On Nov 12, 10:51 am, Sam >
wrote:

> So - the one where you recognized a change was the one you "made up" at
> one point and it was changing over time.
> That could be a normal occurrence.

Yes. My practice has been make a starter from my newest sack of wheat
or rye. Call it the freshness and purity test. If the new bag makes a
good starter, I feel better about the quality and the vigor of the
grain. I figure it hasn't been sprayed, gassed or poorly stored. I
think the idea was suggested in the Scott and Wing book.

> Hm - going in flour price from $ .16 to $ .69 a pound is a bummer. I've
> seen a bit more than doubling - $ .30 to $ .70 and it came down a
> little recently.

Well... I knew the price for the Dakota Maid was da bomb at $.79. I
used King Arthur when I lived in New England, liked it, and realized
the DM was even better flour. But when it went through the roof, I got
a bit concerned. The price of my Wheat Montana 50 pounders had
recently doubled. So I thought, for curiosity's sake, to try the very
cheapest stuff on the grocery shelf. And I kept bombing with it. I'm
stubborn. So I kept buying and trying. It took about 20 bags to get it
half-way right.

Those bakers in Europe using soft, weak, wheat are really, really,
good.