Hi Jill, if you store your mini starter on the counter and feed twice daily it should remain very active, and your builds can then be entirely focused on increasing the quantity of starter available, rather than reviving the starter.

That being said, you may find that your smaller starter responds to environmental temperatures a bit differently than your larger starter, so keep an eye on it and be sure that you're able to continue feeding at the peak. If you notice your smaller starter peaks earlier and collapses between feedings, consider reducing the percentage of starter as compared to water/flour fed, which can help slow things down so that your twice a day feedings continue to line up with the peak of rising. For example, in warmer months you might want to switch to a 1:3:3 ratio (starter:water:flour, by weight), which could look like: 10g starter + 30g water + 30g flour. 

As you can see from my examples in the blog, it won't take long to build the quantity of starter you have available. And if you look at recipes like our Pain Au Levain or Vermont Sourdough, you'll notice that these levains only require a tiny amount of starter, so no building is necessary to make these breads! 

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

Barb

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