Gday,
Most of the references on making your own "starter" call for good quality flour. However I've not found any mention of the effects of water quality in the process. I live in rural WA and am not conected to mains water ( which at least means I don't have to worry about chlorine). My options at this point are Drinkable bore water, Rain water or bottled water. Does the possibility of organic matter in the water effect its ability to start yeast production?.
Does the ph balance of the water matter?
Are there any minerals that I should be aware of that might inhibit the growth of Yeast?
Sorry for all the questions but I am keen to have a go.
Tony
Category:
Replies
Hi TJ,
I used water from the mains which is chlorinated and do not find any different from using distilled water. Am sure some of the guys here do use water from the mains for their starter too...
Maybe Chembake can further comment on this....
Cheers...
Don
TJ, I use chlorinated flouridated water for everything including starters. You may be best starting out with rainwater and when you have your starter established you can use part of it to experiment with the bore water. Some chemicals and minerals have a beneficial effect apparently, but I'm not sure which ones.
T3 if You start a culture from the scratch you need to use purified water( but not chlorinated and mineral water will do but once your culture is active you can use any water....as long as its potable...
I have just started making sourdough, I made my starter using Adelaide water, I did wonder whether I should use filtered water or spring water but in the end decided to use tap water. It seems to have worked ok.
[quote="Ozkiwi"]
I have just started making sourdough, I made my starter using Adelaide water, I did wonder whether I should use filtered water or spring water but in the end decided to use tap water. It seems to have worked ok.
[/quote]
You're a legend, anyone who can get a starter going with Adelaide water is a miracle worker.
Thank you for your input. I won't be starting until we move now (and then maybe some time after to get settled and set up ).
I got my starter going with fridge-filtered Adelaide water. It's 4 weeks old now, and I think it may be ready for the hard stuff.
TJ,
welcome to the forum.
one option would be to buy a simple (and reasonably cheap) water filter jug from the supermarket, and use filtered water.
That is what I have always done, though Melbourne water is reasonably good quality anyway (any Adelaideans out there?)
cheers
Dom
one of my threads had two starters
both same flour but one had tap water and other one spring water
starters were performing without any difference for two weeks you could maybe say that the spring water was bit slower and sometimes they would act like they day apart but just about every thing that happen to one of them would happen to the other just if not same day than the next one.
then i got sick of keeping two starters going so on day i had to make decision what to keep i flipped a coin because i could not see any difference at all.
but if i was in closer to the city i would never use tap water, it smell bad, it taste bad and so on.
i'm in sort of regional area, still part of subs in melbourne but 70km or 80km from the city.
short version
if water taste and smell good go ahead and use it