Mike Romain wrote:


> I am just curious as to why you don't make your own starter?
>
> I do agree the conversation factor is there when you are theoretically
> 'making a piece of history', but doesn't the natural wild yeast you feed
> the starter by means of the flour you add quickly turn it into
> 'domestic' sourdough?


One objective to get an older established starter is quality and
reliability.

If you grow your own starter, it is a random process with variations
what you get.

Even if it functions right away and makes good bread, to become stable
will take some time and lot of refreshing cycles.

One best performing LB bacteria for making bread - the LB sanfrancisco -
has not been found in nature, only in sourdough bakeries where
continuous propagation of sourdough is happening. So, chances are very
high with growing your own from flour that you won't get this variety.

As for turning an established starter into a local variety - that's
unlikely since sourdough starters "if treated correctly" are very stable
and immune against whatever comes out of the flour.

One particular sourdough has been observed for over 30 years and
confirmed to be stable. I think it was one of German SD Co. Boecker
sourdoughs and the researcher was Boecker G. who analyzed his father's
sourdough, did it again later and established stability.

Samartha