More text feedback

Thanks Adam Carter!

book/figures/fig-starter-maintenance.tex

@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
   \node [decision, right of=use_starter, node distance=3cm] (bake_next_week_check) {\footnotesize Baking in next 2 weeks?};
   \node [block, right of=bake_next_week_check, node distance=3.5cm] (store_fridge) {\footnotesize Store starter in fridge at 4°C(40°F)};
   \path [line] (bake_next_week_check) -- node{yes} (store_fridge);
-  \node [block, right of=store_fridge, node distance=3cm] (feed_after_fridge) {\footnotesize Feed again using 1:5:5 ration 8-12 hours before making dough};
+  \node [block, right of=store_fridge, node distance=3cm] (feed_after_fridge) {\footnotesize Feed again using 1:5:5 ratio 8-12 hours before making dough};
   \path [line] (store_fridge) -- (feed_after_fridge);
   \path [line] (bake_next_day_check) -- node{no} (bake_next_week_check);
   \node [decision, below of=use_starter, node distance=3cm] (freezer_check) {\footnotesize Have a freezer?};

book/sourdough-starter/sourdough-starter.tex

@@ -40,18 +40,18 @@ math and then adjust it for the 1.4 kilogram flour quantity.
 \end{figure}
 
 Note how each of the ingredients is calculated as a percentage
-based on the flour. The 100 percent is the baseline as the absolute
+based on the flour.  The 100 percent is the baseline and represents the absolute
 amount of flour that you have at hand. In this case that's 1000 grams
 (1 kilogram).
 
-Now let's go back to our example and add just the flour, as we have
+Now let's go back to our example and adjust the flour, as we have
 more flour available the next day. As mentioned the next day
 we have 1.4 kilograms at hand (1400 grams).
 
 \begin{figure}[H]
   \includegraphics{tables/table-recipe-bakers-math.pdf}
-  \caption{An example recipe that uses 1400 grams as base and is then
+  \caption{An example recipe that uses 1400 grams as its baseline and
-  calculated using baker's math}
+  is then calculated using baker's math}
 \end{figure}
 
 For each ingredient we calculate the percentage
@@ -59,13 +59,14 @@ based on the flour available (1400 grams). So for the water
 we calculate 60 percent based on 1400. Open up your
 calculator and type in 1400 * 0.6 and you have
 the absolute value in grams that you should be using.
-For the second day, that is 840 grams. Proceed and do the same
+For the second day, that is 840 grams. Proceed to do the same
-thing for all the other ingredients and you know
+thing for all the other ingredients and you will know
 your recipe.
 
+
 Let's say you would want to use 50 kilograms of flour
 the next day. What would you do? You would simply proceed
-and calculate the percentages one more time. I like this
+to calculate the percentages one more time. I like this
 way of writing recipes a lot. Imagine you wanted to make
 some pasta. You would like to know how much sauce you should
 be making. Now rather than making a recipe just for you, a
@@ -101,8 +102,8 @@ endophytes living in the grain.
 
 Simply weigh around 50 grams of flour and add another 50
 grams of water. It doesn't have to be exactly 50 grams of both
-water or flour. You could also be using less and/or simply eyeball
+water or flour. You could also use less and/or simply eyeball it.
-it. The values are just shown as a reference. Don't use chlorinated
+The values are just shown as a reference. Don't use chlorinated
 water to setup your starter. It should be bottled water ideally,
 or here in Germany we can just use our tap water. Chlorine
 is added to water to kill microorganisms. You will not
@@ -166,13 +167,14 @@ my kitchen.
   \includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{sourdough-starter-microbial-war}
   \caption{A simple visualization of the microbial warfare that happens during the making of a sourdough starter. The
   wild spores on the plant and flour become activated the moment flour and water is mixed.
-  Only the most adapt flour fermenting microbes will survive. Because of unwanted microbial fermentation it is advised
+  Only the most adapted flour-fermenting microbes will survive. Because of unwanted microbial fermentation it is advised
   to discard the feeding-leftovers of the first days. The surviving yeast and bacteria continuously try to
   outcompete each other for resources. New microbes have a hard time entering the starter and are eliminated.
   }
   \label{fig:sourdough-starter-microbial-war}
 \end{figure}
 
