Forum: cooking.stackexchange.com
Tags: <storage-method><sourdough><starter>
Title: What makes a good vessel for storing sourdough starter?
Question: I was going to buy the King Arthur set of starter + crock, but the crock is on backorder, so I plan to instead locally source a vessel for the starter. What should I look for? Should I find a similar crock? A jar of some kind?   ETA: More specifically, what should I be looking for? Size? Materials? Lid type? I read elsewhere that I don't want an airtight seal; I'm looking for more advice like that.

Answers:
sents: text: Admittedly I have only stored my starter in a glass jar, but I wouldn't want anything else.
text: You should look for a size that is neither too large, nor too small.
text: It should comfortably hold your sourdough starter when you are simply feeding it
text: - I usually store 200g of starter, at 100% hydration (100g flour, 100g water) or thereabouts.
text: However, when actually making sourdough starter you make more - perhaps 400g or so, depending on how much bread you are making, plus you want to have something left to restart your bread.
text: A typical recipe might call for 20% starter, so 200g for a kilo loaf.
text: The other solution is to of course have two separate jars, and only use both when doubling for bread.
text: When I say it must be able to hold that much, I mean that it will have to hold it fully risen, which means around 2x to 2.5x of the original size.
text: In addition, narrow and high is better than low and wide, since it makes it easier to tell how much it rises.
text: Also, you will want a wide opening, so that you can easily clean it.
text: As for covering it, I just use a sheet of plastic.
text: Just take care not to get it gooey.
text: It will hold in the moisture so the sourdough doesn't dry out, but won't trap the carbon dioxide.
text: Good luck
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/3747/Max
score: 14
sents: text: I use a regular wide mouth canning jar with an inverted coffee filter over the top, secured by a canning jar ring.
text: It's worked great for me.
text: if the coffee filter ends up getting stuck, as they eventually will, I just replace it with a new one.
text: The filter breathes and also allows more yeast to get in.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/8881/Martha Marshall
score: 7
sents: text: I recommend the Harsch Fermenting Crock.
text: I use the smallest one and it is pretty large, but I have never had a problem with my starter overflowing.
text: The water seal on this crock lets gas out and provides a good seal.
text: I always worry about using glass jars.
text: You can't seal too tight or they might explode.
text: I also don't want bread that tastes like the inside of my fridge.
text: They are expensive and I have not been able to find an alternative.
text: However, if you are serious about maintaining a starter I think it is worth it.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/9034/Tammy Jowers
score: 7
sents: text: as long as it's not airtight, in my experience you can use almost anything: a large jar with a loose lid, a tupperware container that has a small hole in it... that sort of thing.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/1415/franko
score: 5
sents: text: I find wecks jars perfect.
text: I rest the glass lids on top.
text: So the gasses can escape if they need to.
text: I use the straight sided ones.
text: I like a clear jar
text: so I can see when the bubbling starts after feeding.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/37686/Esther Clark
score: 3
sents: text: The King Arthur crock is a nice size and looks good.
text: The logo clearly distinguishes the contents.
text: However, I prefer to be able to see through to the contents.
text: A tall wide mouth glass canning jar seems ideal to me.
text: With the ring on loose (or fitted with something breathable), I would not worry about it exploding.
text: If a shorter, wider container would fit your space better, Pyrex makes 7 cup glass storage containers.
text: You can buy them with airtight, silicone-sealed glass lids, but plastic lids with vent tabs also are available.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/41931/Tom
score: 3
sents: text: Years ago when I worked with sourdough a lot I used a stoneware crock that was just the right size for the amount of starter and it had a lid that was not air tight, so it worked perfect for the job.
text: Over the years of not having a starter (I stopped doing it when I had to go back to work) and moving a couple of times, I misplaced that "perfect" crock and it's nearly impossible to find a crock the size of the one I had, but I happened across a website that has what I think will be the right vessel for the job.
text: It's a 1.5 Qt wide mouth glass jar, made in Italy by Bormioli Rocco and it is a really good price.
text: If anybody is interested
text: it's on the breadtopia website at:
text: http://breadtopia.com/store/sourdough-starter-jar/ I have already ordered mine.
text: Maybe this will help someone out there...
text: I hope so.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/45619/Linda
score: 3
sents: text: Wide mouth glass jar with a piece of wax paper loosely rubber banded over the top.
text: Keeps it from drying out, but if the starter goes nuts, it just pushes the wax paper up and out of the rubber band--no worry of exploding glass.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/45837/Angela
score: 1
sents: text: Half gallon Mason jars with the 2 piece lid work great.
text: Leaving the ring portion of the lid loose allows the gas toescape by lifting the flat portion.
text: Otherwise it is sealed.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/55324/Edwin
score: 1
sents: text: I found that a wide mouth Mason jar, folded cheesecloth and a rubber band extremely successful!
text: Success the first day!
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/82972/Lexi
score: 1
sents: text: I use a glass jar with a fermenting lid.
text: In other words, vented.
text: This jar will auto release gas or you can set the release manually.
text: No more worry about your glass jar breaking under pressure or anything icky falling in.
text: I use a 1400ML or 1.5 Quart jar like the one in this link from Amazon .
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/85637/Beth
score: 1
sents: text: I use a 64 oz pickle jar and store it in the refrigerator.
text: I take out starter out of it for recipes.
text: Each day I put in 1/2 of my starter that I feed every 12 hrs
text: and I use the oven light to keep the smaller jar at a constant 75 deg.
text: I stir the larger starter jar before putting it back into the refrigerator to add air.
text: I have had great results using this method.
text: I tighten the lid AFTER
text: I know there's no gases being formed.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/16832/Kara D.
score: 0
sents: text: The starter is acid so do not use any metal.
text: I like to use a one quart cylindrical crock which I cover with a loose fitting saucer/plate.
text: I have been experimenting with starters of varying degrees of sourness.
text: I keep each batch in a separate pint jar with loose fitting lid to let the CO2 out.
text: Don't want the starter to explode out when the lid is removed.
text: The starter is sticky so wide mouth containers are easier to extract the starter from and clean.
answer_details: author: cooking.stackexchange.com/users/16870/Sharon Kay
score: 0

Summary of the answers:
You can use many kinds of container, but the acid in the starter could react with metal. A glass canning jar with a wide mouth would be ideal, and this can be covered with an inverted coffee filter, a piece of wax paper, a 2-piece Mason jar lid or folded cheesecloth. A fermenting crock is also a good option, but anything with a non-airtight lid could work.
You can use any jar or tupperware with a loose lid or hole in the lid.