Hi Becky, I apologize for the delay in responding to your question! Lots of bubbles sounds like a very good sign to me. I wonder if the fact that you're using a different brand of AP flour is causing your starter to be thinner in consistency? Other brands of AP flour are lower in protein than our flour, which means they won't absorb as much liquid (the higher the protein percentage of the flour, the more liquid it will absorb). While a lower protein flour won't hurt your starter, it may be causing it to be thinner in consistency, and this may be affecting the way it rises. A thinner starter will tend to allow the fermentation bubbles to pass through more quickly, and may not show the same type of rising behavior as a starter with a thicker consistency. You might want to experiment and feed your starter a little more flour, so that the consistency right after feeding is a thick, but stirrable paste. Correcting the consistency in this way may help your starter display a better rise. Maintaining your starter at 80-82ºF will hasten fermentation (which isn't necessarily a bad thing), but if you can find a spot in the 70's, this may allow for a more slow, steady rise. I hope this helps! Let us know how it goes. 

Barb

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