Help!! I Think I Killed My Starter…
At least 4 times a week a message pops into my inbox…
“Kat, I’ve killed Mildred the starter.”
What usually follows is a tale of neglect. Starters being left at the back of the fridge/on the counter/in a jar while their keepers went about their lives. Sometimes its more dramatic, but generally they have been just left, smell a bit off, may have some mould on the surface or may have dark liquid on top. Sometimes, the starter may look fine, but has stopped performing as well as hoped.
Here’s a secret though, its actually almost impossible to kill a starter without actively trying to. I have yet to see a neglected starter that can’t be brought back from the near-dead. Starters are resilient and self regulating or they wouldn’t have survived the trials and tribulations they were put through prior to freeze dried yeast coming on to the scene.
Common Starter Problems:
Dark Liquid on the Top
This is a really common starter issue. That dark liquid is alcohol, created when the yeasts eat through the sugar in the flour. It is a sign that your starter is hungry. You can pour it off, or simply stir it back in and feed it up as normal. If you have a particularly hungry starter, try keeping it in a cool place like the fridge to slow down the fermentation.
A Bad Smell
It’s normal for sourdough starters to smell like nail polish, mild vinegar, or even almost sweet…in addition to that sourdough smell we know and love. That acetone smell you sometimes get is a sign that the starter is hungry.
You want to be careful if it gets smells that are very strong and foul. When starters start smelling this bad, it is usually because bad bacteria has overwhelmed the good ones. You can always try to resuscitate it, but if the smell persists after refeeding, I’d consider starting again.
Visible Mould
If there’s only a small amount of mould on the surface simply scrape the mould off the surface of the starter and it feed as normal. However, if the starter develops mould again within a week or two, it’s probably time to throw it out.
Discolouration
Generally speaking, discolouration is the one sign that they say you shouldn’t try to resuscitate the starter. Starters that develop colours such as pink, blue, orange, yellow, throughout the starter and not just on the surface, all should be tossed as this is a sign of a significant bacterial contamination.
High Heat Exposure
If your sourdough starter has been exposed to high heat, it may be damaged beyond repair. Generally speaking, anything over 50c/120f is going to damage the starter. If you’ve left it in or next to a heat source for too look, it is possible that your starter has suffered. Try feeding your starter a few times to see if it still has any life in it before throwing it away.
No Activity After Feeding
If you try the steps below and your starter doesn’t come back to life in a few days, I am afraid she has passed on to the great sourdough heaven in the sky. No problem though, you can always start your own or order some Starter First Aid from us.
In most cases though, it is worth giving it a second chance with our resuscitation method!
SOURDOUGH RESUS 101
Scrape off any mould or hardened starter & pour off any excess liquid. Fermentation is naturally protective against harmful bacteria and moulds. Most anything you see on the surface of your starter is unlikely to have penetrated to the base of the jar, due to the anaerobic environment created by the starter. Simply discard the top layer to get to the remaining, protected starter underneath.
Take a small amount of old starter from the bottom & add it to a clean jar. This can be as little as a teaspoon. You just need a sample of those good bacteria and yeasts to get going.
Feed the starter 100g each of flour and water. If the starter has hardened, let it dissolve in the water first before mixing.
The next day, discard all but 1 tablespoon of starter and feed again, 100g each of flour and water.
Repeat step 4 until the starter is active and bubbly. This is also a great method to revive a sluggish starter.
If there is still no activity after feeding like this for a few days, then it is probably a sign to start again.