November 20, 2019 - 6:54pm
Sourdough starter
Hey Everyone, I’m making my first sourdough starter and I have a few questions.
1. Day 3 ...bubbles on top and scattered throughout with foul odor, like fermenting fruit. But started overflowing my 3 cup mason jar. I poured about a cup off into a second container. And am feeding both. Is that ok? So at day 4, I poured off a small amount of hooch, and smells mildly sour.
2. Do I continue feeding 3-4 times a day up to day 7? Or once daily?
I appreciate any advice. Thanks
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Sounds like your starter will be baptized soon! honestly its your choice of how many containers you want to keep! It can get expensive to feed and honestly lesser is more! I would cut down the feedings to once or twice a day unless your planning on storing a huge tub of starter lol, I would stick to 50-100 grams in total..
My starter (Oscar) is 12 years old, and has been as small as 30 grams and as large as 350 grams. You can change the amount at anytime with feedings or discarding some. Oscar was not always the amazing starter he is today, he smelled like stinky feet, acetone and vinegar but as time went by he stabilized.
As you progress and your starter stabilizes, you will have many different aromas before you use it. It will smell yeasty and wheat like or maybe like a slightly soured rye, if you use rye flour!
Your starter is young and still has a way to go! I would give it a feeding a day since you definitely have vigorous action so it's just time now!
Your starter will take a few weeks to become usable sometimes a bit sooner!
Good luck and have a great night!
Cindy
Thank you Cindy! So I’ll cut down the feeding to once or twice daily. Today is day 5. Could it possibly be ready for baking by day 7? What should it look like when ready? And the part I put into another container, can I join them? Thank you so much for your help and expertise.
Tina (Agape)
Hi Tina:
Yes! it is highly possible as long as the starter is stabilized! You'll be able to tell from the smell for sure.
If the starters in the other jars are vigorous like the one you described then yes! I have combined a few jars to have enough for a bake.
The starter will just improve with age! I have had great success with keeping the ratio of feeding to 1:1:1: Equal parts flour, tepid purified water and starter. Chlorine in tap water can have an adverse effect on starter!
Have a great evening!
Cindy
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Looks like your starter is doing great! That's the smell your looking for! Nothing like dirty socks, smelly feet, acetone or vinegar!
A yeast slightly sour smell! is what your looking for!
Is the started predictable when it rises and falls, if your watching its stages?
I’ve been feeding it 3 to 4 times a day until Day five and it’s been pretty much like this the past two days. Could it be ready, do you think, for baking?
Well, I attempted to make a sourdough ciabatta that did not rise. The recipe I used was a chef whose sourdough starter has yeast in it. Mine did not. Does sourdough starter normally have yeast in it? Any input appreciated.