Changes

Although ''Lactobacillus'' are tolerant of oxygen and oxygen usually does not negatively affect their growth (except in the case of ''L. plantarum'', which has been shown to produce small amounts of acetic acid when exposed to oxygen and glucose is not present <ref name="Quatravaux_plantarum">[http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2672.2006.02955.x/full Examination of Lactobacillus plantarum lactate metabolism side effects in relation to the modulation of aeration parameters. S. Quatravaux, F. Remize, E. Bryckaert, D. Colavizza, J. Guzzo. 2006]</ref><ref name="microbewiki_plantarum"></ref>), it is also generally not needed (an exception to this may be ''L. brevis'', which has been shown to increase growth rates in the presence of oxygen <ref name="brevis_aeration"></ref>). Therefore, it is generally best practice to prevent aerating the starter with an airlock for ''Lactobacillus'' starters. If exposure to air occurs, and the starter does not smell like it has been contaminated by the exposure, then the starter can still be used.

* For information on mixed culture starters, see [[Mixed_Cultures#Starters_and_Other_Manufacturer_Tips|Mixed Culture Starters]].