My sourdough starter went completely flat after I left town for 3 days

I was so proud of my starter, 'Bubbles', and left it in the fridge with what I thought was enough food. Came back to a gray, watery mess that smelled like old gym socks... I think my apartment in Phoenix got too warm while I was gone and it just over-fermented. Has anyone else had a starter totally die on them, and did you manage to bring it back?

3 comments

3 Comments

ramirez.vera18d ago

Honestly that sounds totally normal, starters are WAY harder to kill than people think. Just pour off the liquid and feed it.

henry_ross18d ago

Yeah, that's true for a lot of things, actually.

derek_lee18d ago

But what if the starter is actually dead? I've seen ones that just won't bubble no matter what you feed them, and the smell goes way beyond normal sour. Sometimes that liquid isn't just hooch, it's a sign the whole culture's gone bad. Starting over with new flour and water is safer than trying to rescue something that might make you sick.