+
 Wait for around 24 hours and observe what happens to your starter.
 You might see some early signs of fermentation already. Use your nose
 to smell the dough. Look for bubbles in the dough. Your dough
@@ -194,15 +196,15 @@ for around 1000 grams of flour (baker's math: 10-20 percent).
 Homogenize your new mixture again with a spoon. Then cover
 the mix again with a glass or a lid. If you notice the top of
 your mixture dries out a lot consider using another cover. The
-dried out parts will be composted by more adapted microbes such as
+dried-out parts will be composted by more adapted microbes such as
-mold. In many user reports I saw mold being able to damage
+mold. In many user reports, I saw mold being able to damage
 the starter when the starter itself dried out a lot. You will
 still have some mixture left from your first day. As this contains
 possibly dangerous pathogens that have been activated we will discard
 this mixture. Once your sourdough starter is mature never
-discard it. It's long fermented flour that is an excellent addon
+discard it. It's long-fermented flour that is an excellent addon
 used to make crackers, pancakes and or delicious hearty sandwich
-breads. I also frequently dry it and use it as a rolling agent
+bread. I also frequently dry it and use it as a rolling agent
 for pizzas that I am making.
 
 You should hopefully again see some bubbles, the starter increasing
@@ -245,18 +247,18 @@ The key signs to look at are bubbles that you see in your starter
 jar. This is a sign that the yeast is metabolizing your
 dough and creates CO2. The CO2 is trapped in your dough
 matrix and then visualized on the edges of the container.
-Also note the size increase of your dough. The amount of size
+Also note the size increase of your dough. The amount the dough increases
-is irrelevant. Some bakers claim it doubles, triples or quadruples.
+in size is irrelevant. Some bakers claim it doubles, triples or quadruples.
 The amount of size increase depends on your microbes, but also on
-the flour that you using to make the starter. A wheat flour contains
+the flour that you use to make the starter. Wheat flour contains
-more gluten and will thus result in a higher size increase. At
+more gluten and will thus result in a larger size increase. At
 the same time the microbes are probably not more active compared
-to when living in a rye sourdough. You could only argue that
+to when living in rye sourdough. You could only argue that
 wheat microbes might be better at breaking down gluten compared
 to rye microbes. That's one of the reasons why I decided to change
 the flour of my sourdough starter quite often. I had hoped to create
-an all-round starter that can ferment all sorts different flour.\footnote
+an all-around starter that can ferment all sorts of different flour.\footnote
-{Whether this is actually working I can't scientifically say.
+{Whether this is working I can't scientifically say.
 Typically the microbes that have once taken place are very strong
 and won't allow other microbes to enter. My starter has initially
 been made with rye flour. So chances are that the majority of
@@ -304,7 +306,7 @@ yeast part of your sourdough and balance the fermentation.
   \includegraphics{figures/fig-starter-maintenance.pdf}
   \caption{A full flowchart showing you how to conduct proper sourdough starter maintenance. You can use a
   piece of your dough as the next starter. You can also use left-over starter and feed it again. Choose an
-  option that works fest for your own schedule. The chart assumes that you are using a starter at a 100 percent
+  option that works best for your own schedule. The chart assumes that you are using a starter at a 100 percent
   hydration level. Adjust the water content accordingly when you use a stiff starter.}
   \label{fig:sourdough-maintenance-process}
 \end{figure}
@@ -325,39 +327,38 @@ fermentation period. This piece I would use to regrow my starter again.}
 As explained earlier your starter is adapted
 to fermenting flour. The microbes in your starter are very resilient. They
 block external pathogens and other microbes. That is the reason why, when
-buying a sourdough starter, you will preserve the original microbes. They are
+buying a sourdough starter, you will preserve the original microbes. It is
-likely not going to change in your starter. They are outcompeting other
+likely that they are not going to change in your starter. They are outcompeting other
 microbes when it comes to fermenting flour. Normally everything in nature
-starts to decompose after a while. However the microbes of your starter have
+starts to decompose after a while. However, the microbes of your starter have
-very strong defense mechanisms. In the end your sourdough starter can be
+very strong defense mechanisms. In the end, your sourdough starter can be
 compared to pickled food. Pickled food has been shown to stay good for a very
 long period of time \cite{pickled+foods+expiration}. The acidity of your sourdough starter is quite
 toxic to other microbes. The yeast and bacteria though have adapted to living
-in the high acid environment. Compare this to your stomach, the acidity
+in the high-acid environment. Compare this to your stomach, the acidity
 neutralizes many possible pathogens. As long as your starter has sufficient
 food available it will outcompete other microbes. When the starter runs out of
 food the microbes will start to sporulate. They prepare for a period of no
 food and will then reactivate the moment new food is present. The
 spores are very resilient and can survive under extreme conditions.
-Scientists have claimed they found 250 million year old spores that are still 
+Scientists have claimed they found 250 million-year-old spores that are still
 active \cite{old+spores}. While being spores
 they are however more vulnerable to external pathogens such as mold.
-Everything in nature is at some point decomposed and broken down by other
+Under ideal conditions though the spores can survive for a
-microorganisms. Under ideal conditions though the spores can survive for a
 long time.
 
