The Capturing wild yeast adventure

Some years ago, I was wanting to start a new sourdough starter. I googled ways and discovered there are wild yeasts on organic grapes and juniper berries. It's that white coating! Naturally occurring yeast! I was surprised and pleased because I had grapes on vines.

So I mixed up the tiny bit of flour and spring water (not chlorinated tap) in a large glass jar and dropped in my destemmed grapes. I swished the jar to coat the grapes to pick up that wild yeast. Every day I added a little flour and a little water and gave it the swish. After just 3 days I had the bubbles telling me success! I would have waited 2 weeks just to prove this out!

I also learned about dehydrating a bit of that active starter in case it failed at some point. Smear some on parchment paper and place in a warm dry spot until its all dry, break it up and package it for posterity! Don't use additional heat like a dehydrator or oven on lowest. Just air dry.

I have since purchased someone else's dried starter for a few dollars from etsy. But I don't have any real space to work a bread dough and haven't made any since before the move, not counting quick dessert breads like pumpkin or banana bread.

I no longer have grapes on vines, they haven't grown that much yet. But i think I've seen junipers somewhere in my local travels. I might try those next.

Go ahead and try capturing a wild yeast for your next sourdough starter.

I captured wild yeast without grapes or using juniper.

Here is how I did it:

https://permies.com/t/97835/Sourdough-Project

I have pitched raisins (just from a purchased box) when making country wines that didn't seem like it was taking off, it would probably work to seed a sourdough starter. When I start a levain, it seems like it work with just flour and water after a while, but using bits of yeast and bacteria that are either on the flour or in the air. I do like the idea of playing with specific cultures though, to see if the flavor differs.

I have used raisins and grapes with good effect. I felt like that starter was sweeter and somehow lighter than the starter I made using just flour.

I've always just used whole grain flour and water to make a starter. I imagine the grapes could make it ready a bit sooner though, or a bit yeastier from the start - with a flour+water starter the yeasts can take a while to build up in it with daily feeding.