Sourdough Starter Fail?

August 1, 2019 6:31 PM

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?

posted by shoesfullofdust to Food & Drink (4 answers total)

Sharp and tangy is fine. I'd keep feeding it and see what happens. There's wild yeast on most flour and in the air, so even if you've killed off the original yeast that was growing you'll likely start up some new stuff.
posted by lollusc at 7:13 PM on August 1, 2019 [4 favorites]

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]

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]

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]