Tried a new sourdough starter recipe and my kitchen smelled like a barn

I fed it for 10 days straight following some blog post from a girl in Portland, but on day 11 it went all boozy and weird. I threw it out and went back to my basic flour and water mix that I've used for 3 years. Has anyone else had a starter go sour on them like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_hannah1mo ago

Used to think the whole "starter personality" thing was just hipster talk. Then I tried a recipe that called for pineapple juice instead of water for the first few days. My kitchen smelled like a tropical barn and it went super sour by day 6. Had to scrap it and go back to my simple white flour mix that hasn't failed me in years. Your mileage may vary on those fancy tricks. Sometimes the basic way just works better even if it's boring. I'm not messing with any more shortcuts now.

wendy_carr1mo agoMost Upvoted

Did you try feeding it more often to balance out that acidity? I went through something similar with a rye starter that got way too pungent on me. What saved mine was switching to a 50/50 mix of white and whole wheat flour and feeding it twice a day for a few days until it calmed down. The whole thing smelled like a science experiment gone wrong at first, but it eventually settled into a nice mild tang. I think those pineapple juice recipes are meant for people who want a quick boost, but it's easy to overdo it if you're not watching it close.

jordan_webb491mo ago

Actually pineapple juice isn't really meant to be a long term substitute for water in a starter. It's more of a one time thing on day one to create an acidic environment that keeps bad bacteria at bay until the yeast gets going. After that first feeding you should switch back to regular water or you're basically fermenting fruit juice which is a whole different thing. I learned that the hard way too when I tried it a few years back and ended up with a weird boozy mess by day 3. Your basic white flour method is totally solid though, no reason to mess with something that works just because some blog says to complicate it.