Sourdough starter on a timer changed my whole feeding schedule

I used to feed my starter the same time every morning, religiously, for like 2 years. Then my buddy who runs a bakery in Portland told me he only feeds his when the starter hits its peak, not on a clock. I thought that was nonsense until I tracked my own starter over a week with a $12 pH meter from Amazon. Turns out my morning feeding was sometimes 4 hours off from when it actually needed food, depending on room temp. Once I switched to watching for that dome and slight sour smell, my bread got way more consistent, no more dense loaves on cold days. It's honestly more intuitive than I expected, feels like I'm working with it instead of fighting it. Has anyone else ditched fixed feeding times for visual cues, or am I overthinking this?

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perez.elliot1d ago

That pH meter trick sounds like a game changer, honestly. Most folks get way too hung up on routine when room temp swings everything anyway. Trusting the dome and the smell has worked better for me too, less guessing on the cold days.