I am going to start a new sourdough starter like I had a while ago. It
was a liquid starter, not a thin doughy mixture that was very wet, but
a true liquid.

I kept it 10-15 years (I forget how long it lasted), revived it a few
times, then it truly died due to neglect. Efforts to revive it using
yeast nutrient and energizer as well as the usual feeding routine
didn't work.

This was a liquid that you fed with a certain amount of sugar and
instant potato flakes, stirred well, then left out of the refrigerator
for a couple of days. If you weren't going to use it within a few
days, you refrigerated it for a couple of weeks or more, then went
through the feeding routine. It woould actually do well for 3-4 months
without feeding, but then it wouldn't be ready to use until it went
through another feeding ritual.

What I would like to know is if anyone here has worked with a similar
type of sourdough yeast starter?

If so, could you share your thoughts on how you got yours started?

The last starter I had, I received it from someone. I did not started
from scratch. I amazed everyone of how long I kept the sourdough
starter going, but I realize that it can be kept going indefinitely
with proper care.

I found that this liquid starter never got moldy, probably because of
a thin layer of alcohol on top of the liquid.

I have a couple of packets of the San Francisco sourdough starter that
I can use to make another starter, but I particularly liked a Russian
sourdough starter that I got from someone who participated in this
newsgroup several years ago, named Ivan I believe. I used that starter
once to add some complexity to the starter and it worked well with it.

I look forward to hearing from anyone who has used a truly liquid
starter successfully.

Donald
illegitimi non carborundum

On Thu, 28 Jun 2012 17:01:51 -0400, Donald
> wrote:

>I look forward to hearing from anyone who has used a truly liquid
>starter successfully.

I have one in my fridge. Unlucky for you, I live in Brazil. We
call it Christ's yeast. Unlike sourdough, it feeds on common sucrose
(cane sugar), needs a bit of flour or potato for nitrogen/mineral
requirements, and is very, very fast. It literally foams.
It is very resistant, I feed mine every 4-6 months.
Probably some Fleishman's yeast that went wild and shed the
"autodestruct" button genetically engineered into it.
[]'s
--
Don't be evil - Google 2004
We have a new policy - Google 2012

On Sat, 30 Jun 2012 09:36:04 -0300, Shadow > wrote:
> I have one in my fridge. Unlucky for you, I live in Brazil. We
>call it Christ's yeast. Unlike sourdough, it feeds on common sucrose
>(cane sugar), needs a bit of flour or potato for nitrogen/mineral
>requirements, and is very, very fast. It literally foams.
> It is very resistant, I feed mine every 4-6 months.
> Probably some Fleishman's yeast that went wild and shed the
>"autodestruct" button genetically engineered into it.
> []'s

Thanks for the reply.

I wouldn't mind to get some of your starter, but I'd bet the shipping
costs would be too expensive from there to here.

I think I could turn any sourdough starter flakes into a liquid
starter instead of a dough-type starter, though. I'm planning on
starting with the San Francisco type and letting air get to it to mix
some wild yeasts in with what's in the starter mix. Then, I might add
some other starter flakes (dried starter) that I can purchase on eBay
to make it a bit more mellow. San Francisco type sourdough is a bit
more tart than I like, but I think I can mellow the flavor over time.

Any idea how your yeast got that name (Christ's yeast)?

I do see that the feeding for your sourdough yeast is very similar to
what i used before. The sucrose and potato flakes were part of the
feeding routine.

Thanks Again.

Donald

On Sat, 30 Jun 2012 12:31:52 -0400, Donald
> wrote:

>On Sat, 30 Jun 2012 09:36:04 -0300, Shadow > wrote:
>> I have one in my fridge. Unlucky for you, I live in Brazil. We
>>call it Christ's yeast. Unlike sourdough, it feeds on common sucrose
>>(cane sugar), needs a bit of flour or potato for nitrogen/mineral
>>requirements, and is very, very fast. It literally foams.
>> It is very resistant, I feed mine every 4-6 months.
>> Probably some Fleishman's yeast that went wild and shed the
>>"autodestruct" button genetically engineered into it.
>> []'s
>
>Thanks for the reply.
>
>I wouldn't mind to get some of your starter, but I'd bet the shipping
>costs would be too expensive from there to here.

