The experience here in Ireland is with a SF culture taken from a baking class 2 years prior. It is anyone's guess how many 'doughy
hands' could have cross-contaminated it in the 5 years it has been in the school. And after laying neglected in the bowels of the
refrigerator for 10 weeks and double refresh, viola! Lovely sour SF boules with perfect crusts, medium-large holes and flavour
'direct from the wharf'. All that was done was to follow the meagre instructions for the proper biological processes to occur
(i.e.. intermediate fermentation time of greater than 4 hours). And with plain, not strong, flour (10.5% protein). Samartha's SD
calculator was used to provide the correct measurements (hydration @ 60%). A repeat performance occurred in two days owing that the
product was a sell-out. The Irish understudy was tapped for the lead (cultured in the 'Dirty old town' three years ago). But for a
twist the flours were changed to protect the innocent and some Croatian rye (low ash, type 950) played a supporting (405) role.
Ohh! The audience swooned over the vastly different yet suitably tangy flavour. Soon a dark German rye (Dunkel Roggen) will make
an appearance. Samartha's calculator was again tapped to provided correct numbers (68% hydration).

YMMV

> wrote in message ups.com...
>
> dan w wrote:
> > "
> > > Kenneth
> > >
> > > If you email... Please remove the "SPAMLESS."
> >
> > what you say makes sense, yet i still wonder when i hear some say that their
> > starter changes over time to something different than what it tasted like
> > when they first used it. what accounts for this change?
> >
> > dan w
>
> Are you talking about the baker's methods / techniques changing over
> time? I would think this would account for the biggest apparent
> 'changes'. I think it's also worth noting here if you live in San
> Francisco and you think you have a prized San Franciscan starter; if
> your flour comes the East coast or somewhere equally removed. What's
> the difference between you and the guy in Manhattan worrying about his
> prized San Franciscan starter being over taken by 'foreign'
> organisms?
>
> I'm more than happy that my starters are holding true, if they
> don't, they don't, as Doris used to say che sera. So be it. I just
> made another starter to test out Will's method from rye and wheat
> berries. It worked wonderfully. I added a touch of Vodka to the mix
> just to stop that bloody awful pong you get from the whole wheat. It
> knocked that out straight away. I did add a touch too much though as it
> meant that the starter took a little longer than I would have expected.
> But if that meant no pong, Great! Well, to get to the point. It's a
> great starter and more sour than the Bahrain, though not so
> distinctive. If I can make a good starter in a few days from some wheat
> and rye berries I got in a supermarket in Soho then anyone can.
>
> If you've bought your starter from SDI, what have you wasted, a few
> bucks? Nothing compared to what you'll save baking for your self. If
> it holds true to boot, Fantastic!
>
> I suspect the biggest problem with starter drift, is more to do with
> cross contamination. It is so easy to do especially if you're one of
> those people who dips your doughy hands into the bag of flour.
>
> Well as so many have said here, the big differences are to do with your
> technique. I might be wrong in pointing out that one or two of the
> people suggesting that you should get a tried and tested starter are
> also saying that they 'drift'. The probably lies somewhere in the
> middle of the pile.
>
> My conclusion: If you want to try another starter from an on-line
> source, go ahead, it's only a few $'s, but if you've got more
> than one, don't use them at the same time and wash the shared
> utensils well. Keep them healthy. If you can't don't worry.
> You're only a few days and / or a quid away from another one.
>
> Have fun it's only bread. : -)
>
> TG
>