Dear all,
What a fabulous site and what wonderful people. If my starter was unenthusiastic about baking you guys sure are the opposite. I would dearly like to join your ranks but have a problem getting started. It's my second attempt to create a starter which I'm following from gaarp's tutorial at http://weightloss-slim.fit/node/10251/starting-starter-sourdough-101-tutorial%3C/a%3E . It seemed to work textbook perfect for the first 4 days but after day four, the starter had risen and collapsed and no longer responds to feeds.
I've tried adding a couple of tablespoons of rye flour and water with no result over 2½ days and I've tried moving it to a warmer place (it was on the top of the fridge, now it's parked next to a (warm) hot water bottle in a big empty drawer). Before the warm drawer, the ambient room temp was 22C (70F I think).
Any advice will be voraciously applied - my wife is begining to have her doubts about my ability to raise children if I can't even get a yeast culture to grow.
Thank you,
Stuart
It happens, it just takes longer. Don't forget to discard and feed. Don't let it sit and starve. Giving it fresh water and flour helps. Reduce to one tablespoon starter and feed. Discarding helps get rid of the waste products. A shot of unsweetened pineapple juice might also help for the next few days until it reacts. You could also start another one at the same time and race them.
Read: http://weightloss-slim.fit/node/10901/pineapple-juice-solution-part-2%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
About raising yeast cultures, one can say you've "been challenged to care for more wee-beasties than the average." (polishing your fingernails below your lapel)
Stuart,
Stand proud my man, I'm sure you have what it takes to manage both tasks.
Perhaps our resident expert Debra Wink will chime in here but until she does here's what I suggest. I don't believe the use of pineapple juice will help much at this time. Your culture has become invaded as Mini said with unwanted bacteria. You might be better of starting fresh. It probably would come back but by the time it does the time is the same.
Start with fresh unsweetened pineapple juice. The pH of that particular juice will create an environment hostile to most other unwanted bacteria and allow your little baby's to thrive. Follow the instructions mini linked to above and you will be on your way.
I/we all look forward to seeing your work in the future.
Eric
Hi
Lot of nice replys. Here is one link of the master and my starter runs wild and has for many months using his recomendations
http://www.sourdoughhome.com/maintainingastarter.html
Good Luck
Mr. Bob
Hi Stuart,
Try this loacation
http://weightloss-slim.fit/node/233/wild-yeast-sourdough-starter%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
and have a read. It was the only way I got a starter going as I had the same trouble as you.
Just as an exercise if you do attempt the recipe in the above don't discard your current starter. Discard the usual and feed in the usual manner but add a teaspoon of "Apple Cider Vinegar" with it and leave in the usual warm place and see if it wakes up.
If it awakens just see how both starters go along side one another.
Don't worry about the wife's concern. Point out that she should be noticing that your "caring" for something when it is not "well"......and this is a good indication of a good future parent...............she should melt.............Cheers........Pete.
Thank you for taking the time to reply - it's very kind.
The good thing about waiting for the starter to get going is that I have plenty of time to read and try out other instant yeast based baking in the meantime so that there will be more to compare against when I do finally make it happen.
I'll get some tinned pineapple and get going.
Thank you all for your encouragement! I missed my window of opportunity to bake last weekend but today nothing could stop me. I forgot to cut the bread and it rose oddly but thats a trifle compared to the 1 month I've spent just getting here!
Thank you friends of the pineapple method!