Hello!
I have been reading forum posts on this website so I decided to join and ask a specific question that I couldn't find an answer for. I would appreciate any help you guys could provide.
I have been feeding a fresh starter that I started a little more than a week ago with the help of some guidelines online. I started with a ratio of 1:1.15 dark rye flour to water, but I began increasing the ratio of the feedings as the starter grew. I am now using 1:4:4 for my starter with a equal mix of dark rye and all-purpose white flour once a day in the morning (Please let me know if I am using the ratio incorrectly or any of my terminology is misused).
For a general idea of the environment, I live in a cool house that maintains a temperature of about 68-69 F (20 C), but within the jar I am using, the temperature is a few degrees (Fahrenheit) higher.
In the evenings, when I check on my starter, I open the loose lid and get a whiff of acetone, but it goes away very quickly and I can smell the yeast-y scent from the starter. I was worried that I wasn't feeding it enough, so I have tried the same feeding today to see how it does. I'll update with any new observations that I have tomorrow.
Based on what I have read online, the acetone scent comes from the starter going through all the food, but the starter somehow still rises. After the seventh day, it doubled in size for the first time and has been doing so up until now. Based on what I have read in other posts, the acetone shouldn't be a problem when baking as it evaporates, but I want to know if this is normal behavior for a starter.
Again, I would appreciate any help, advice, or resources you guys could provide me. Thank you.
So, after another feeding, I have been checking the starter every few hours and I don't smell the acetone smell now. I will check again in the morning after the starter has matured. I am assuming that the culture is changing and the fast-consuming bacteria/yeast/whatever microbe it is is being kicked out.
Hi there and welcome!
Every starter is different...
I don't remember my starter going through a phase of smelling like acetone, but I too have heard that can come from it using up all its food. However I don't use any rye flour in mine so yours is likely to have developed a completely different crew of microbes.
If I were you, I'd do a little experiment with different feeding amounts - get a few drinking glasses, mix up the same amount of flour/water in each and then add one teaspoon of starter to the first, two to the second etc. Then line 'em up and make a time-lapse video of them through the day (or overnight) using the camera on your mobile phone or tablet (it's very easy to do - on an iPhone just open the camera and swipe left or right until it says 'time lapse'). It helps to put a wristwatch in shot so you can see how long each one took to peak.
If your starter really is VERY active then I'd keep it in the fridge... it'll be fine in there for periods of up to two weeks; just take it out and feed it the day before you plan to bake :)
Good luck and enjoy!