Rant: My sourdough starter went wild and took over my kitchen

I was in my tiny Seattle apartment last Tuesday trying to feed my starter before work. I mean, I usually keep it in the fridge but I thought I'd let it sit out for a day to get more active. Big mistake. I came home after a 10 hour shift and that thing had bubbled over the jar, dripped down the counter, and pooled on the floor. It smelled like nail polish remover and rotten fruit mixed together. I ended up scrubbing the counter with vinegar for 20 minutes and saved maybe a tablespoon of the original starter from the bottom. Now I'm paranoid about leaving it out again. Has anyone else had a starter go completely rogue on them like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

simonl1124d ago

lol the nail polish remover smell is so real, that's how you know it's really going through some stuff. I had the exact same thing happen when I tried to do a big feeding and left my jar in a warm cabinet overnight. Woke up to literal sourdough volcano on my counter and it took me forever to clean the crust off everything. What worked for me was getting a much bigger jar like double the size you think you need and keeping the lid loose so it can breathe without exploding everywhere. Also I started doing smaller feedings more often instead of one big one, that seemed to calm it down. Now I just keep it in the fridge 99% of the time and only take it out an hour before I need to use it. That tablespoon you saved should be totally fine to rebuild from btw, I've brought mine back from like a teaspoon before.

ray18924d ago

Oh man, a sourdough volcano sounds way more dramatic than my little acetone blast! I gotta ask though, @simonl11, when you scaled up to the bigger jar did you notice any change in how fast the starter matured or the flavor? I'm wondering if the extra headspace changes things (like air flow or temperature) or if it's mostly just a safety thing. Also, smaller feedings more often is interesting, does that mean you're feeding it twice a day or just smaller amounts on the same schedule?