Hi Ara, if you'd like to convert your milk/flour starter to a sourdough starter similar to the one we recommend, then it will probably take several days of twice a day feedings at room temperature for your starter to begin to rise predictably, and 7-10 days for the starter to be considered fully mature. This is because when you make a significant change in the makeup and feeding routine of your starter, the organisms present shift and change and need time to establish a new balance of wild yeast and friendly bacteria. In many ways it's just like starting over; although you can probably use your starter in the interim, don't expect it to be able to contribute the baking qualities of a mature sourdough starter until it has time to make the complete transition. In other words, I would wait to try to bake naturally leavened sourdough bread until your starter is rising predictably and has a pleasant aroma. As far as the consistency and crustiness of your starter goes, this may be simply a matter of covering your starter more securely, and adding a bit more water to your feedings. The reason we say to "cover loosely" isn't because the starter needs airflow in order to ferment properly, but because fermentation gases can build up in a tightly lidded container and cause the lid to pop off. It's important to protect your starter from drying out on top, so it's fine to cover the container tightly with plastic wrap or even a lid, as long as you have sufficient head room above the starter container for fermentation gases to build up, and open the container now and then to vent the gases. If you're looking to replicate our sourdough starter recipe, then you'll want to use equal parts by weight of starter, flour and water for your feedings. If you don't have a scale, that's 1/2 cup (4 ounces, 113g) starter + 1/2 cup (4 ounces, 113g) water + 1 scant cup (4 ounces, 113g) unbleached all-purpose flour. This should result in a thick, but easily stirrable paste consistency right after feeding. As the starter rises and ferments it becomes more like a thick pancake batter, with bubbles throughout. I hope this helps! Let us know how it goes. 

Barb

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