Kevin J. Cheek wrote:
> It was going so well. I sterilized the jar and utensils, mixed in one
cup
> of warm water (chlorine free) with one cup of whole wheat flour and
set
> aside. After 24 hours the flour had settled, leaving dark water at
the
> top, but there were some bubbles.
>
> Mixed, poured out one cup and mixed in 1/2 cup whole wheat flour and
1/2
> cup warm water. In 12 hours the mixture had doubled, with bubbles
about
> 1/8 of an inch across throughout, and was floating atop a layer of
water.
> The starter had a sour smell. Mixed, poured out one cup, mixed in 1/2
cup
> whole wheat flour and 1/2 cup warm water, and set aside again.
>
> Then nothing. After 12 hours there were no signs of bubbles. Mixed
and
> waited 12 hours more. Nothing. Waited another 24 hours. Nothing.
>
> What happened?
>
> - Kevin Cheek

Kevin,

Get about a pound of rye berries at your local health food store or
coop (get wheat berries if they don't have rye). Mill them or pulverize
them in your blender. With a little water, form a small ball of dough
about the size of golf ball. Place the golf ball in a small covered
glass jar. Wait two days. Peel off the dry outer crust and mix with
more flour and water to make another golfball. Repeat this cycle about
4 or 5 times. You will notice the ball becoming fragrant and forming
expansion cracks as it ferments. This is good. Once you have active
"golf ball" you can add it to a half cup of water + a half cup of flour
and begin your first sponge.

Fresh grain and moist, not wet, conditions are the two keys to getting
this right. Don't start with flour you haven't made yourself.

Will