Chris wrote:
> I am trying to make a starter with nothing more than flour and water.
> Impossible "NO", Hard "YES."


Chris... it is a small world I suppose. Years ago I lived on the York
River just up the interstate from NN. I was a college student then, in
the unfortunate clutches of W&M.

It is actually very easy to generate a natural culture. You need fresh
grain, wheat or rye works best. You can soak a 1/4 cup overnight so
that it plumps up a bit, then mash it with a tool, roll it into a small
golfball sized chunk and let it sit covered in a small plastic or glass
container. Every other day you peel the dry skin from your ball and mix
it with a fresh innoculation of mashed grain. You may have to add a
spot of water to get a dough-like consistency. By about the third
refreshment you will smell a whiff of cider and you will see little gas
pockets in your small doughball. Success!

It is important to know the following...

Whole grains carry the yeasts and LB's you need as a matter of course.
It is simple biological symbiosis. These microbes assist the rapid
transformation of starch to sugar when the seed germinates and needs
chemical energy. The air inocculation myths stem from the Middle Ages.
Remember spontaneous generation?

By working with a dough-like paste instead of a slurry, you improve the
chances for a well balanced culture. The yeasts won't outproduce the
LB's or vice-versa AND it is cleaner. The skin of the dough ball dries
somewhat between refreshments. This keeps opportunistic bacteria
(molds) from interfering with the culture activity within.

Your total whole grain requirements for the experiment are about 2
cups. About a buck at the heath food store.

Will