 But as long as they stay in the environment of your starter they live
-in a very protected protected environment. Other fungi and bacteria have a hard time decomposing your left over starter mass.
+in a very protected environment. Other fungi and bacteria have a hard time decomposing your left over starter mass.
 I have seen only very few cases where the starter actually died. It is almost impossible
 to kill a starter.
 
 What happens though is that the balance of yeast and
-bacteria changes in your starter. The bacteria is more adapt to living
+bacteria changes in your starter. The bacteria is more fitted to living
-in the acidic environment. This is a problem when you make another dough.
+in an acidic environment. This is a problem when you make another dough.
 You want to have the proper balance of fluffiness and sour notes.
-When a starter has hibernated for a long period
+When a starter has hibernated for a long period, chances are that
-of time, chances are that you do not have a desirable balance of microbes.
+you do not have a desirable balance of microbes.
-Furthermore depending on the time your starter hibernated you might only have
+Furthermore, depending on the time your starter hibernated you might only have
 sporulated microbes left. So a couple of feedings will help to get your
 sourdough starter into the right shape again.
 
@@ -379,10 +380,10 @@ flour you feed it takes longer for your starter to be ready again.
 \textbf{I would like to take a break and bake next week:}
 
 Simply take your leftover starter and place it inside of your fridge. It will stay good
-for a very long period of time. The only thing I see happening is the surface
+for a very long period. The only thing I see happening is the surface
-drying out in the fridge. So I recommend to drown the starter in a little bit
+drying out in the fridge. So I recommend drowning the starter in a little bit
-of water. This extra layer of water provides a good protection from the top
+of water. This extra layer of water provides good protection from the top
-part drying out. As mold is aerobic it can not grow efficiently grow under
+part drying out. As mold is aerobic it can not grow efficiently under
 water \cite{mold+anaerobic}. Before using the starter again simply either stir
 the liquid into the dough or drain it. If you drain the liquid you can use it
 to make a lacto fermented hot sauce for instance.
@@ -404,18 +405,19 @@ be good for years.
 
 Simply take your starter and mix it with flour. Try to crumble the starter as
 much as possible. Add more flour continuously until you notice that there is no
-moisture left. Place the flour starter at a dry place in your house. Let it
+moisture left. Place the flour starter in a dry place in your house. Let it
-dry even more. If you have a dehydrator you can use this to speed up the
+dry out even more. If you have a dehydrator you can use this to speed up the
 process. Set it to around 30°C and dry the starter for 12-20 hours. The next
-day return your starter. It is in a vulnerable state as there is still a bit
+day your starter has dried out a bit. It is in a vulnerable state as there is still a bit
 of humidity left. Add some more flour to speed up the drying process. Repeat
 for another 2 days until you feel that there is no humidity left. This is
-important or else it might start to mold. Once this is done simply store the
+important or else it might start to grow mold. Once this is done simply store the
 starter in an airtight container. Or you can proceed and freeze
 the dried starter. Both options work perfectly fine. Your sporulated starter
-is now waiting for your next feeding.
+is now waiting for your next feeding. If available you can add some silica
+bags to the container to further absorb excess moisture.
 
-Initially it would take 3 days or so for my starter to become alive again
+Initially, it would take 3 days or so for my starter to become alive again
 after drying and reactivating it. If I do the same thing now my starter is
 sometimes ready after a single feeding. It seems that the microbes adapt. The ones
 that survive this shock become dominant subsequently.
@@ -424,5 +426,5 @@ So in conclusion the maintenance mode you choose depends on when you want to bak
 The goal of each new feeding is to make sure your starter
 has a desired balance of yeast and bacteria when making a dough. There is no need to provide your
 starter with daily feedings, unless it is not mature yet. In that case, each
-subsequent feeding will help to to make your starter more adapt at fermenting
+subsequent feeding will help to make your starter more adept at fermenting
 flour.