G'day all!

I've learned many interesting and useful things from this group over the
years. And I wish to collectively thank you all for it.

But I learned a couple of interesting things these last few days on my own.
As some of you reading here know, you've been gracious enough to sent me
samples of your cultures. And I'm both grateful and thankful for your
kindnesses. But, as I'd also told most of you, I was disappointed in that
the flavor I was seeking--and that you said you had--didn't seem to be
making it to my bread. So I kept fooling with the building process. I get
great bread! Just not the flavor that I'm seeking (too many years of going
up to "The City" and eating it...I *do* know what it's supposed to taste
like).

So, I splurged and went out and bought one from SDI. And guess what, it
tastes like all the other ones that I'd tried. I was CERTAIN that now my
process or method was at fault.

In an effort to remedy that, I took my starter out early (before my "normal"
weekly bake) and was determined to figure this out. I suddenly found that
my starter wasn't "starting". Where it usually took 2-3 hours to bubble up
to 2-3X when fed, it hadn't risen 1/4-inch in 8 hours!

So I "washed" it and started over. This time it all went well. Best as I
can figure, since I ALWAYS use bottled water, I must have inadvertently used
tap-water on it. Since I'd dumped the excess in preparation for doing a
refresh, I'd contaminated the whole culture, and didn't have a back-up for
it.

So; Tip #1: BACK-UP your starter!

After washing it and going through a rebuild, it seems to be working
normally now. However, since I wasn't certain that my adding tap water to
it was the cause of my dismal start, I watched everything I did to make sure
that I wasn't doing something to screw the process up. And what did I see
myself doing? Nothing less than dipping my dough-bits covered fingers into
my flour-cup to relieve the sticking (itz WCSjohn's fault--he's the one that
got me makin' HH breadz...(:-o)!). Then, when I'm done building the loaf, I
toss the excess back into my flour bin! No wonder the starters I got from
some of you didn't do much for me...I'd corrupted/polluted them with my
current starter!

So then; Tip #2: Take care not to contaminate your FLOUR!

I will be happy indeed even if only one person reading here learns something
from this circus of errors and improves their baking...(;-o)!

I'll be even happier when I get a new batch of SF starter from SDI (as soon
as they get their on-line payment system working again...big sigh!).


L8r all,
Dusty
San Jose

Dusty Bleher wrote:

So then; Tip #2: Take care not to contaminate your FLOUR!

Do you want another SF starter from me?

B/

On Thu, 27 Oct 2005 13:21:42 -0700, "Dusty Bleher"
wrote:

I'll be even happier when I get a new batch of SF starter from SDI (as soon
as they get their on-line payment system working again...big sigh!).

Hi, Dusty!

I'm curious about your statement regarding SDI getting their on-line
payment system working again . . . .

I recently ordered one of Ed Woods' books and 2 starters from their
web site to be shipped to my daughter in Georgia and charged it to a
credit card. From there, it was all down hill.

When the shipment had not arrived at my daughter's address in Georgia
after about 3 weeks, I emailed SDI to see what the status was. I was
informed by Jean Woods,wife of Ed, that they had followed my
instructions and she was sure it had been delivered. Since I'm not
currently at my billing address, I emailed a friend who is watching
over our house while we're away. He informed me there had been no
shipment received.

Again, I contacted SDI and Jean as much as called me a liar when I
informed her the shipment had not arrived. Their records didn't even
show that the order was to be shipped to Georgia, but to our
California address.

They eventually did send a replacement order to my daughter, but
charged me an additonal shipping charge of $9.00.

Shortly thereafter, SDI sent me what they purport to be copies of the
order, delivery address and billing instructions.

Their documents show the order was received from my daughter's email
address in Georiga - WRONG!

Their documents show our California address with my daughter's phone
number - WRONG! How would they get my daughter's phone number if I
hadn't included it as part of her Georgia 'ship to' address?

I suggested to SDI the possibilities that the US Postal Service might
have screwed up by not even delivering to the address SDI shipped to
in California, or the software of the organization handling their
shipments might have acted up. As far as those possibilties, SDI
repeated their belief that the shipment had been delivered to the
California address.

I decided not to pursue them for the $9.00 additional shipping charge,
altho the whole thing really ticks me off!! Especially, their calling
my friend in California and myself liars!!

I'm curious to know what sort of problem you had with their on-line
billing system?

Thanks.

Don
Don R.

