Hi Tammy, we're not able to send out our sourdough starter right now because warehouse and shipping times are longer than usual, and we don't want to risk sending out starters that won't arrive in good health. As soon as things calm down a bit and our shipping and handling times are back to normal, then we can make the starter available again. Creating a starter can be frustrating, but it's helpful to remain patient and trust in the process. It typically takes at least 10 days to develop a fully mature starter, so there's no need to give up. The thinning consistency and hooch you're seeing may be signs that your starter is fermenting while you're not looking. Try to observe your starter throughout the day, but look for the peak of rising to occur around 8 hours after a feeding. If you're really not seeing any rising or bubbling, you might consider trying an alternative feeding routine that uses up a little less flour and is meant to help the wild yeast kick in. Here's this method:

1. Feed once a day.

2. Feed with whole grain flour, if available.

3. Feed with a ratio by weight of 2 parts starter : 1 part water : 1 part flour. For example, save 1/2 cup (4 ounces, 113g) starter + 1/4 cup (2 ounces, 57g) water + 1/2 cup (2 ounces, 57g) wholegrain flour.

Once your starter is rising predictably with this method, then you can switch back to our normal feeding routine. Each time you change your starter's feeding routine the organisms need time to adjust, but once you see your starter is rising predictably with the AP flour, twice a day feedings, and 1:1:1 ratio, then you should be good to start baking! 

Don't worry about putting the lid on your mason jar. The reason we say to "cover loosely" is not because a sourdough starter needs airflow in order to ferment properly (it doesn't), but because fermentation gases can build up in a tightly lidded container and cause the lid to pop off. I've never seen this happen with a mason jar, but if you're worried you could use plastic wrap to cover the jar, which will flex when the gases build up. It's important to keep the surface of your starter moist, so I would definitely recommend covering  it well. Good luck and let us know how it goes!

Barb

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