making a sourdough starter in desert like conditions
It's finally summer and the daily temperature here is between 75-85 - which I figure is finally good for making my first starter. My concern, though, is that the overnight temperature drops to the 50s. Can I still make a starter on my counter?
My kitchen tends to stay pretty cool until later in the afternoon/evening, if that is useful to know.
Best Answer
Well every yeast strain is a bit different but normally the range is fairly forgiving. Speaking from homebrew side; killing yeast from cold is almost impossible.
Homebrew side; they make electric thermostat controlled blankets to control temperatures; if you are going repeat this a couple times might be worth investment. In beer world; changing the yeast reproduction rates and brew temp can have significant effect on flavour; not sure this applies to sourdough starters at all.
Temperatures:
above 108F - yeast start to die
140F - all yeast dies
below 32F - yeast can die
40F-65F - most yeast strands will be sleeping / dormant
78F - usually optimized production
Now I see optimized production of CO2 change from 10-15 degrees depending yeast strain; some being as high as 100; others being low as 70; but gives a good idea.
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Can you make sourdough starter in the desert?
Sure, you can go there and make your starter. It's a great city, but the air isn't where most of the yeast is coming from. It's coming from the flour. That's why I've been able to make super-strong starters in the dry-ass desert of Arizona, and you can't get further from the San Francisco climate than that.How do you make sourdough starter in hot climates?
If you live in a hot tropical place then keep the bowl of sourdough starter mix in the coolest part of your house. Do not refrigerate it or keep it in an air conditioned room. If the weather is too hot, keep the starter in a bowl of water during afternoon time to reduce the temperature for the sourdough starter.Does weather Affect sourdough starter?
High temperatures and/or humidity can affect your starter greatly; both can make your starter work a lot faster and therefore it works its way through the flour faster.Can a sourdough starter be in the sun?
Placing your sourdough near a sunny window will increase the temperature and help keep it warm. Glass is like a magnifier so using a window plus a glass jar can be lethal if the day is warm but it can also be your saviour. Just lift the lid and check the temperature inside your jar if you're not sure.How to Make a Sourdough Starter Recipe (Levain) // FOOL PROOF PROCEDURES
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Answer 2
Yes you can. It may take little longer between feedings but the low temp will not hurt it, just slow it down a little. Maybe feed it every 36 hours for the first two or three times until it is active enough to physically judge its progress. Sourdough starters are kept at cooler temperatures to retard and control their growth. You can even freeze them and they will be fine.
Make sure it has doubled before you feed it and never feed it more than half of its weight.
I.E. if it is 1000 grams then feed it no more then 500 grams total of flour and water in whatever ratio you are feeding.
Answer 3
I have made several sourdough starters. In short- dont be concerned about the cold- it wont hurt the yeast a bit. Just make sure you keep up with feeding the starter. And DO NOT use a new starter for the first 2 wks. Else you will risk getting sick from it, and it takes about that long to stabilize and get strong enough to use.
Have Fun!
PS: As a side note, after you have established your starter past the two week mark, if you dont bake every day, you can place your starter in the refrigerator for ~1wk at a time, and just feed it once a week.
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