The Fresh Loaf

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Troubleshooting my first sourdough starter

Paigerazzi's picture
Paigerazzi

Troubleshooting my first sourdough starter

Hello! I have decided to make my own (first ever) sourdough starter and use this time to learn how to bake bread! I am not having success with my starter, and would love troubleshooting help. My (1st) starter is named King and I started using Baker Bettie's protocol, and followed all but on day 1 i used whole wheat, and switched to all purpose (organic/unbleached) on day 2. It smells super vinegary, and almost has no rise, its now day 7.

Day 1: 50g WW flour: 50 g bottled water

Day 2: switched to 50g AP, organic, unfiltered flour and 50 g water (no bubbles, but a little hooch)

Day 3: bubbles! it barely grew, 50g water, 50g flour

Day 4: it gained at most 1/3 its height after 8 hours, but at the 24 hour mark it was down to the original level as the night before. Started 1:3:3 feeding: 25 g starter, 75 g flour: 75 g water

Day 5: in the morning it rose a little, in the evening at 24 hour mark it had less height than the morning, and it smelled of STRONG vinegar (like almost burn my nose hairs!), and was a SOUPY consistency (no line hooch on top).

Day 6: fed 2x this day: in AM minimal to no rise at all and fed at 1:3:3. Less vinegary smell than the evening before. in the PM it still smelled vinegary. No rise. Still thicke soupe consistency.

Day 7: Didn't do a morning feed. Minimal to no rise. Still runny consistency. Coming up on feeding time now and I am wondering -- WHAT variable should I change? Hmmm....

-i finally found some whole wheat flour.

-night temp is 68 degrees and daytime temp has been 70-74 degrees (on top of fridge).

-should I change the feeding timing, ratio of feeds, type of flour? 

Any suggestions would be helpful :)