Sourdough Starter Fail?
August 1, 2019 6:31 PM Subscribe
Following this recipe and using a local microbrewery ale, I was off to a good start(er), but missed day three feeding and put it in the fridge on day four. It's now day six...
On day six, I pulled the starter out of the fridge, allowed it to come to room temperature and fed it as I ought to have on day three. It had been doing well on the first three days. But now it has a very sharp, tangy smell. Should I continue to feed this beast or have I killed off all of the good things?
On day six, I pulled the starter out of the fridge, allowed it to come to room temperature and fed it as I ought to have on day three. It had been doing well on the first three days. But now it has a very sharp, tangy smell. Should I continue to feed this beast or have I killed off all of the good things?
Sharp and tangy is what you're aiming for, in my opinion/experience. Keep on it!
posted by CrystalDave at 7:27 PM on August 1, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by CrystalDave at 7:27 PM on August 1, 2019 [4 favorites]
Best answer: Stick with it. Traditional fermenting is very fault tolerant, so long as you don’t get too far from the norms. Also: the remedy for most starters/mothers going bad is to take a portion of it (ideally removing any obviously bad parts) and keep at the regimen, adding more food as needed.
Ecologically , these things work not by avoiding contaminants or being perfectly fed, but by creating a broad framework of conditions in which the team you want can always flourish and push the others out.
posted by SaltySalticid at 7:35 PM on August 1, 2019 [6 favorites]
Ecologically , these things work not by avoiding contaminants or being perfectly fed, but by creating a broad framework of conditions in which the team you want can always flourish and push the others out.
posted by SaltySalticid at 7:35 PM on August 1, 2019 [6 favorites]
Sharp & tangy is good. A smell reminiscent of nail polish remover means your yeastie boys are starving and you should feed them pronto.
posted by workerant at 8:16 PM on August 1, 2019 [4 favorites]
posted by workerant at 8:16 PM on August 1, 2019 [4 favorites]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by lollusc at 7:13 PM on August 1, 2019 [4 favorites]