"Sergio" wrote in message ...

... 1. What would be the best procedure to bring (starters) back to a healthy
vibrant state? ... 2. Once I have revived them, would they return back to
their original states, or somehow be morphed into something different? ....

http://www.nyx.net/~dgreenw/howshoul...tarterfor.html
ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet-by-gro...dough/starters
http://home.att.net/~carlsfriends/source.html (probably is best idea)
Also might try this search: starter (wash OR washing) group:rec.food.sourdough
at http://groups.google.com

For reviving and culturing, bleached all-purpose flour is least likely to introduce
unexpected microorganisms (according to me). -- Dicky

Dick Adams wrote:
For reviving and culturing, bleached all-purpose flour is least likely to introduce
unexpected microorganisms (according to me). -- Dicky


For reviving something "old" and not starting a new one - one could also
"sterilize" the flour by spreading it on a baking sheet and then either
put it under the broiler (less evenly distributed head) or bake it for
maybe 20 minutes. Then, keep it in a sterilized container and use it for
reviving the starter.

Besides this - I think that west of the Atlantic, too much attention is
given to starters and trying to keep certain qualities based on a
starter and not how it's being used (parameters temperature, hydration,
time & flour type) to make good bread.

Sam