Question about using Carl's starter

Question about using Carl's starter

I just received my package of Carl Griffith's sourdough starter and after looking at the instructions on the website, I
see mention of adding white flour and sugar to the starter. I'd like to know if it matters, at the beginning stage, if
I use rye or whole wheat flour and honey instead of white flour and sugar. Can someone point me in the right direction?

jc

Re: Question about using Carl's starter

From:

> The Brochure available for download here is a historical document. It is
> a lightly edited version of the brochure that Carl sent out with starter.
> The instructions in the brochure work just as well as they always have.
> However, with the fresh start that we are sending out, we have found that
> potato starch, from potato water or dry granules, and sugar are not
> necessary to reconstitute the starter. Plain white flour and water will do
> just fine.



jc wrote:
> I just received my package of Carl Griffith's sourdough starter and after looking at the instructions on the website, I
> see mention of adding white flour and sugar to the starter. I'd like to know if it matters, at the beginning stage, if
> I use rye or whole wheat flour and honey instead of white flour and sugar. Can someone point me in the right direction?
>
> jc
>
> Rec.food.sourdough mailing list
> Rec.food.sourdough@www .mountainbitwarrior,com
> http :// www .mountainbitwarrior,com /mailman/listinfo/rec.food.sourdough
>

Re: Question about using Carl's starter

Forgot the link:

http :// home.att,net /~carlsfriends/revive.txt

S.

Re: Question about using Carl's starter

"Samartha Deva" provided this link for "jc":

> http :// home.att,net /~carlsfriends/revive.txt

As I understood his post, he had already read
the stuff at the Carl web site.

Hey, Sam-Man, and MikeA too, these guys are
just trying to get our goat. What they really basically
want to know is how many questions can be asked
before your fannies start whistling the Star Spangled
Banner??? Maybe it is one guy coming back with
different names.

Not to say you're not good guys, kind and generous
and all that. Probably before long you may well
become very musical as well.

--
Dicky

Re: Question about using Carl's starter

On Jan 30, 2:27 pm, "Dick Adams" <Bad.A...@nonexist,com > wrote:
> these guys are
> just trying to get our goat. What they really basically
> want to know is how many questions can be asked...

Maybe yes, maybe no. But since one can read Carl's original words on
the use of: potato water, potato granules, sugar, milk, even
vinegar ! one might conclude... 1) either Carl had a very open mind
about these things or 2) the starter is utterly bombproof.

Re: Question about using Carl's starter


"Will" <waller.william@gmail,com > wrote in message news:1170190779.840734.152820@a34g2000cwb.googlegroups,com ...
> On Jan 30, 2:27 pm, "Dick Adams" <Bad.A...@nonexist,com > wrote:
> > these guys are just trying to get our goat. What they
> > really basically want to know is how many questions
> > can be asked...
>
> Maybe yes, maybe no. But since one can read Carl's original words on
> the use of: potato water, potato granules, sugar, milk, even
> vinegar ! one might conclude... 1) either Carl had a very open mind
> about these things or 2) the starter is utterly bombproof.
>
Well, here's the thing, Will: Carl was partly silly, and so was Jesus,
if you want to know the truth*. But that does not mean we cannot
love them, nor they us, from whencever, wherever, whatever one
ultimately vanishes to.

As for Carl, there is a respectful moderative piece, namely
< http :// home.att,net /~carlsfriends/revive.txt> at
<www .carlsfriends.org> as was pointed out by Samartha.
Furthermore, extreme help is available from the email addy
given at the web site for the "volunteer".

Which is to say that anybody asking a lot of questions at r.f.s
about how to get a Carl's start going is some kind of a lonely
heart or rabble raiser or booby brain, since, if he had really
wanted to know, answers were quite simply available.

As far as bombproof: one or two of these idiots has been able
to bomb it, which refutes any remark I may have made which
was disparaging of their intelligence.

Which means, I guess, that I owe them an apology.

--
Dicky


* That is also true for the President, but some people still love him.
And I don't just mean Barney and Laura.

Re: Question about using Carl's starter

jc wrote:
> I just received my package of Carl Griffith's sourdough starter and after looking at the instructions on the website, I
> see mention of adding white flour and sugar to the starter. I'd like to know if it matters, at the beginning stage, if
> I use rye or whole wheat flour and honey instead of white flour and sugar. Can someone point me in the right direction?
>
I believe it does matter, and that it matters a lot.

