Sourdough Home
Sourdough Home
Specifications
- Temperature Range: 41-122F / 5-50C
- Outside Dimensions: 11in H x 8 W x 10 D (28 x 23 x 25cm)
- Inside Dimensions: 7½in H x 5⅛ W x 5 ½ D (19 x 13 x 14 cm)
- Weight: 4.1 lbs, 1.86 kg
- Voltage: 100-240V
- Efficiency: To maintain a stable temperature, the Sourdough Home constantly adjusts the heating or cooling power. Temperature settings close to the ambient room temperature will require a very small amount of power, while temperature settings significantly above or below room temperature will require more power.
- Maximum Power Usage: Maximum power in cooling mode: 38W – maximum power in heating mode: 30W.
FAQ
How is the SD Home different from the Folding Proofer?
The SD Home can both heat and cool. The Folding Proofer cannot cool- meaning it cannot bring its contents below room temperature. For example, even though the temperature range of the proofer is 70 - 120°F (21 - 49°C) if the room temperature is 77°F (25°C), the Proofer will not be able to bring its contents below 77°F (25°C). The proofer is larger than the SD Home and can accommodate a large mixing bowl, bread pans, or other containers used when proofing bread dough. The SD Home is smaller and designed specifically with sourdough starter in mind and can accommodate up to a 1 liter/1 quart jar.
Why should I keep my starter in the SD Home?
The health and growth rate of a sourdough starter are heavily influenced by feeding schedule (frequency) and temperature. To maintain a healthy starter ready for baking, many bakers store their starter at room temperature and refresh on a daily basis. Room temperature can fluctuate throughout the year and fermentation activity can become unpredictable and difficult to manage. Bakers often need to adjust feeding ratios and frequency to accommodate for these temperature swings. With the Sourdough Home, you can keep your starter at a consistent temperature year-round. No need to adjust ratios or feeding schedule.
What about just storing my starter in the refrigerator?
Weekend bakers may not want to feed their starter everyday- it is unnecessary and wastes a lot of flour. Often, bakers store their starter in the refrigerator as an alternative to feeding daily. However, refrigerator temperatures hover around 38°F (3°C) which is too cold for the yeast and bacteria in starter. When it is time to bake, one must give the refrigerated starter a few refreshments to get it up to full strength ready for baking. Using the Sourdough Home to store your starter is the perfect solution. By keeping your starter cool, but not cold you can slow down fermentation, while not bringing it to a complete halt. Your starter will be healthy and ready to use without additional feedings.
I don’t want to feed my starter every day. What is the recommended feeding schedule?
With the SD Home, you can create a starter feeding schedule that works for you. Feed your starter once a day, every three days, or even once a week. Precise control over a wide range of temperatures allows you to manage the fermentation rate of your starter like never before and provides the ability to control when your starter peaks. Time to peak at various temperatures will depend on seed ratio, hydration level, and type of flour used. Experiment with your own starter to get desired results.
Use our guideline below to get started.
*Above guidelines are based off of a 100% hydration starter fed with all-purpose flour.
Why won’t my SD Home go above 99°F?
Because the display only has two digits, the highest temperature setting in Fahrenheit is 99°F. The SD Home can go higher but will need to switch to Celsius to read the setting. To switch from F to C press both + and - at the same time and hold for 2 seconds.
My starter has been in the frig for months. I took it out, fed and put it in it’s new home. Fed every 12 hrs times 3, and it is bubbling away!!! Thrilled with this purchase.
I cannot wait for you to get some stock in for us Canadians, eh! :) My question is, looking through the FAQs and your chart on proposed feeding schedules, I don't understand the heading of Seed Ratio. Can you elaborate?
Btw, I'm rating the product 5 stars in advance because I know this is going to be a game changer!
Cheers!
I bought this as soon as it came out. Before I would keep my sourdough starter on my counter. I feed it once a day and I would try and make sure that the starter is still at its peak when it needs to be fed again. Sometimes, depending on the day, if it was warmer, it would rise, peak and fall before I had time to feed it again. On colder days, it would still be at its peak by the time I had to feed it. So this little home has been working wonders. I set it at 68º F and with my smart temperature meter that I placed in the unit is reading within 1º of what it's set at. The humidity is also stable around 50%. Overall I'm happy with my home and would definitely recommend, especially if your kitchen's ambient temp fluctuates. I did have one issue, but it was resolved by unplugging the unit and plugging it back in after a few seconds. The issue was, it wasn't dimming after 30 seconds like the manual stated. The customer service agent said the unit might have needed to be reset. I haven't had this issue again and don't think I will.
How much electricity does 100W use?
around 0.1kW an hour
A non-energy-saving 100W light bulb uses around 0.1kW an hour, which would cost 5.2p an hour to use. That means that ten 100W light bulbs being used at once would require 1kW, which would cost 52p an hour.
I love it for sourdough starter. Just received it today. My only wish was that it was big enough to fit a gallon jar you could brew kombucha in it.