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Great question! Knowing when to refrigerate your sourdough starter can definitely feel a bit nuanced, but it largely depends on how frequently you plan to use it and how active your starter is.

Typically, refrigeration is recommended once your starter is mature and reliably rising and bubbling after feedings-this usually means it’s strong and well-established. When your starter peaks-that is, it has doubled or tripled in size and shows lots of bubbles-you know it’s at its prime activity. This is an ideal point to use it for baking or to feed it. If you’re not baking daily and won’t feed it frequently, putting the starter in the fridge helps slow down the fermentation process and reduces how often you need to feed it (usually about once a week).

Waiting to refrigerate until peak activity makes sense because storing it right after feeding, when it is fully active and has ample food, helps maintain the yeast and bacteria balance in dormancy. Refrigerating an underdeveloped starter or one that hasn’t reached active bubbling might risk weakening it since the microbial community isn’t robust yet.

Regarding texture and aroma, if you notice the starter becoming very sour or noticeably separating (a layer of hooch forming), that’s a sign it’s hungry and could use feeding before refrigeration.

Factors like flour type and ambient temperature do influence feeding schedules-whole grain flours tend to ferment faster, and warmer temperatures accelerate activity. So adjusting feedings and timing for refrigerating based on these elements is wise.

In summary, mature, bubbly, and recently fed starters are perfect candidates for fridge storage. This preserves their viability, requiring only occasional feedings to keep them healthy until your next bake!