i have a starter that has been fed 1:1:1 several times. I'd like to go to just making enough starter for a bake, and leave a VERY small amount - "scrapings (as Jack the Baker says!). When I feed a starter, that is only a tiny amount on the side of the jar - what proportion of flour and water do I use? Or does it not matter - just equal amounts of flour and water??? What happens to the ratio of the starter when fed as a scraping?
You feed the starting point of scrapings the same as any other starting point. The exact ratios aren't too important either way. The hard part it to know the weight of your scrapings. I find it's hard to get less than a gram. So choose a refreshment ratio, like 1:3:3 or 1:5:5, and scale it according to the weight of your scrapings. The first few times you do this, it's worth transferring a small measured amount to a new container so you can learn what that amount looks like when it is collected together in one blob.
I've been cutting down on the amount of starter that I keep and refresh. First I went down to 5 grams, and now I have an idea of what that looks like. Then I went down to 1 - 2g. Last night, I transferred a small blob that weighed 1.5g. I refreshed it with 10g each of water and flour. At that high ratio it will take longer than usual to develop, which is all right with me at the moment. I'm using a 4 oz/ 115g container for this little blob.
The disadvantages of using such small amounts are 1) it's hard to get or know a precise weight; and 2) you don't get enough starter to use so you have to build it up to larger quantities. Of course, if you were going to create a levain that's what you would do anyway.
I don't recommend 1:1:1 feedings routinely because they are likely to lead to high levels of acidity, since it's easy to miss feeding them often enough to prevent it.
TomP
The idea that constant 1:1:1 is problematic is interesting. I’ll def take that under advisement I don’t bake very often, and was feeding and discarding in Hope of getting a mature starter to work with. It never rises much, not like is see those big jars with starter running down the Sides.😄
It is a purchased starter that seems to be good - looks bubly and active, but never “over the top”. I've been using a small Weck jar, and generally goes a third of the way up the sides.
I'll study your point about figuring out how how much the “scapings” weigh and go from there, Thanks!
If you don't bake very often, then you definitely want to use a higher feed ratio than 1:1:1. The less new flour, the quicker it well get "eaten". A depleted start will also have a high acidity (low pH, usually around 3.8 - 3.9). When you add new flour and water, the pH will rise and the more new flour, the higher it will rise. As the refreshed starter develops, its pH will drop. If you don't refresh with much new flour and water, the pH won't rise much and will drop fairly quickly back to a low level, which will drop even further during storage. A moderately low pH is fine, and even desirable since it indicates you have working lactic acid bacteria, which you want since it suppresses the growth of bad bacteria and adds to the flavor of the bread. But like everything else it can be overdone.
maybe you already do this, and your issue is with keeping a very small weight of starter, but i label my jar with its empty weight, then i can figure out how much starter is in there. i usually feed to have 2-3oz, but sometimes i use all but 1/4 oz and then build back from there. not quite “scrapings”, but maybe of use to you?
also: how much your starter is rising should be measured from the bottom (the level when you’ve just fed it), not from the top (of the jar). you want to note if is it doubling, tripling, or something more, in volume. so: it’s not about how much of the jar it fills when it peaks, that obviously depends on how much you put in, right? people whose starters overflow their jars just haven’t planned ahead very well and probably had a lot of starter in their jar to begin with, imo. that mess is never something one should want/expect.
fwiw, i find a 1:1:1 feeding ratio works for me as long as it is coldish (low 60-65) and i want the starter to peak in 8-12 hours. that’s for a well-established/mature starter. at peak it’s about tripled in volume.
that said, tom’s advice about using a higher feeding ratio is probably spot on. most people don’t keep their kitchens as cold as i do 😉
Labeling the jar with its weight is OK but when I scrape out starter before refreshing, there are dribs and drabs stuck onto the walls that may never get into the refreshed starter at the bottom. When you are dealing with a gram or two, the total weight of those dribs can be comparable to what you have at the bottom.
yeah, that’s why i said having the weight of the jar might not matter if you were using a really small amount of starter.
This is really simple. Think along these lines - you bake on a schedule (give or take) - you need X amount of starter by that time. So - take what you need for the next bake from the present bake and set it aside till the next bake. Once you start - adjusting as needed is simple. Hint - don't be surprised if the starter doesn't fit - you make it fit. Enjoy!