Sourdough (rec.food.sourdough) Discussing the hobby or craft of baking with sourdough. We are not just a recipe group, Our charter is to discuss the care, feeding, and breeding of yeasts and lactobacilli that make up sourdough cultures.

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Default Freezing starter? ? ?

Can sourdough starter be frozen, and will it still become active when
thawed?

For how long can it be frozen?

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Default Freezing starter? ? ?

On Fri, 1 Aug 2008 07:39:11 -0400, "Ray"
> wrote:

>Can sourdough starter be frozen, and will it still become active when
>thawed?
>
>For how long can it be frozen?


Hi Ray,

Indeed, it can be frozen, and it will "keep" for years,
but...

The yeasts fare far better than do the lactobacilli, and as
result, the starter that you revive is not likely to be the
same as the one you put in the freezer.

All the best,
--
Kenneth

If you email... Please remove the "SPAMLESS."
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Default Freezing starter? ? ?


"Ray" > wrote in message ...
> Can sourdough starter be frozen, and will it still become active when
> thawed?
>
> For how long can it be frozen?
>

How wet is it when it is frozen?
How fast is it be frozen?
If it is dried, what are the conditions of drying?
Is it to be freeze-dried (lyophilized) by any chance?
Are there protective additives?

There is some information in the Q&A FAQ:
http://www.nyx.net/~dgreenw/sourdoughqa.html

Some people have said that packets of dry starts found
in Sourdough Jack's old books come up just fine after
several decades. Can that be believed?

What do you think?

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Default Freezing starter? ? ?

> Some people have said that packets of dry starts found
> in Sourdough Jack's old books come up just fine after
> several decades. *Can that be believed?
>
> What do you think?


I'd be curious to know what the directions for revival were.

I read through a number of books on making starters before trying my
own last year, and several of them came with powdered starter packets
taped to the inside cover. Their instructions for "reviving" it,
however, generally told me to mix the packet up and let it sit (some
said to feed it as well) for three days or so before it would be ready
for use.... which is pretty much what I did when starting from
scratch.

So - was that supposed to be reviving a dried starter, or making a new
one? I found it a little hard to tell...

Stacey
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Default Freezing starter? ? ?

On Sat, 2 Aug 2008 00:17:23 -0700 (PDT), Stacey >
wrote:

>> Some people have said that packets of dry starts found
>> in Sourdough Jack's old books come up just fine after
>> several decades. *Can that be believed?
>>
>> What do you think?

>
>I'd be curious to know what the directions for revival were.
>
>I read through a number of books on making starters before trying my
>own last year, and several of them came with powdered starter packets
>taped to the inside cover. Their instructions for "reviving" it,
>however, generally told me to mix the packet up and let it sit (some
>said to feed it as well) for three days or so before it would be ready
>for use.... which is pretty much what I did when starting from
>scratch.
>
>So - was that supposed to be reviving a dried starter, or making a new
>one? I found it a little hard to tell...
>
>Stacey



You won't have a "new" starter after three days, although you may have
some activity in almost any water-flour mix. If you're quickly getting
extreme activity in reviving an old starter, it wasn't dead.

I have revived several SJD packets (the ones sealed in foil, not the
ones sealed in film lined paper). I've done twice a day refreshment
side by side with another container using the same flour and water
ratios. The SDJ mix has intense activity much, much faster. It also is
more stable initially, and can be used to bake perhaps a week or more
earlier and makes a distinctively different starter than one begun
from scratch at the same time.

"Revival" instructions are the same whether one is attempting to
revive dried /powdered Carl's sent in the mail, or someone else's
commercially offered dried or wet starter or one's own old and hoochy
starter from the back of the fridge.

I hadn't refreshed most of my starters in weeks, as I don't do too
much baking in the summer heat. I thought it was time to give them a
treat. Of the five I refreshed last night, only one will be ready to
use in a pre-ferment tonight (after it's 2nd refreshment this
morning). The others will be likely ready by tomorrow, after another
round of refreshment tonight.

Some of my starters are rye-based, some white-based, some created,
some seeded by generous posters here/Carl's, a couple were glommed
from bakeries. They are very hardy things, I have found, and are a lot
of fun to work with. Some are best with lean breads, some shine in
enriched doughs, some can be used for any sort of baking that requires
a leaven.

You can see some of my breads in the appropriate groups here - most
are sourdoughs, even the sweet breads, and most are made without use
of recipes, I just wing it. Oh, and tell Dickie to go **** himself.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/25648800@N04/

Boron



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Default Freezing starter? ? ?

Boron Elgar wrote:
>
> You won't have a "new" starter after three days,

Yes you do! Well, maybe not you - but "once" can...

3 x 24 - 72 hours - please see:

http://samartha.net/SD/MakeStarter01.html

Sam


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Default Freezing starter? ? ?

Since it would seem logical to assume he wants the same starter coming
out of the freezer as went in the answer would be 'No' don't you
think?

Jim



On Aug 1, 2:27*pm, Kenneth > wrote:
...
> >For how long can it be frozen?

..
> Indeed, it can be frozen, ...
> but... the starter that you revive is not likely to be the
> same as the one you put in the freezer.
>
> All the best,
> --
> Kenneth
>
> If you email... Please remove the "SPAMLESS."


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Default Freezing starter? ? ?


"Boron Elgar" > wrote in message ...
> most ... of my breads ... are made without use of recipes,
> I just wing it.


Well, not everybody can do that, you know. It takes a
substantial amount of recklessness and egotism.

> Oh, and tell Dickie to go **** himself.


I heard that, you know!

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