Systems and methods for sourdough starter production

A computer-implemented method for sourdough starter production, comprising a processor:

• configuring a fermenter system to receive flour and water for production of a sourdough starter;
• controlling a feeder configured to provide additions of the flour to the fermenter;
• controlling a water doser configured to provide additions of the water to the fermenter;
• receiving from a first maturity sensor configured as a pH sensor, pH levels indicative of progress toward a desired fermentation in a flour and water mixture;
• receiving from a second maturity sensor configured as a CO2 sensor, CO2 concentrations indicative of progress toward the desired fermentation in the flour and water mixture;
• correlating the pH levels and the CO2 concentrations;
• and
• based on the correlating, generating and providing control signals to the feeder and the water doser for adjusting a rate and quantity of flour addition and a rate and quantity of water addition to the fermenter to achieve the desired fermentation of the flour and water mixture.

A sourdough starter production system, comprising:

• a fermenter configured to receive flour and water, mix the flour and the water, and control fermentation of a mixture of the flour and the water;
• a feeder configured to provide initial quantities the flour to the fermenter and to provide additions of the flour to the fermenter;
• a water doser configured to provide initial quantities of the water to the fermenter and to provide additions of water to the fermenter;
• a first maturity sensor configured as a pH sensor to sense pH levels indicative of progress toward a desired fermentation of the mixture of the flour and the water;
• a second maturity sensor configured as a CO2 sensor that senses CO2 concentrations indicative of progress toward the desired fermentation of the mixture of the flour and the water;
• and
• a processor that executes a program of instructions encoded on a non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium to receive the pH levels and the CO2 concentrations, apply the received pH levels and the CO2 concentrations to a trained machine learning component, wherein the machine learning component analyzes the pH levels and the CO2 concentrations, performs a correlation of the pH levels and the CO2 concentrations, and based on the correlation, provides a control signal indicating rates and quantities of flour addition and rates and quantities of water addition to the fermenter to achieve the desired fermentation of the mixture of flour and water.