 hours.

Using advice gathered from my SOS post on the topic, I played with the ratios and types of flour to no avail. I also tried adding a few tablespoons of healthy whole wheat starter to one sample. Reducing the doubling time from 12 hrs to 8 hrs, put that sample in second place.

The suggestion that worked was replacing the feeding water with Raisin Yeast Water (RYW). I've been feeding the sample using RYW at a 1:1:1 ratio for the last 3 days. The doubling time went down from 12 hrs to 6 hrs. YIPPEE!!

The problem is that I didn't anticipate that I would use so much RYW and only made about 750 gr. As of this evening's feeding, I'm dangerously close the bottom of the jar. Since it takes a week to make, I'm screwed if I need to continue feeding it to my starter. It figures. I finally find a fix to one problem and another problem pops up in it's place like a Hydra! AARGGG!!

So the question is, has enough yeast accumulated for me to switch back to plain spring water without losing the progress I've made? Will it ever get to a 2 hr doubling point the way my whole wheat starter does? We're at the 7 week point now and I'm starting to lose patience. *Deep breaths are helping with that. Lol


Thanks
-wendy

Filomatic's picture
Filomatic

What temperature were you maintaining for the culture, and what ratio were you using for feeding?  It should be at least 70F, and a viable culture should generally be fed at 1:2:2 once it's doing well at, first, 2:1:1, and then 1:1:1.

Also, are you using filtered water? Do not use tap water, since it is likely chlorinated, which inhibits bacterial growth, including sourdough culture.

Read the Debra Wink pineapple method posts if you haven't already. Your culture looks healthy, so you can't be far off. 

bastet469's picture
bastet469

It was originally created back in February using the pineapple juice method from Reinhart's book, Artisan Bread Eveyday. I made one using KA white bread flour and the other using KA whole wheat flour. The ratios of flour to liquid varied throughout the process.  Eventually the recipe switches from pinapple juice to bottled spring water and I did so accordingly. The final feeding had a flour ratio of 3:2:1. In the end, the whole wheat starter came out just like the book indicated. The white one was sluggish; only doubling daily.  A forum suggestion to feed it with a flour ratio of 1:1:1, got it to the point where it doubled every 12 hrs, and it's been that way for weeks. I almost forgot your other question. Lol My kitchen hovers around 70°F/21°C.

-wendy

Filomatic's picture
Filomatic

Here are the Debra Wink posts. 

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/10856/pineapple-juice-solution-part-1

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/10901/pineapple-juice-solution-part-2

This link below is the process I followed. Things were slow until I got the temp over 70F. Once I upped the temp it doubled every 3-4 hours. Look at her feeding ratios. 

http://yumarama.com/968/starter-from-scratch-intro/

Filomatic's picture
Filomatic

My post disappeared. Below are the two famous Debra Wink posts followed by the method I followed for making my starter.  I found the third one very instructive as to timing and feeding ratios. 

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/10856/pineapple-juice-solution-part-1

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/10901/pineapple-juice-solution-part-2

http://yumarama.com/968/starter-from-scratch-intro/

 

bastet469's picture
bastet469

I read that last link you sent me and decided follow Debra's suggestion and switched back to water from raisin water and back to  the 1:1:1 ratio from the 1:2:2 ratio. The result? It went right back to the 12 hr doubling. Sigh. 

Mini Oven's picture
Mini Oven

Q:  "Will it ever get to a 2 hr doubling point the way my whole wheat starter does?"

Whole wheat will have quicker fermenting times due to the "whole" parts in the food.  

bastet469's picture
bastet469

So what time table should I be shooting for? At what point is white flour starter considered active enough to use? Is my current 12-24 hr doubling cycle active enough? Ultimately,  I want to get it to a point where I can dry and store it as well as make bread now. Thanks for the reply. 

-wendy 

dabrownman's picture
dabrownman

water shake it and leave it in a warm place for a day - ready to go.  Don't ever put YW in a SD starter.  Flour and water only.  It is fine to build a levain using YW and SD though