Hi Nini1, I'm sorry I wasn't able to respond to your question earlier! I realize you're well past this day 2 dilemma, and hope that you found a workable solution. If you need a more timely response you might consider calling our Baker's Hotline at 855-371-2253. We're here M-F from 9am-9pm EST, and on Saturday and Sunday from 9am-5pm EST. In general, your starter jar should be large enough to accommodate doubling, plus extra room for fermentation gases to collect above the starter. Most sourdough recipes also call for discarding a portion of the starter each time you feed it, which should keep the quantity of starter you're maintaining consistent. I doubt you'll see this type of tripling behavior again, as it sounds like it was due to a type of bacteria that gives off carbon dioxide, rather than wild yeast. This bacteria will get weeded out as your starter develops towards maturity. Often this type of early vigorous rise corresponds to a subsequent delay in rising, which can go on for several days. If you're experiencing a lull in rising, you might want to consider this alternative feeding routine, which is meant to lower the pH of the starter environment:

1. Feed only once a day.

2. Feed with whole wheat or whole rye flour, rather than AP. 

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

Once your starter is rising predictably (twice) with this method, then you want to switch back to twice a day feedings, which will further promote the wild yeast. You may also want to gradually transition to AP flour and the 1:1:1 ratio of ingredients by weight, called for in our sourdough starter recipe. 

You may notice some hesitation each time you change up your starter's feeding routine, as it takes time for the organisms to adjust to changes, but when your starter begins rising predictably again, then you can consider your starter mature. 

I hope this helps! Let us know how it goes. 

Barb

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