3
Tried to make sourdough starter for 3 weeks, ended up with a science experiment that smelled like vomit
I kept feeding it and feeding it, and it just got this weird acetone/vomit smell no matter what. Turns out I was using too much water and not enough flour, plus my kitchen was too cold. Finally dumped it yesterday and now I'm starting over with a kitchen scale and a space heater nearby. Has anyone else had starter issues that smelled like nail polish remover or something weird?
2 comments
Log in to join the discussion
Log In2 Comments
anna5671mo ago
Wait, was your starter literally trying to turn into a chemistry lab or what? lmao I totally feel your pain though, because my first attempt smelled exactly like nail polish remover and I panicked so hard I almost threw the whole jar out the window. Turns out my kitchen was too cold and the bacteria were basically starving, so they started producing that weird acetone smell from the alcohol. I kept feeding it triple the flour for a week and it finally came back to normal, but honestly I still flinch every time I open the lid expecting a punch in the face. You're smart for getting a scale though, I was just eyeballing it like an idiot and wondering why it kept going rogue. The space heater trick is genius too, I ended up shoving my jar in the microwave with a mug of hot water to keep it warm like some kind of homeless sourdough hobo.
6
emmam671mo ago
The microwave trick is a lifesaver, I did that for a while too with a hot water bottle wrapped in a tea towel. A scale really does make all the difference, you can actually see if the starter is gaining or losing weight which tells you if it's hungry or overfed. I also learned the hard way that tap water can kill a starter if it has too much chlorine, so I let mine sit out overnight before using it. Once I switched to filtered water and kept it consistently warm around 75 degrees, mine finally started doubling like clockwork. The acetone smell is just a sign it's stressed from temperature or food, so feeding it more flour for a few days always fixes it right up.
2