No Dumping
First and maybe most importantly, do not pour or rinse starter down the drain. It can and will clog your plumbing…
When you are disposing of starter, the best place for unused, wet starter that isn’t going to be used is in the trash.
Do not rinse it down the drain because once it settles into your pipes it is only a matter of time before it hardens into a form akin to concrete.
Tools, bowls, and jars that have been used in working with your starter can be washed in hot, soapy water in the sink.
In this instance, the amount of starter is minimal compared to the amount of water, and so it is properly diluted.
However, always avoid pouring undiluted starter down any plumbing fixture.
Freeze your flour
Despite manufacturers’ best efforts, sometimes flour will develop weevils.
Freezing flour for five days as soon as you bring it home will help to eliminate these unwanted pests.
Glass is your friend
Perhaps the easiest rule of thumb to remember when tending a live culture is that if they had it 100 years ago, choose that.
Plastics have taken over much of our world and admittedly they have their uses. However, in the world of live cultures, glass tends to be better.
Metal should be avoided, but it’s not an automatic starter killer…
Starters are acidic and therefore should not come into prolonged contact with metal, however I use my KitchenAid mixer as well as metal utensils when working with my starters.
The metal isn’t the issues, the possibility for prolonged contact is, so once you are done using the metal item then I recommend returning your starter back to a glass jar.
Your starter needs space, but not breathing room.
Your starter is made up of living, eating yeasty organisms.
These organisms eat flour and live in the water you provide at each feeding.
When you feed your starter these two ingredients, your yeasty beasts eat…alot.
This should cause your starter to literally grow so be sure you leave space in it’s jar/container for growth.
Your starter doesn’t need to breathe...
Your starter is anaerobic which simply means it doesn’t need fresh air to survive, so keep a lid on it…but not too tight.
If your lid is on too tight, and the pressure can not release, the your container may explode, creating a mess and a lost starter.
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