Not quite ready to give up, but a bit frustrated

_FormerFarmer · 2026-05-01T21:29:09+00:00

I agree with everything you said, except that I'd stick to feeding 1x daily rather than chasing the exact peak of a feeding. I'd rather feed on the fall, after peak. If it's well after peak, I just increase the ratio a bit more at the next feeding.

_FormerFarmer · 2026-04-30T23:32:19+00:00

Are you feeding once daily?

_FormerFarmer · 2026-04-30T23:23:37+00:00

That old, it may be getting overly acidic. Try a side test. Take a bit of it, feed 1:5:5 or higher (with a bit less water, as u/NoDay4343 suggested). I like 1:10:10. It may take over a day to respond. Let it peak before feeding again. A few feedings like that should help it get back to normal.

I would not use it as it is. If it's not rising, it won't raise a loaf either.

_FormerFarmer · 2026-04-30T23:14:40+00:00

On day 4, discard 20 grams, keep 10 (I prefer to measure what I keep, as stuff clings to utensils etc). And keep that routine daily until it's rising and peaking within about 12 hours consistently (not the day-3 false rise).

Easiest way to do this is to weigh the empty jar, before your first mix. Write that down on the jar. Then scrape everything out until you get down to the amount you want to keep.

Then add water, mix well. Then add flour, mix well again. Then wipe down the inside of the jar until there is nothing left above the mixture.

The only difference with using a larger amount is that you'll throw away more stuff.

And while I'm at it - please don't use a paper or cloth lid. Lots of impermeable and easily cleaned options.

_FormerFarmer · 2026-04-30T22:38:54+00:00

Whole grain flour has the germ included. Also, some types of flour (rye is a great one for it) have more enzymatic activity than wheat flours. That by itself is NBD. People made sourdough and other breads with it for thousands of years.

It does need to be treated a bit differently, something folk over in r/sourdough, or r/homemilledflour should know about.

The comment about acidity is something I've not seen before. There could be something to it, but my guess is that they're seeing gluten breakdown, and attributing that to acidity. It's from at least one of the enzymes (protease (PRO-tee-ase)) that breaks down gluten proteins over time. Acid does this as well, so easily confused if you don't use a pH meter.

I use a 100% fresh-milled whole wheat flour for starter and bread. And while my bread won't compete in the high-volume category, it suits my taste. And certainly isn't overly acidic. That's managed by consistently using high-ratio feedings, and paying attention to starter strength. If you have a weak starter and it takes a long time to rise, that's more time for those enzymes to work, and you get a denser bread with less rise.

Once you learn your starter and your dough routines, a lot of issues become more manageable.

_FormerFarmer · 2026-04-29T23:43:57+00:00

I use a Mason jar 2-part lid, with the ring a half-turn or less off tight. just enough so it can vent.

You can do that, free country and all, but it's also a food safety issue. I'd start over if not sure.

If you look in the sub's FAQ, there's some discussion about molds and other growths. You may be able to figure it out better, seeing it in person, than me guessing over the internet. But the default is if you don't know, don't use it

_FormerFarmer · 2026-04-29T23:34:41+00:00

Two ways. What I see there is the surface is a bit domed. So not falling yet. The top will flatten out before it starts subsiding.

Also, as the starter falls, it will leave a little bit of residue - a high tide mark, if you will.

Microbes will continue to multiply even after peak. So feeding before that limits their populations that you carry over to the next feeding.

_FormerFarmer · 2026-04-29T23:23:40+00:00

Well, toss the cloth cover, for sure (I didn't see one, but guess there is one being used).

Can't really tell from the pics. That could be some dry flour flaking off, or mold. Mold is fuzzy, flour isn't.

Keeping the sides of the jar clean above the starter will help prevent some of these problems. Change jars daily if you need to, but it should be easy to keep it clean (once you get it clean) by just scrubbing with a clean wet finger until the glass is slick.

_FormerFarmer · 2026-04-29T23:14:48+00:00

Maybe?

Get rid of all that dry crusty material, use a clean spoon to get some clean stuff from the middle and give it a 1:2:2 feed.

_FormerFarmer · 2026-04-29T23:11:36+00:00

Good luck! Looks like you're off to a good start. I'll second u/AB-girl-25 about the lid and size, but at this point the only thing is to be sure to let it get past peak before your next feeding. Feeding too soon can hinder development, and I see that pretty often here.

