Should a rye starter have a dry surface skin and cheesy smell after feeding?
I took a good, active sourdough starter, put some in another container, and fed it whole rye flour every day for a few days at RT, refrigerated it for 4-5 days, pulled it out and fed it again for a few days at RT, but unlike my regular white sourdough starter, which turns bubbly and has a shiny, wet surface appearance with a pungent, alcohol and paint thinner nose (and which has rising power), the rye starter has a dusty, dry surface, like a dry skin atop it 8-12 hours after feeding and a faint stinky cheese smell. Both are a like thick pancake syrup tending toward molasses in consistency.
Is the rye starter infected or dead? I'm brand new to this so I have nothing to compare it to, but it doesn't look right to me. Thanks in advance for your diagnosis! :)