I believe that would be illegal. Mistake it for Anthrax or
something.
>
>I think I could turn any sourdough starter flakes into a liquid
>starter instead of a dough-type starter, though. I'm planning on
>starting with the San Francisco type and letting air get to it to mix
>some wild yeasts in with what's in the starter mix. Then, I might add
>some other starter flakes (dried starter) that I can purchase on eBay
>to make it a bit more mellow. San Francisco type sourdough is a bit
>more tart than I like, but I think I can mellow the flavor over time.

I don't think they are biologically related. Sourdough yeast
is not keen on sucrose.
>
>Any idea how your yeast got that name (Christ's yeast)?

Yep. Every batch you make, if you follow the instructions to
the letter, will produce three 400-500ml bottles of starter. One for
the bread, one for the fridge, and one you must give away. Charity is
supposed to be some kind of religious thing ....

>
>I do see that the feeding for your sourdough yeast is very similar to
>what i used before. The sucrose and potato flakes were part of the
>feeding routine.
>
>Thanks Again.
>
>Donald
--
Don't be evil - Google 2004
We have a new policy - Google 2012

On Thu, 28 Jun 2012 17:01:51 -0400, Donald
> wrote:

>I am going to start a new sourdough starter like I had a while ago. It
>was a liquid starter, not a thin doughy mixture that was very wet, but
>a true liquid.

Here is a good recipe for liquid starter, also Christ's bread.
It's in Portuguese, you'll have to use some translating
website --- sorry.
But the pictures are good.

Starter:

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dgdzwsbj_341g8j3sm4x

Bread:

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dgdzwsbj_364qmz8pqjx

[]'s



--
Don't be evil - Google 2004
We have a new policy - Google 2012

On Thu, 28 Jun 2012 17:01:51 -0400, Donald
> wrote:

>I am going to start a new sourdough starter like I had a while ago. It
>was a liquid starter, not a thin doughy mixture that was very wet, but
>a true liquid.
>
What I consider a true sourdough starter is made from flour and water.
Nothing else is used to create it or feed it.

That said, I have kept starters at various hydrations over the
years..some quite liquidy and pourable, others rather stiff and more
dough like.

Once the sourdough starter is established and thriving (this is key!),
you can keep it at whatever hydration you prefer. Maintenance
scheduling is up to you, of course. You learn to know your starters -
a fierce one can be fun and a slow one can be a challenge.

I am quite neglectful of my starters and can let them go several weeks
in the fridge without refreshment. I have been known to let them go
even longer. I have also lost more than a couple over the years due to
neglect.

Boron

"Boron Elgar" > wrote in message
...
> On Thu, 28 Jun 2012 17:01:51 -0400, Donald
> > wrote:
>
>>I am going to start a new sourdough starter like I had a while ago. It
>>was a liquid starter, not a thin doughy mixture that was very wet, but
>>a true liquid.
>>
> What I consider a true sourdough starter is made from flour and water.
> Nothing else is used to create it or feed it.
>
> That said, I have kept starters at various hydrations over the
> years..some quite liquidy and pourable, others rather stiff and more
> dough like.
>
> Once the sourdough starter is established and thriving (this is key!),
> you can keep it at whatever hydration you prefer. Maintenance
> scheduling is up to you, of course. You learn to know your starters -
> a fierce one can be fun and a slow one can be a challenge.
>
> I am quite neglectful of my starters and can let them go several weeks
> in the fridge without refreshment. I have been known to let them go
> even longer. I have also lost more than a couple over the years due to
> neglect.
>
> Boron
At last some sense!! There is soooo much folk lore (and elderly spouse's
tales) about SD when, in reality, it's a simple process.
Graham

On Mon, 2 Jul 2012 20:30:24 -0600, "graham" > wrote:

