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The Sourdough Chronicles: Part II

Only time will tell

Here's a quick update of what happened in about 10 hours:

I took it out and gave it a quick stir.  It got a lot goopier and had a very sticky dough consistency to it.  Not many bubbles, and only a very mild sour aroma.

I discarded half,

and added in more flour and water (equal parts again):

 Note that when you feed the starter with flour and water again, you should, at least, double it.

(For example, if you have 1 cup of starter, add in half a cup of flour and half a cup of water.)
 

This process will need to be repeated multiple times over the span of a few days.  Because I am making it from scratch, there will not be a lot of action at first.  You can buy commercial sourdough starter packages that can help speed up the process if you're impatient.

I will be checking up on it again around 3PM EST tomorrow for another feeding.  If there are no dramatic changes, I will repeat the process and report back when there is dramatic growth.

This is tommy_t signing out.  Good night, and good luck.

***MINI-UPDATE***

I took a quick look.  Picture taken approximately 20 hours after feeding:

The dough has increased in size, and you can see some small bubbles popping up.  Instead of feeding it again, I think I'll wait it out some more.  The colder atmosphere (around 70 deg. F) might be slowing it down a little; most places recommend anywhere between 70-80 deg. F for ideal conditions.

Instead of throwing out half of this again, I think I'll take a portion of it, feed it, and keep it in the fridge as a backup starter.  As a reminder: if you put the starter in the refrigerator, you will only need to feed it once a week.  Also, I plan on doing a test batch with this to see how it is and compare it to the ones I make later.  STAY TUNED!

By the way, if you forget to feed it, a liquid will appear at the top.  This liquid is called the "hooch" and its full of fermented by-product stuff.

(I don't recommend drinking the stuff though; I bet even PBR tastes and works better.)

If you encounter some hooch, pour some of it out and feed immediately.  You can't starve these little guys to death, but it will hinder your starter growth down the line.

***MINI-MINI UPDATE*** 

I stirred it around a bit and the consistency was real spongy.  It was almost like stirring chocolate mousse.  After working it a little it went back down to original size and batter-like consistency.  There is now a distinct smell to it.

That's it for now.  THE EPIC SAGA CONTINUES...