I have had a starter that i have been happily maintaining for the last six months or so that I keep fed with half whole wheat and half rye flour and at 100% hydration.  I left it a little longer than usual between feedings this last time and I feel like it has developed an odd smell; musty or bitter.  Any idea what may have happened?  Can I restore my starter to former glory?  It's also expanding faster than usual which makes me suspect that it has been taken over by something unsavoury, so to speak.

Matt 

First time at posting here - couldn't tell if there was an existing topic to add on to...

I've been baking sourdoughs for a couple of years now and wanted to try working on a rye bread.  I began a starter on Sunday using Daniel Leader's recipie from Local Breads.  I'm using Bob's Red Mill organic rye flour and bottle spring water.  The starter appears to be behaving properly - bubles forming within a poridge like mixture with some rising begining by day three.  My question is about smell.  Leader says that the mixture should have a sour smell and taste, almost like the aroma of apples left out in the fall.  I think mine smells more like smoked oysters.  Should I take this as a sign that some non-desirable bacteria worked their way in (container not fully sterile?) and start over?  Or do I just need to adjust to this smell and keep working on it for a couple of days?  I've never smelled a rye sourdough starter, so I don't really have a reference point.

Thanks,

Phil

I've been busy the last couple of weeks and forgetting my weekly sourdough feeding. Pouring off the hooch, yes, feeding it, no.

Yesterday I resolved to feed the poor little starter. When I pulled it out of the refrigerator, opened the jar, and smelled ... uh-oh. Didn't smell right. But I made up some flour and water, put in a teaspoon of the old starter, threw out the rest, and hoped for the best. Left it overnight. This morning, it still didn't smell right.

I took a chance. I made up a new batch of starter (fresh flour and water, plus a teaspoon of the old) and put it in the fridge. Then I added flour, a bit of regular yeast, and water to the poolish that had been fermenting overnight. Was I wasting flour? What would happen?

No final report yet, but the bread is rising, if slowly. I tasted the dough. NICE and sour. I may have saved my starter. Stay tuned.