Sourdough Starter

[Puggles]

I'm making my own sourdough starter and when it's "ready" I intend to make a delicious sourdough boule. My first starter "Breddie Mercury" did not make it and passed, I made a new starter "Bread Savage" and I'm now on day 3 following a very strict recipe from Joshua Weissman, apparently he's very good and huge in the bread community of Youtube. However, I do not see any activity from my starter. I'm feeding it every 24 hours, using a mixture of rye flour and unbleached AP with 85-degree filtered water. My home averages 70 degrees, give or take a degree. I don't see how I could have messed this up. I'm using precise measurements, with a scale and swapping to a clean jar for every feeding. What could be going wrong with this? I just want to make delicious bread. I spent a lot of money on getting all the proper equipment to do this. Are my cats sabotaging it at night?

 

[TastyReuben]

SatNavSaysStraightOn can probably offer some excellent advice.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

It sounds like you might just need a little more patience. When the house temperature is lower, a starter will be less active and take longer to do anything including start. I wouldn't worry if it still smells normal (so like a sourdough starter or like flour). Patience is key. It could be that the humidity in your air is too dry right now for many natural spores to be floating around, so it will take longer.

There is a series of photos front both myself and Morning Glory that show each and everyday, but I know when I started one to take her through each day, I was in the UK in autumn I think it was which was ideal.

Just give it a little more time

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I've checked back through the records (sourdough starter) and when I last made one, it was day 4 (starting at day 0) before mine became active.

Also, did you use normal flour or organic? Organic is better because it is less sterile than normal flour.

 

[Puggles]

I've checked back through the records (sourdough starter) and when I last made one, it was day 4 (starting at day 0) before mine became active.

Also, did you use normal flour or organic? Organic is better because it is less sterile than normal flour.

All organic and unbleached, is it better to rest the lid on top, or cover with a cheese cloth?

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

All organic and unbleached, is it better to rest the lid on top, or cover with a cheese cloth?

Cheese cloth if you use anything, held on but an elastic band or string. You're actually trying to catch the natural fungi in the air, so putting a lid on it totally defeats the object.

I just used a mason jar with the lid unclipped.

One thing I have noticed is that you're using a deep jar, so the starter is quite a bit further away from 'fresh' air which will also slow things down a touch as well.

In the link above, you'll see there are a series of Sourdough Starter Day xx threads and we're using shallower jars.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I did have one other thought during the night. I'm guessing you have this accounted for though.

What water are you using?

Tap water is a no no. It's chlorinated and often flourinated as well, both of which are disinfectants and kill the fungal spores you are after.

Ideally mineral water should be used, especially getting a starter going. If you can't, then boil the tap water, allow it to cool and let it stand for roughly 12hrs... (overnight on the counter not the fridge) to allow the gases to escape before using.

 

[Puggles]

I have 2 different kinds of filtration pitchers I use. Except for pasta, I use that water for everything cooking-related.