| | rec.food.sourdough FAQ.Starter.Doctor (Site not responding. Last check: 2007-10-08) |
 | | The starter may have lacto-bacilli growing in it (sour smell) but the yeast has not taken off yet, or nothing at all is growing in the flour/water mixture yet. |
 | | FRESH STARTER Fresh starter is characterized by a nice smooth, pancake-batter-like consistency, lots of bubbles in freshly proofed starter, froth on top of the starter, no hooch at the end of 12 hours of proofing, and rise times for bread recipes of 2 1/2 hours or less. |
 | | If your starter care passes these tests, then you may consider the possibility that the mix of flour(s) and liquid(s) that you are using does not sufficiently provide the correct blend of food for long-term maintenance of your nonstandard starter. |
| www.faqs.org /faqs/food/sourdough/starters (7623 words) |