There are white spots on my sourdough starter PLEASE HELP
I started my sourdough starter on June 8th, today is the 5th day. The first three days my starter was fine. There were bubbles, and hooch when my starter was hungry. Starting on the fourth day, I noticed that hooch appeared twice so I fed it twice that day. After that, my starter had a water split (a layer of water on top of the starter but it didn't smell bad).
Currently, my starter doesn't smell bad. It smells sour, a tad vinegary, but not harsh and not disgusting. Today, after not checking it for the entire day (left it in a warm enough spot), I notice that the water line is more definite. Bubbles on the surface of my starter are gone. And there are white spots (they look like bacteria growing on a petri dish).
I don't know if my starter is dying or it is just going through an inactive phase. Please help me. THANK YOU.
Debra Wink in her article describes the 4 stages that a new sourdough passes through. Yours seems to be on-trend.
I suggest you read this:
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/10901/pineapple-juice-solution-part-2
Cheers,
Gavin
I see, thank you!
look more like a slight surface disturbance from bubbles rising thru the soft flour layer and popping in the water on top. With the next feeding try reducing to half (save this discard in the fridge for now) and just add some fresh flour to thicken it up so it can trap gas.
Nokneadtospinda! :)
hi I'm new. Last night I made bread using my starter. I did not feed the remaining starter after baking. This morning, the entire surface was white and foaming with hair like growths. There's another thread in this forum on this topic. I used a dishwasher- clean jar, and no utensils. I think it's a normal process, based on what I read, on the other thread. Lack of nitrogen? I did not view this as mold. After all, starter is made from yeasts of various kinds, right? I decided just feed the starter again, and see what becomes of it this evening. All rye flour 1:1 ratio with water. Anyone else have this occur? It's not blue, not green, nor black, just fluffy white.
Thanks
Nothing with hair like growths should be in your starter. When you do see it, take some starter from the bottom of the jar and transplant to another, feed as normal, keep your fingers crossed you don't see it again.
thank you. I did read on another thread that it is a normal secondary form of yeast. I cannot imagine why it would happen overnight.....on a new starter. No spoons were introduced or anything. I actually stirred it back into the mix and fed it. More curious to see if it comes back by tonight or tomorrow. I did the opposite of what you said, but that was earlier. I wish I could find the thread I am referencing. I am new here and using multiple devices.
Hi again, thanks for caring enough to answer me. I found the thread I mentioned above, where another baker had the same exact growths. That person continued to bake with his starter and eat the bread. Here it is.
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/24477/what-happened-my-starter-help
Keep us updated
I fed it last night. Will again tonight. I feel like Frankenstein. It's alive!
I am really curious.
So am I! All knowledge gets stored away for future reference.