Hi Marcy, it's generally fine to stir in the hooch; the only reason I poured it off in this case is because my starter was so neglected that the liquid was very dark and unappetizing to look at, and wouldn't have contributed anything positive to the starter I was attempting to revive. I would just go ahead and stir in your hooch and proceed with the process you've started. There are many, many ways to create a starter from scratch and it can certainly be confusing to try to figure out the perfect route to starter success, but since you've already invested some time and flour into the process you've started, it might be worthwhile to see how it turns out. General rule of thumb is that before the starter is rising predictably it probably won't hurt to feed the starter less frequently, although I would take care to stir your starter daily to help avoid mold from developing. Once the starter begins to rise predictably, then its important to feed your starter more regularly, which will help to keep the yeast active. 

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