I've recently started making bread using a SF style starter I purchased
via mail order. It started out quite active. And I thought I had been
being pretty clean in my feeding and all, using boiled (and cooled)
water, watching temps closely, etc. I have been storing the starter in
the fridge between baking.

Nonetheless it seems that after about 6 weeks the starter has lost its
activity. It has started bubbling less and less each time, until by the
6th week or so, it is just about useless. Oh it will still rise dough,
but it is taking many times as long as when it was first started. And
no matter how long I wait, it never bubbles up as much as it did at first.

Any ideas what might be causing this slow die off of the yeast?


TIA

(pls reply to the group, no email addr here due to spam and viruses)

Steve S wrote:

Any ideas what might be causing this slow die off of the yeast?

You might want to read through the starter doctor FAQ that Darryl
Greenwood posts regularly; if you can't find it on your news server then
look through googlegroups where it would be archived.

Or you might want to share how you're keeping your starter--like feeding
it, with what, how often, etc.

I understand there are some 'sourdough mixes' available for purchase,
but they specifically don't last for some reason I can't fathom. Did
you purchase one of those?

B/

Steve S wrote:
I've recently started making bread using a SF style starter I purchased
via mail order. It started out quite active. And I thought I had been
being pretty clean in my feeding and all, using boiled (and cooled)
water, watching temps closely, etc. I have been storing the starter in
the fridge between baking.

Nonetheless it seems that after about 6 weeks the starter has lost its
activity. It has started bubbling less and less each time, until by the
6th week or so, it is just about useless. Oh it will still rise dough,
but it is taking many times as long as when it was first started. And
no matter how long I wait, it never bubbles up as much as it did at first.

Any ideas what might be causing this slow die off of the yeast?

blunt
That you are running the starter slowly into the ditch with your treatment.
/blunt

It's not clear what exactly you are doing with your starter when you
say, you store it in the fridge.

For example, how much do you feed it (ratio of old flour in starter to
new flour added)?

In which time frame, at what temperature?

If you don't feed it enough, it suffocates in it's own waste products
(which we humans like in our bread) and performance diminishes drastically.

It's not a question that "the yeasts die off" by itself rather, the
conditions you as caretaker (and beneficiary) provide, inhibit virulent
growth.


Samartha

On 2006-01-21, Steve S wrote:
I've recently started making bread using a SF style starter I purchased
via mail order. It started out quite active. And I thought I had been
being pretty clean in my feeding and all, using boiled (and cooled)
water, watching temps closely, etc. I have been storing the starter in
the fridge between baking.

Nonetheless it seems that after about 6 weeks the starter has lost its
activity. It has started bubbling less and less each time, until by the
6th week or so, it is just about useless. Oh it will still rise dough,
but it is taking many times as long as when it was first started. And
no matter how long I wait, it never bubbles up as much as it did at first.

Any ideas what might be causing this slow die off of the yeast?

Please describe your refreshment method:

- How long are you letting it ferment after refreshing before you put
it back in the refrigerator, and at what temperature?

- How much do you feed it each time relative to itself? (Double?
Triple?)

- How long does it stay refrigerated between refreshments?

- What is the % hydration of the starter?

One thing to try would be to skip the refrigerator and just keep it at
room temperature for a week, refreshing it every day by 4x or more (by
weight).

--
Randall

Randall Nortman wrote:

One thing to try would be to skip the refrigerator and just keep it at
room temperature for a week, refreshing it every day by 4x or more (by
weight).

What's he going to do with a couple gallons of starter?

B/

Brian Mailman wrote:
Randall Nortman wrote:

One thing to try would be to skip the refrigerator and just keep it at
room temperature for a week, refreshing it every day by 4x or more (by
weight).

What's he going to do with a couple gallons of starter?

B/

Dunno... If I refresh my starter three times before use I might have a
cup, or rather, one of Hutchindi's cups g: 5 or 6 oz...

I think Randall's right on this one. The starter needs some cycling and
less time in the refrigerator for a while.

W/

On 2006-01-21, Brian Mailman wrote:
Randall Nortman wrote:

One thing to try would be to skip the refrigerator and just keep it at
room temperature for a week, refreshing it every day by 4x or more (by
weight).

What's he going to do with a couple gallons of starter?

I didn't mean to keep growing it by 4x. I meant to throw out all but
a tiny amount, and then increase that by 4x, then throw most of it out
again the next day. (Or bake with it -- crackers are quick and easy.)
This is how I maintain my starter all the time, except with an even
greater multiple most of the time: I throw out all but about 5g, which
is about what clings to the side of the container, then I add 20g
water and 20g flour. 20g flour a day is hardly anything, and I don't
mind "wasting" it. You could certainly do it with even less -- a gram
of ripe starter contains some ridiculous number of viable cells --
millions or billions, I think. Hard to work with quantities that
small at home, though.

