Seeding a starter

Hello janisem,

There is no reason why you couldn't add the normal amount of feed material whether it be 50g flour and 50g water or 100g/100g.  The yeasties and beasties will feed and multiply.  Some bakeries just use the scrapings left in the container after today's bake to inoculate the starter for tomorrow's.

Also, it sounds as if you are not covering your container or something for it to be able to dry out over-night.  So, put the lid on or cover it with GladWrap.

Good luck with your projects.

Farinam

I sometimes put paper towel over my starter jar and occasionally the starter gets crusty. The solution is to use a regular jar lid or plastic wrap. A tightly-sealed shower cap will do as well. Some other brilliant person thought of that.

My starter went bad because I left it on the counter. I thought I had put it in the fridge, but there it was hiding in the corner. Luckily, I had dried some of my starter. After softening a teaspoon in a small jar, I feed it with one tablespoon of the starter mixture and 1 tablespoon of warm filtered water. I covered the jar with cheese cloth and rubberbanded it to the jar. Nothing.....  The next day, I add another tablespoon starter mixture with one tablespoon filtered water. (I mix starter mixture with water and whisk it for several minutes.) Well, the second tablespoon of starter feeder did nothing. I am now on tne 3rd day. I whisked two tablespoons of feeder with 2 tablespoons filtered water and stirred it into the starter. I warmed about a quart of water in a microwave pitcher for 3 minutes on high. Leaving the pitcher in the microwave, I put the jar in and closed the door.  Half a day, bingo ...... there are bubbles and the smell of yeast. I then poured it in a larger jar with a larger opening, feed it with 1/4 cup flour blend and 1/4 cup warm filtered water. I covered it  and put it back in a warm microwave. The next day I have a regular starter. It took about 5 days to activate the starter.

Now, I must say that my starter is gluten free and has no rice flour in it. Gluten free starters are much more unstable than gluten sourdough starters. Gluten free starters usually have to be fed twice a day -- one in the morning and one in the evening.

I think the trick to beginning the starter again was:

1.  Keep adding starter even there is no reaction.

2.  Add small amounts of warm feeder at a time until there is a reaction of bubbles and the smell of yeast

I disagree with a 1:1 ratio for the starter, "drying out" only happens with insufficient hydration, obviously.

3:2 is a more useful ratio for maintaining a culture, generally speaking, but a skilled operative can make 1:1 work, however the flavour is ususally more vinous.