I was hoping that someone would be able to give me some sourdough starter advice. After a week fermenting and twice a day feeding for the next week, it still hasn't seemed to work.
I started with Julia Child's starter recipe. Flour and water with a closed cheesecloth bag of crushed grapes. Keep sealed for a week, stirring the starter once a day. At the end of the week, I removed the grape bag and the starter looked, smelled and tasted beautiful. Nice and bubbly, a yeasty smell, and nicely sour.
I fed her for another three days (1:1:1), discarding half when needed.
But she's not doing anything. Doesn't bubble, doesn't rise, doesn't double, etc... I feed her twice a day, and when I come home from work she has only a couple bubbles on top. Enough to actually count easily. She still smells good, tastes sour, but has no activity. I have been keeping her in the oven (with the light on) to make sure she's warm enough. But even after her week fermentation, and week of feeding, she still wont pass the "float test".
Any idea what could be wrong? And if so, advice on saving her?
feed it 1:4:5. (S:w:f) and just wait to see what it does. Also drop the temps down to 76°F. Bacteria love heat and could likely have the overhand if the starter tastes very sour. No need to keep it so warm now. The cooler temps help the yeast numbers catch up. Theory anyway. A 1:1:1 feeding is ok for the beginning, when starting up a starter but if the temps stay warm like in the oven with the light on, the feeding needs to increase when the yeast show up. They are hungry little critters. Let the starter rise and peak before feeding again or using.
The starter should also be getting used to your normal kitchen temps. Take it out of the oven and see how it fairs. You can adjust the peaking time with the amount of flour food. See if you can feed it an amount that will peak in about 8 to 10 hours. Then feed ai about 12 hours. It will take some playing around but be patient with the starter.
It's not necessary to use grapes...but I like to tinker...saw Julia Childs Master Baker series...where her guest used the grapes.
I did it. I felt it wasn't working and having had good results without grapes or anything but flour and water...I thought I'd toss it.
But I like a challenge. Next time I bought organic grapes...
Wow!
But in the whole scheme of things...I'd rather eat my grapes. Long time past I used potato water...but now I just let nature takes it's course cause I have so much yeast in the air I use only a fraction of any straight dough recipe otherwise I have run away results.
Soon you will be naming your starters... Mine is Bertha and Bocephus.
Yeast doesn't have wings. ?
The vast majority of your yeast is inside that bag of brand new flour (or of unground wheat or whatever), not flitting around your house.
I'm not going to get into a debate about airborne vs grain based yeasts...it's been done...
http://weightloss-slim.fit/node/37259/mythbusters-grain-yeast-or-air-yeast%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3EI can only tell you what I learned from my microbiology professor...and personal experience. I just know this...I can NOT use the amts of yeast called for in most traditional STRAIGHT yeast recipes...I have to cut way way back on the yeast to control over fermentation and bad taste. I asked my professor about this problem many years ago...and she told me why she thought it was so. I accept she knows more than I do in this matter. But I wish I had thought to do a scientific report on that vs what surface in a bathroom harbors the most bacteria...and what kind. Just sayin..it would have been more fun.
Doesn't matter to me either way...I just want my dough to behave. LOL! I tend to have faster bulk fermentations with levains or sourdough starters, too but not so dang fast so I can follow recipes of such without problems usually. Whatever the reason...it happens.
I can say this....I got some local organic flour from a mill just down the road from me and I had even more problems with run away bread IF I used commercial yeast except in very very small amts. Much different from what I got from flour that was packaged and shipped and probably sat on a shelf a while.
I have always been a Julia Child fan. Grew up with her on the telly and my mother only owned her cook books. I used her "grape method" really just out of honor and familiarity.
My starter has finally taken off like a rocket! I adjusted the feedings based on the advice from a local baker that lives down the street from me.
Names have been circling in my head. Im tired of telling my wife its "the starter" and have wanted to gove her a name myself now, lol
Maybe Ill call her Julia.