When a starter is dried for shipment, it is in a somewhat fragile
state. You need to give it every possible assistance to insure it is
revived and is the same starter that was dried.

White flour has the lowest yeast and bacteria count. As a result, you
are less likely to contaminate your new starter if you use white flour
than if you use whole wheat or rye. Honey is also a potential minefield.

In later communications, the Friends of Carl suggest using white flour,
with no sugar. I think that is the best approach.

If you want to start a new starter, using whole wheat or rye flour is a
great way to go. If you want to revive a starter, white flour is the
way to go.

Once your starter is healthy, then you can switch it over to whatever
sort of flour you'd like to use. However, I still think that feeding a
starter on the least expensive white flour that meets your needs is a
good idea as it reduces the chances of starter contamination.

Mike


--
Mike Avery mavery at mail dot otherwhen dot com
part time baker ICQ 16241692
networking guru AIM, yahoo and skype mavery81230
wordsmith

Once seen on road signs all over the United States:
We're widely read
And often quoted
But it's shaves
Not signs
For which we're noted
Burma-Shave

Re: Question about using Carl's starter

On 30 Jan, 16:07, Mike Avery <mav...@mail.otherwhen,com > wrote:
> jc wrote:..
> In later communications, the Friends of Carl suggest using white flour,
> with no sugar. I think that is the best approach.
>
> Mike

I did some test a few years ago using sugar and no sugar to revive
starters. The no sugar did much better every time.
Jim

Re: Question about using Carl's starter

Thanks Mike, and TG, for your good answers, right to the point and
informative. I didn't know about the odds of contamination being higher
with whole wheat and rye flours...a trip to the local coop for some white
flour will fix the problem.

Mike, I've got a question for you. While I was waiting for Carl's starter I
tried making my own using the instructions from your web site. But using
1/4 cup water with 3/8 cup rye flour results in a thick paste like
substance, nothing like a "thin pancake batter", and I'm not sure that
bubbles would even rise through this substance. It failed the first time,
even though I added some extra water and also fed it several times(but the
temperatures were cold-50-60 deg). I'm trying again but after 17 hours at
75-80 degrees, no sign of activity. My question is, is that 1/4 cup water
to 3/8 cup flour ratio correct? Should I add enough water to make a slurry
or thin battery like mixture?


jc




"Mike Avery" <mavery@mail.otherwhen,com > wrote in message
news:mailman.2.1170173016.83618.rec.food.sourdough@mail.otherwhen,com ...
> jc wrote:
> > I just received my package of Carl Griffith's sourdough starter and
after looking at the instructions on the website, I
> > see mention of adding white flour and sugar to the starter. I'd like to
know if it matters, at the beginning stage, if
> > I use rye or whole wheat flour and honey instead of white flour and
sugar. Can someone point me in the right direction?
> >
> I believe it does matter, and that it matters a lot.
>
> When a starter is dried for shipment, it is in a somewhat fragile
> state. You need to give it every possible assistance to insure it is
> revived and is the same starter that was dried.
>
> White flour has the lowest yeast and bacteria count. As a result, you
> are less likely to contaminate your new starter if you use white flour
> than if you use whole wheat or rye. Honey is also a potential minefield.
>
> In later communications, the Friends of Carl suggest using white flour,
> with no sugar. I think that is the best approach.
>
> If you want to start a new starter, using whole wheat or rye flour is a
> great way to go. If you want to revive a starter, white flour is the
> way to go.
>
> Once your starter is healthy, then you can switch it over to whatever
> sort of flour you'd like to use. However, I still think that feeding a
> starter on the least expensive white flour that meets your needs is a
> good idea as it reduces the chances of starter contamination.
>
> Mike
>
>
> --
> Mike Avery mavery at mail dot otherwhen dot com
> part time baker ICQ 16241692
> networking guru AIM, yahoo and skype mavery81230
> wordsmith
>
> Once seen on road signs all over the United States:
> We're widely read
> And often quoted
> But it's shaves
> Not signs
> For which we're noted
> Burma-Shave