I just put one of my starters in the frig yesterday, so what's that, about a week or less? From what I read, the longer you let it set out at room temp, the more sour it will be. Yes, you have to keep feeding it while it's out on the counter, and once a week in the frig. I added a bit more flour to the starter, and then you adjust the amount of flour that you use in baking/cooking with it.
I was sort of disappointed in the loaf I made yesterday. (pardon my whining). I used the recipe from that first post and thought it was too salty and didn't have enough flavor. So I'll wait a bit longer and next time I'll use just one tsp. salt. The crust is amazing!! My loaf is pretty dense, too.
I decided to put one in the frig for trying with pancakes, etc., and leave the other one out a few more days, then try another loaf of bread.
That 10 day cycle I was talking about was the Amish Friendship bread. That stays out on your countertop for 10 days, then you bake something from the starter, feed it and start another 10 day cycle.