My sourdough starter went from a sad puddle to a bubbly beast in just 48 hours

I was ready to throw it out. For a solid week, my starter was just a gray, watery mess that smelled like old gym socks. I was feeding it with the same organic rye flour from the co-op every day, and nothing. Then, two days ago, I moved it from the back of my cool counter to on top of my fridge, which is way warmer. I also switched to using bottled water instead of tap. The difference is INSANE. It doubled in size overnight and now has those perfect bubbles you see in pictures. It actually smells sweet and yeasty, like beer. I feel like I unlocked a secret level. Has anyone else had a starter just decide to work after a simple location and water change?

2 comments

2 Comments

parker_campbell14d ago

Disagree on the water being the fix. That starter was just too cold. Warmth wakes yeast up. The bottled water probably didn't do much unless your tap water is really bad. Mine thrives on plain tap water just fine. The location change was the whole game. Heat makes all the difference.

rowank6913d ago

Your tap water is fine, but chlorine can still kill the yeast.