Sourdough Starter

Back around Halloween, a friend of mine gifted me with a jar of sourdough starter. I have a little kit for  sourdough, but the activation instructions were a little daunting. I didn't feel ready to invest time in the process and I hadn't yet gotten around to making it, despite my interest. I did, however, recognize how much time, care, and effort went into my jar and how generous the gift was. I was incredibly excited.

So excited that I went home, put the jar in the fridge, and promptly didn't feed it for two months. 

That's not how to do it. 

With some time off, I thought I would get back to the starter so that I could make and freeze a few loaves. I pulled the starter out of the fridge to feed it. It had a thick layer of liquid on top, so I shook it to incorporate. Then I started to open it. I noted the lid was convex, and heard the pressure noises as I eked open the lid. Sourdough shot up to the top of the jar and started to overflow. Stupidly, I figured I just needed to vent it more. The lid shot off and the starter shot out, landing all over my shirt, pants, countertop, floor, and eyeball. 

Everything was covered in tangy flour yeast water. 

I didn't take pictures of the carnage, but it was impressive. I cleaned it up, saved 4oz of starter, and proceeded to feed it. Research indicated that the liquid is normal and I can pour it back in. Or that the liquid is hooch created by starving yeast, so I should pour it off and feed my starter more often. So, I am not sure. Three  sources yielded different instructions on how to feed:  by weight or measuring cup, which means either 1:1 ratio water and flour with a measuring cup, or 1:2 water and flour by weight. I added a second half cup of flour, convinced that I was feeding it wrong, but most sources seem to say 1:1 ratio. It's a little dry, so I am inclined to agree. I even found differences in how often to feed refrigerated starter:  every week, every month, every 1-3 months. I am going to try to trust my Mother Earth News article and work from that. 

At any rate, I am hoping to bake two no-knead loaves on Friday, provided I havent't killed my starter. I will be sure to post any updates to Project:  Sourdough.

But maybe don't shake your starter.