Sourdough Bread Starter help.

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htc said:
It's been a couple of days, how do I know if the starter spoiled? It doesn't stink, just smells like yeasty and a bit sour.

Here are a couple pics of it. I'm not sure if you can tell from the pic but it looks like the mixture kind of separated, with the liquid on top and flour on bottom. Is this supposed to do that? Thanks!





Yes it will separate. The liquid on top is called "hootch", you can just stir it back in. Or you can drink it, lol. Many old Sourdoughs in the Yukon, used to drink the hootch as it contains a fair bit of alcohol. It wouldn't hit my top wine or beer list, though.:LOL:
 
dinafine - the rye starter got going on the natural yeasts already present on the grapes and probably the rye too.
i've started quite a few starters over the years, usually using vegetable, fruit or whole grains along with the flour, and have always had good results. i've also used 2 commercial starters that i bought on impulse; they were good too. the only time i ended up with something bad was when i tried using white flour, water and whatever was floating in the air. took like a week or more to do anything as i recall, and then went purple and green pretty fast. after that, i've stuck to the vegetable matter approach.
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Pete,

I'm sorry to be laughing, but your story reminds me of me! I thought my starter was alive -- and it was! It really grows. I still haven't made sourdough, only the starter, but I'm trying to perfect my skills and finally accomplish it. Let me know how you're doing. It sure is comforting to know that so many people here have made it and are willing to offer help. I'll probably need it!
 
You will know if it smells bad, it wont smell like anything you would want to taste. sour is good, so if it smells a little sour its going right. Separating is okay, stir it and add some more flour, you should start to get bubbles in another day or two.
 
philso said:
dinafine - the rye starter got going on the natural yeasts already present on the grapes and probably the rye too.
i've started quite a few starters over the years, usually using vegetable, fruit or whole grains along with the flour, and have always had good results. i've also used 2 commercial starters that i bought on impulse; they were good too. the only time i ended up with something bad was when i tried using white flour, water and whatever was floating in the air. took like a week or more to do anything as i recall, and then went purple and green pretty fast. after that, i've stuck to the vegetable matter approach.
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Thanks for the info. I keep the rye starter in the fridge, and the one I started with whey also. I use them every couple of weeks. I also have a starter from a recipe book that we bought in Alaska called Sourdough Jack Cookery. the starter was dried and reconstituted back in the 70's, dried again, and I decided to reconstitute it again less than a year ago. Its really going great amazingly enough, I keep that in the fridge also.]
 
My mom and dad made lots of sourdough when I was a kid, I'd like to try my hand at it. What all goes in the starter to begin with?
 

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