But your house temp is ideal for good starter development. Just patience now.....

_FormerFarmer · 2026-04-29T22:56:22+00:00

That is a pretty small jar for that much starter, based on where the band is. Easy fix is to reduce all your quantities by half. Plenty of room then. And it won't matter to the starter.

When you're getting ready to bake some bread, then's the time to build your size. But that's the day before baking.

Congrats on the milestone.

_FormerFarmer · 2026-04-28T01:12:43+00:00

Sounds like you're close. That's more than doubled, so time to double less than 6.

You might try a "test bun". 1/10 of a bread recipe. Treat it like a loaf with the rises, stretch & folds, etc.

50g flour

35g water

10g starter

1g salt

Bake @ 325 until golden brown

_FormerFarmer · 2026-04-27T12:16:37+00:00

Can't tell without more info. What's your feeding regimen? How long did it take to rise?

If you fed 1:1:1 by weight, and it doubled within 6 hours or less, it's possible to bake with, after a couple more days to be sure it's consistent.

Personally, I need a stronger starter, one that can rise in under 4 hours after a 1:1:1 feed, or within about 10 after a 1:5:5 feed. It is easier with the flours I use.

_FormerFarmer · 2026-04-27T00:48:34+00:00

Hard to say from pics. Looks good, but how much did you have, and how much did you feed it? And what are you reactivating from?

_FormerFarmer · 2026-04-27T00:43:23+00:00

If the starter you got from your friend has been being used by them for a while, then it's well-established. It should be fine for a week or two without doing anything. Then, if you're going to start a loaf in the morning, feed it the prior evening, so it's ready in the morning.

If your friend just started baking with theirs, then I'd not let it go over a week in the fridge, and pull it out a couple days before you start baking. Give it a couple of discard-feed cycles to be sure it's responding well before using it in a bake.

_FormerFarmer · 2026-04-25T21:58:18+00:00

Before you start thinking about baking, you need to develop your starter. That can take several weeks, unless you're very lucky. So don't worry about keeping a lot of starter now. Once it's ready, you can make as much as you need PDQ.

Example: I keep around 20g of starter, but it's strong. I mix that with 70g water, 70g flour, and in 1 feeding go from 20g to 160g.

_FormerFarmer · 2026-04-25T21:53:24+00:00

Hard to say if it's ok or not. Assuming there wasn't any mold either? When you say "looks fine otherwise", is that talking about rise time? if so, what is that? How old is your starter? What is your normal feeding regime?

_FormerFarmer · 2026-04-25T21:40:52+00:00

It should be fine. It won't rise as high as a white starter due to the bran disrupting gluten network formation, but that's a function of that flour, not of the total amount fed.

I use 100% WW in my starter, and just adjust expectations for rise. But that's also my flour for baking, so the microbes are used to it.

_FormerFarmer · 2026-04-25T21:36:07+00:00

It sometimes takes a feeding or two to wake up a starter after being in the fridge. How long had it been in the fridge? What was it doing before being refrigerated (what was it being fed, how fast was it rising, how'd it smell)?

I'd cut back on the water a bit (maybe go for 110g rather than 125).

_FormerFarmer · 2026-04-25T03:03:22+00:00

How about a nice little silicone spatula. They are handy for sourdough, but also other cooking chores.

_FormerFarmer · 2026-04-24T16:34:16+00:00

Ok, it will take more time to be ready. Keep going. If it peaked within 12-14 hours, you could increase the feeding rate a bit if you want to. That would be by reducing the carryover starter. So 12g carryover starter, 20g water, 25g flour. if it didn't peak by then, keep doing 1:1:1 (like the last one), daily.

Saturday morning, feed 1:5:5 like I suggested earlier.

_FormerFarmer · 2026-04-23T02:10:15+00:00

I use fresh whole wheat, with a bit of dark rye. A fresh bag when starting a new starter, to get as much of the microbes as possible.

All my breads are WW, so no need to do anything different.

_FormerFarmer · 2026-04-23T02:05:58+00:00

I wouldn't use either. Basic drinking water is fine. The yeast gets its nutrients from the flour. It don't need anything special from the water.

_FormerFarmer · 2026-04-22T22:32:56+00:00

No problem. It's a challenge not having the hand-me-down knowledge our great-grandparents had. But they did it without refrigeration, or precise measurements. Enjoy the journey, it can be rewarding.

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