How's the bread? Actually it might be a good investment if it has good heat conduction, and has a timer so it'd tell you when it's done.I have a bread machine, and i keep a clump of sour dough starter that I have had in the fridge for almost a year now, I just take some out to make sour dough, and add little flour water to it each time, put back in fridge. I love me sum sour dough bread/rolls
About the starter, you're feeding it with regular flour? I know that you have to use whole grain when you first make the starter, not sure if using regular flour would affect that or if it's permissible as it's just food for the yeast..