2 questions about sourdough maintenance.

1. Prior to refreshing a liquid sourdough, many instructions say to pour off the alcoholic liquid that accumulates on top. Why do this? Does it improve the flavor of the finished bread? Which leads me to a related question.

2. There is a significant amount of liquid on top of week old sourdough. If I pour it off, doesn't that throw off all the other measurements, i.e., hydration percentage? Should I measure it and add the same amount of water back into the liquid starter?

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