Just getting started with my sourdough starter.

I started a sourdough starter  about 2 weeks ago. It seems to be doing well. It looks active and more that doubles in volume when fed and has some order to it. So far I keep it in a warm place and feed it 2 times a day(about ever 12 hours). I'm thinking it time to move it to the refrigerator and feed it once a week. I don't bake often so I think this is the best plan for me now. I'm posting how I made my starter and then I have a couple questions I will post at the end.

I copied and pasted my starter build from a Word document but it doesn't  show up. Is there a way to do his.

Questions, How do I transition my starter from the counter to the refrigerator?  Do I just put it in there? Should I feed it first or maybe feed and let it raise and fall and then put in refrigerator? Does it make any difference?

My starter build.

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Day One

In the morning, place an empty jar on the scale and tare. To that jar add 100 grams whole grain rye flour and 150 grams water into one of the clean jars and mix together. Stir vigorously until all dry bits are incorporated. Keep this mixture somewhere warm in your kitchen, 80°F to 85°F (26°C to 29°C) is ideal. If it’s cool in your kitchen, warm the water to 80°F (26°C) before mixing. Let the mixture rest out of direct sunlight for 24 hours.

Day Two

You may or may not already see some fermentation activity. As mentioned above, this potential initial surge of activity is normal and should subside around day three. You can see below my initial mixture expanded significantly (in fact it bubbled out of the jar, this is why a bowl below is a good idea). At this point our starter is not yet ready to bake with, this initial surge, while encouraging, will typically disappear by the third or fourth day. Stick to the schedule and it will come back! Place your second, empty jar on the scale and tare so that it reads 0 grams. Scoop in 75 grams of the mixture that has been resting for 24 hours, discarding the rest. Next, add 50 grams rye flour, 50 grams all-purpose flour, and 125 grams water — again, if it’s cold, warm the water to 80°F(26°C).   Mix well until all dry bits are incorporated, cover, and place in the same warm spot for 24 hours, until day three. Discard the rest of the mixture in the first jar and clean it in preparation for the next day.

Day Three

In the morning, you may start to see more activity, or you may see none. You can see below the initial surge of activity I had in day two disappeared. However, my mixture started to show the beginning signs of beneficial yeast and bacteria taking hold.

Regardless of what signs your mixture is presenting, don’t fret, stick to the schedule and activity will pick up soon enough. Remember, if it’s cold in your kitchen warm your water to 80°F (26°C) to help speed things along.

Place your clean jar on the scale and tare. Scoop in 75 grams of the mixture that rested overnight and add 50 grams rye flour, 50 grams all-purpose flour, and 125 grams water. Stir until well incorporated. Cover the jar and let rest 24 hours until day four.

Discard the rest of the mixture in the first jar and clean it in preparation for the next day.

Day Four

This is the first day of the process with two refreshments in a single day: one in the morning, and one approximately 12 hours later.

In the morning, you should start to see (more) signs of fermentation activity if you haven’t already. There will be bubbles scattered on the sides and top, and the level of the mixture might have risen and fallen a little (evidenced by streaks on the sides of the jar).

Refresh in the same way as on day three. Place a clean jar on the scale and tare. Scoop in 75 grams of the mixture from the jar that fermented overnight; add 50 grams rye flour, 50 grams all-purpose flour, and 125 grams water. Mix thoroughly, cover, and let rest for 12 hours. After this 12-hour rest, refresh again with the same ratio of ingredients, and let rest overnight.

Discard the rest of the mixture in the first jar and clean it in preparation for the next day.

Day Five and Six

For days five and six, continue refreshing with the same ratio of ingredients as day four, twice a day, as fermentation activity increases more and more.

Day Seven and Onward

In the morning on day seven, place a clean jar on the scale and tare. Scoop in 50 grams of the mixture from the jar that fermented overnight. To this, add 100 grams all-purpose flour and 100 grams water (no rye flour is needed). Mix thoroughly, cover, and let rest for 12 hours. In the evening (after about 12 hours), refresh again with the same ratio of ingredients and let rest until the next day.

At this point you should start to see the height of your starter rise and fall in the jar predictably each day. This periodic behavior is a good indicator that it is strong enough to use for your first loaf of bread. If your starter is still struggling to show vigorous activity, keep refreshing with the same ratio of ingredients for another day, or several more, until things pick up. This process can sometimes take longer, depending on the flour used and the environment (especially if it’s cool in your kitchen). Be patient and stick to the schedule, and eventually a stable starter will take hold.

The starter will continue to develop flavor and strength over the next week and into the future. With a strong starter, you can now use a portion of it when “mature” (when it’s risen to maximal height) to make a leaven (or levain) for any bread.

Questions, How do I transition my starter from the counter to the refrigerator?  Do I just put it in there? Should I feed it first or maybe feed and let it raise and fall and then put in refrigerator? Does it make any difference?

Sorry for the long post future post I expect will be much shorter.

Thanks, RichieRich