Hi Nancy, first let me confirm that you're currently feeding your starter with our maintenance routine. Different feeding routines can result in different consistencies, so if you are feeding your starter with more water than flour (by weight) this could result in a thinner consistency. 

If you have been feeding your starter with our recommended method (1:1:1, by weight), it could be that your starter is rising more rapidly and starting to fall in between feedings, which tends to result in a thinner consistency. This is because as the starter ferments and become more acidic, the gluten structure gradually begins to break down. Are you also noticing more frothy bubbles on the surface of the starter when you go to feed it? As the starter begins to fall from its peak rise, and the structure of the starter begins to thin out, the bubbles that have been held in place (which is what allows the starter to rise) begin to gravitate to the surface. 

Ideally, when you're storing your starter at "room temperature" you want your twice daily feedings to line up close to that peak rise, which not only keeps the starter a bit thicker in consistency, but also allows the yeast to stay more active and vigorous. Rather than adding another feeding to your daily routine (which gets a little nuts), another option would be to keep your starter in a cooler spot, which will help slow things down a bit. 

If you still find your starter is rising and falling too rapidly and your starter is continuing to be thinner in consistency, you could also try offering your starter a relatively larger meal. This won't hurt your starter at all but can slow down the ripening process and allow your feedings to line up closer to the peak. For example, rather than feeding with our usual 113g each of starter, water and flour, you might try a 1:4:4 feeding, which would look like this: 28g starter + 113g water + 113g flour. 

• Reply