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 Beginner Breads
 2. Creating a Wild-Yeast Starter (Mother)
 Quinoa starter not bubbling
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gmsantos
8 Posts

Santa Cruz CA

Posted - Jun 23 2020 :  10:43:24 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
I've been feeding my quinoa starter for over 2 weeks. Smells nice and fermented! But no bubbling. After week 1 it was bubbly inside (not on top), I used some of it to make pancakes, then no more bubbles at all!
Help!

Ashley
656 Posts
Ashley
MOSCOW Idaho
USA

Posted - Jun 24 2020 :  10:03:05 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
If you have bubbles inside your mother, and it has a pleasant sour smell, I think it's developing nicely. Once you stir the mother, the bubbles will break, but develop again after each feeding as the mixture sits and the bacteria and yeasts in your mother begin to consume and breakdown the new flour.

How was the texture of the pancakes you made?

Ashley Ogle
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gmsantos
8 Posts

Santa Cruz CA

Posted - Jun 25 2020 :  08:34:16 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Hi Ashley, thanks for writing back! The problem is I have very few bubbles at all now... The texture of the pancakes per the recipe in the book was crumbly. I'm going to experiment with it based on other recipes I have that aren't crumbly. Any tips on how to get the bubbling going? It feels like forever and there are only so many pancakes I can eat with the extra starter, lol!
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Ashley
656 Posts
Ashley
MOSCOW Idaho
USA

Posted - Jun 25 2020 :  10:27:08 AM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Do you think the crumbly texture has something to do with your flour being on the coarse side? It sounds like you have a couple recipes to draw ideas from—I hope you get some good pancakes!

It's true that there are only so many pancakes a person can eat. In my experience, quinoa has always been quick to ferment, and I think you should be seeing some activity by now. Here are a couple general thoughts that are always my go-to's when troubleshooting: Are you using a mild, scent-free detergent to wash the towel the covers your mother? Is the towel staying moist? Is the room temperature where you're keeping your mother consistently warm? Also, stirring your mother a little longer at each feeding will help aerate it and promote the right kind of bacterial development.

In another post of yours about toasting the quinoa grains, MaryJane responded and mentioned a hesitation about toasting quinoa grains and using them for a mother because heating the oils can alter the composition of the grains. I wonder if this is a potential explanation for the issue you're having with your mother, because part of mother creation process relies on not just the yeasts and bacteria in the air that surrounds us, but also those naturally present on the grains and these yeasts and bacteria aren't likely to survive the heat from the toasting process.

Just a few thoughts for now—I hope they're helpful!

Ashley Ogle
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gmsantos
8 Posts

Santa Cruz CA

Posted - Jun 25 2020 :  12:02:05 PM  Show Profile  Reply with Quote
Thanks for all of the thoughts! When I tried a different starter recipe a while back it definitely bubbled more quickly... Perhaps I should go back to that. Yes, towel is moist, room is warm, towel gets washed in gentle soap. I'll try aerating more! Thanks again!
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