Will wrote:
> On Nov 29, 9:54 pm, Sam > wrote:
>
>
>> Uups, overkill suggestion here!
>>
>> Seems like a working starter to me. Why would anyone toss out a 5 year
>> old functional starter?
>>
>
> I dunno Samartha. I figured that after 5 years of refresh and chill
> before use the LBs have given up. What's there is yeast.
>
>
You may want to consider that a SD culture is symbiotic in some way
between LB's and yeasts and a pure yeast culture would not be
sustainable over time.

Be assured that they are in there, just not strongly expressed at the
parameters he is running the starter.

If he has a 5 year stability in his starter - I sure would not throw
this out and start over with something else - until this gets stable
again, just a wastage of time with more frustrations coming along.

I read an article a while ago, where they analyzed the organisms in an
established (couple of decades) commercial rye sourdough starter and I
was very disappointed that besides the desired LB SF's were a great
number of other LB's in there - over 10 or so, just not expressed -
can't find the article right now.

> I note that your starter treatment is very different. You are
> modulating temperature and hydration to ensure population balance.
>
>
The essence of this is that I keep a constant routine as much as
possible which produces a constant result.
Anyone else can do it too, no secret. Maybe a difference is that I am
selling some of my breads and if I fail, I have to eat too many duds
myself ;-)
No I actually got tired of tinkering trying to find the holey grail of
rye breads and what I am doing just works very well for me.

Some basic principle with sourdough seems to be a 3-stage refreshment to
get a good result.
What's your guess on % of home-sourdough folks with white bread are
doing that?
> What do you suppose would happen to your starter if you went cold on
> it consistently before it had completed it's cycle?
>
If I would to it consistently, it would produce a constant result after
a while, if it's sustainable. What you mention - as I understand it - is
overfeeding a starter. Hard to say without any specifics on ratios.
> So, I respectfully disagree. I think the starter needs to be replaced.
> I'd go with rye, myself, since the OP's goal is "sour".
>
>
As I said before, I would not throw out a 5 year stability which just
needs a little adjusting to be ok.
You seem to think that, if the LB's are not dominant to a taste-bud
recognizable level, they are gone for good which may not reflect
sourdough reality.

Sam