Plus, I suspect that putting a little active starter down the drain
every day might actually keep my garbage disposal and pipes cleaner.

--
Randall

Randall Nortman wrote:

I didn't mean to keep growing it by 4x. I meant to throw out all but
a tiny amount, and then increase that by 4x, then throw most of it out
again the next day. (Or bake with it -- crackers are quick and easy.)


Hi!

This caught my eye, as I would like to try making sourdough crackers.
When I tried Googling it, I couldn't find anything useful. Could you
possible post your cracker recipe/method?

Thanks!

Kristen

On 2006-01-22, Nightingale wrote:
Randall Nortman wrote:

I didn't mean to keep growing it by 4x. I meant to throw out all but
a tiny amount, and then increase that by 4x, then throw most of it out
again the next day. (Or bake with it -- crackers are quick and easy.)


Hi!

This caught my eye, as I would like to try making sourdough crackers.
When I tried Googling it, I couldn't find anything useful. Could you
possible post your cracker recipe/method?

I'm afraid I don't follow much of a recipe generally. Crackers are
pretty straightforward -- take whatever starter you have and add
flour, water, and salt to get to a decent quantity (usually 3x - 4x
the amount of starter) of stiffish dough (but not dry), and knead
fairly well. Sometimes I add oil and/or a little honey or barley malt
syrup (non-diastatic). If you want a rich cracker, add solid fat
(butter or shortening) -- if you add a lot you will end up with
something like sourdough shortbread. The bulk fermentation is
optional, but I usually give it an hour or so, depending on how much
starter was used and how sour I want it. Roll it out paper thin on
parchment (or a silicone baking mat) and let it proof again briefly
(30-60min) if you want a lighter texture, again depending on starter
percentage and activity. Brush with water or oil and sprinkle with
seasonings -- coarse salt, pepper (black or cayenne), herbs, spices,
garlic, seasame/poppy seeds, whatever -- or nothing at all. Cut it
into strips or squares before baking if you want clean cuts, otherwise
you can break them irregularly after baking. Bake at 375F or so on a
sheet pan until the crackers are dry and crisp, which will probably
take in the neighborhood of 15 minutes. (Or take them out while still
a little flexible, if you prefer that, but they won't keep as long.)
If you don't roll the dough thinly enough, you may end up with pita
bread instead, which is not a disaster. Cool just long enough to keep
from burning yourself before you have a sample -- fresh crackers can
be wonderful while still warm.

The starter you use for this purpose can be a little over the hill,
since you don't need much leavening power. However, you don't want to
use starter that smells bad or has a lot of hooch, as that will just
end up tasting awful.

If you manage to refine the process to something which repeatably
gives excellent results, by all means enlighten me. I usually just
throw stuff together and hope for the best, which usually works out
alright.

--
Randall

Randall Nortman wrote:

I'm afraid I don't follow much of a recipe generally.

Thank you! I'm going to have to pull the starter out of the fridge and
give these a try!

-N

Randall,

That is a great idea for leftover starter! Many times I wonder what to do
with an overfed batch of starter due to a messed up baking schedule. I am
definitely going to try this. Sounds like I will have one more "sourdough"
product around my house to eat. I will have to make some chili to go with
it... mmmm...

Denny

--
I can be reached by sending to "my posting name" at that free, Microsoft,
electronic mail service.

again the next day. (Or bake with it -- crackers are quick and easy.)

Randall Nortman wrote:
On 2006-01-21, Brian Mailman .. wrote:
Randall Nortman wrote:

One thing to try would be to skip the refrigerator and just keep it at
room temperature for a week, refreshing it every day by 4x or more (by
weight).

What's he going to do with a couple gallons of starter?

I didn't mean to keep growing it by 4x. I meant to throw out all but
a tiny amount, and then increase that by 4x, then throw most of it out
again the next day.
Randall

Yeah the smart ones worked that out. :-)

TG

Denny_from_MO wrote:
Randall,

That is a great idea for leftover starter! Many times I wonder what to do
with an overfed batch of starter due to a messed up baking schedule. I am
definitely going to try this. Sounds like I will have one more "sourdough"
product around my house to eat. I will have to make some chili to go with

I started making tortillas out of mine. It's WONDERFUL.....

Please how do you do that??? I haven't made tortillas in a long time
but would love to try this...I used flour, baking powder, salt, bacon
grease and water... :-) nancy



I started making tortillas out of mine. It's WONDERFUL.....

Hi "nancy" & all;

"nancy" wrote in message
...
Please how do you do that??? I haven't made tortillas in a long
time
but would love to try this...I used flour, baking powder, salt,
bacon
grease and water... :-) nancy
Here's the recipe I've been using. Given the rave reviews I keep
getting, I must be doing something right...(:-o)!
http://www.innerlodge.com/Recipes/Br.../tortillas.htm

Enjoy!

Dusty