>
>"Boron Elgar" > wrote in message
.. .
>> On Thu, 28 Jun 2012 17:01:51 -0400, Donald
>> > wrote:
>>
>>>I am going to start a new sourdough starter like I had a while ago. It
>>>was a liquid starter, not a thin doughy mixture that was very wet, but
>>>a true liquid.
>>>
>> What I consider a true sourdough starter is made from flour and water.
>> Nothing else is used to create it or feed it.
>>
>> That said, I have kept starters at various hydrations over the
>> years..some quite liquidy and pourable, others rather stiff and more
>> dough like.
>>
>> Once the sourdough starter is established and thriving (this is key!),
>> you can keep it at whatever hydration you prefer. Maintenance
>> scheduling is up to you, of course. You learn to know your starters -
>> a fierce one can be fun and a slow one can be a challenge.
>>
>> I am quite neglectful of my starters and can let them go several weeks
>> in the fridge without refreshment. I have been known to let them go
>> even longer. I have also lost more than a couple over the years due to
>> neglect.
>>
>> Boron
>At last some sense!! There is soooo much folk lore (and elderly spouse's
>tales) about SD when, in reality, it's a simple process.
>Graham
>

What saddens me is the the folks over at The Fresh Loaf, generally
more sensible than the average bear, are very much believers in adding
pineapple juice or other acidics to the initial mix of new starter.

I realize this has been perpetuated from Reinhart's advice and Nancy
Silverton pushed grapes on everyone, but you'd think either of them
would retract the bullshit by now.

Boron

On Sun, 01 Jul 2012 11:25:43 -0300, Shadow > wrote:

>>I wouldn't mind to get some of your starter, but I'd bet the shipping
>>costs would be too expensive from there to here.
>
> I believe that would be illegal. Mistake it for Anthrax or
>something.

It may be illegal between some countries, but I can buy a sourdough
starter (active or dried) from Europe legally on eBay.

This one is from New Zealand (I'm in the USA):

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-Zealand-...em19d29b 735e

Poland:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Natural-Acti...em4 5fdeb25f3

And I'm sure there are others.

Some people dry theirs and use regular mail to send it inside a
plastic bag inside a sturdy envelope.

If you ever send any that way, I would include a note inside the
envelope about the contents of the bag.

Donald

On Tue, 03 Jul 2012 10:49:35 -0400, Boron Elgar
> wrote:

>What saddens me is the the folks over at The Fresh Loaf, generally
>more sensible than the average bear, are very much believers in adding
>pineapple juice or other acidics to the initial mix of new starter.
>
>I realize this has been perpetuated from Reinhart's advice and Nancy
>Silverton pushed grapes on everyone, but you'd think either of them
>would retract the bullshit by now.
>
>Boron

Boron,

I also read about using pineapple juice, though I've never used it.

What is bad about using it?

Donald

On Wed, 04 Jul 2012 20:30:03 -0400, Donald
> wrote:

>On Tue, 03 Jul 2012 10:49:35 -0400, Boron Elgar
> wrote:
>
>>What saddens me is the the folks over at The Fresh Loaf, generally
>>more sensible than the average bear, are very much believers in adding
>>pineapple juice or other acidics to the initial mix of new starter.
>>
>>I realize this has been perpetuated from Reinhart's advice and Nancy
>>Silverton pushed grapes on everyone, but you'd think either of them
>>would retract the bullshit by now.
>>
>>Boron
>
>Boron,
>
>I also read about using pineapple juice, though I've never used it.
>
>What is bad about using it?
>
>Donald

It isn't "bad," just wholly unnecessary. No one makes a moral judgment
about sourdough starters - well, around here they do, but do not let
that deter you.

Boron

I believe what the original poster is looking for is called the Amish Friendship starter. There is plenty about it online.
Sharon

On Wed, 25 Jul 2012 09:43:45 -0700 (PDT),
wrote:

>I believe what the original poster is looking for is called the Amish Friendship starter. There is plenty about it online.
>Sharon

Thanks. I don't check back here often, so I just now saw your post and
Boron's also.

I can do some research on the Amish friendship starter but I took two
starters I obtained from Poland, combined them, and have a liquid
starter now. It is a bit on the slow side, so I use a desk lamp as a
small heat source to make it rise overnight, and again, afeter the
punch-down and light kneading, to help it rise again.

It made a good product. I now have to work at getting the temperature
calibrated in my oven (not hard to do, just have to get a good oven
thermometer and do it) and make an adjustment for using smaller loaves
in a silicone 6-loaf pan.

Donald