The Fresh Loaf

A Community of Amateur Bakers and Artisan Bread Enthusiasts.

Orange specks on starter

Uhoh's picture
Uhoh

Orange specks on starter

I opened my whole wheat starter jar today(born on 16, April 2020) and saw a Stepping stone to success... White fungus at the top of the starter and white and green fungus in the rest of the jar where starter stuck to the walls. The backstory is that I took it along with me a to different place day before yesterday(to feed it, of course) and while coming back home, the lid was placed tightly. I took out what appeared to be the "clean" starter and got rid of everything else. Now, I notice these orange speckles on the starter. I will have already fed the starter by the time I get a reply, but later on, what should I do and what should I look out for? I hope I won't have to throw this one away because of this, although I do have some starter in the freezer. But I'm hoping I won't have to use that right now.

phaz's picture
phaz

Orangish specks in a ww starter isn't unusual, it's usually just the bran showing. The thing to look for is growth. If it's growing and spreading - not good. 

On another note - "stepping stone to success" "white and green fungus" - did I miss the joke! The mold you're seeing isn't normally associated with success, unless you're making penicillin. And if there is other mold growing in there, the orange may not be just from the flour. A general rule I follow with mold is - red (or reddish including orange pink) leave it for dead. Green, white, black, gray - with some tlc it can be saved . I mentioned to another poster just a few days ago with the same issue to do this - scoop some starter with the spots and put in another jar and watch it for a day or 2. If it grows and spreads, toss it, if not, nothing to worry about. Of course to be 100%, use the back up or start another one - it's easy enough. Enjoy!