Hi Don;

"Don R." wrote in message
...
,,,
I'm curious about your statement regarding SDI getting their on-line
payment system working again . . . .
Apparently their on-line payment system not working is my fault. Well, it's
something on my machine. Cuz I can use any of the other machines on my LAN
and get right through. So it's NOT a problem on their end...it's in my box.
Probably some IE security setting that's managed to elude my wrath.

I recently ordered one of Ed Woods' books and 2 starters from their
web site to be shipped to my daughter in Georgia and charged it to a
credit card. From there, it was all down hill.
Well, I read what you wrote, but I'm certainly not in any position to
comment on it. I know a few folks, besides myself, that have ordered stuff
from them, and everything seemed to go well. So I've got absolutely no
complaint with 'em.

After I'd complained to them, Ms. Wood was kind enough to drop me a note
letting me know that their system was working. After checking it out on
another machine, that proved correct.

As for my starter, I managed to resurrect the one I thought I'd wasted. I
baked with it yesterday, and it its usual fine job. I also have a version
of one that a kind reader here had sent me some time back. What I can't be
sure of is whether or not I have a proper "virgin" starter or some mutt that
cobbled itself together from my careless [mis]use.


Regards all,
Dusty

On Fri, 28 Oct 2005 19:46:03 -0700, "Dusty Bleher"
wrote:

Apparently their on-line payment system not working is my fault. Well, it's
something on my machine. Cuz I can use any of the other machines on my LAN
and get right through. So it's NOT a problem on their end...it's in my box.
Probably some IE security setting that's managed to elude my wrath.

Well, I read what you wrote, but I'm certainly not in any position to
comment on it. I know a few folks, besides myself, that have ordered stuff
from them, and everything seemed to go well. So I've got absolutely no
complaint with 'em.

I'd purchased from them a few years ago and everything went well then,
too. The copy of docs they sent me concerning this most recent order
gave me the idea that something got screwed up on their end. Have
bought a lot of stuff on the web and this is the first time there's
been a problem. They seem to have someone else processing their
orders. They don't seem to think there's anything not working in their
system, so guess I just have to let it go . . .

Thanks for the response.

Don

After I'd complained to them, Ms. Wood was kind enough to drop me a note
letting me know that their system was working. After checking it out on
another machine, that proved correct.

As for my starter, I managed to resurrect the one I thought I'd wasted. I
baked with it yesterday, and it its usual fine job. I also have a version
of one that a kind reader here had sent me some time back. What I can't be
sure of is whether or not I have a proper "virgin" starter or some mutt that
cobbled itself together from my careless [mis]use.


Regards all,
Dusty

Don R.

I'm so sorry to hear there have been recent problems with SDI shipping,
and customer service. (Calling a customer a lier is never appropriate.)

Here is hoping they do recognize something is wrong and they pursue
fixing it. They're a very important resource in sourdough. Their
cultures are excellent.

It may well be that someone has taken over the web site end. As the
years go by more and more people think they can write web pages with a
tool and no knowledge of html etc. They don't test their product on
multiple platforms or multiple browsers. They don't test on multiple
versions of browsers. The sites are written so that only folks with
high speed access can browse them with any degree of comfort, and
usually people using screen readers are really challenged using the
site if they can even read it at all.

I always know when a site is giving me a hard time that I need to open
Internet Explorer, not my borwser, and use that, and 99.9% of the time
the site will work. Sad but true.

Anyway, whatever the cause it's very disappointing to hear there's this
problem and that they have this attitude. That is the kind of attitude
which doesn't seek a solution... other than to say "You're lying", or
possibly "This is too much work, we're out of here." It would be
terrible to lose them from the marketplace.

-Marylouise
happy user of several SI starters, as well as other ones

Have
bought a lot of stuff on the web and this is the first time there's
been a problem. They seem to have someone else processing their
orders. They don't seem to think there's anything not working in their
system, so guess I just have to let it go . . .

On 29 Oct 2005 10:16:14 -0700, "
wrote:


It may well be that someone has taken over the web site end.

It does seem there's someone else handling the on-line transactions. I
input everything as instructed, yet the delivery address never seemed
to appear, only the delivery phone number.

I initiated a web site back in 1994 when virtually no one had ever
heard of them. Eventually, it was in 12 languages. So, I do know some
of the problems which can occur.

I've had pleasant experiences with SDI several years ago; things do
seem to have changed there.

Cheers.

Don
Don R.