My sourdough starter turned into a science experiment gone wrong

I was feeding my starter in my kitchen last Tuesday, the same as always. I left it on the counter overnight, but my apartment got way too warm. The next morning, it had this pinkish film on top and smelled like old gym socks, not tangy. I had to throw the whole thing out, which was a real bummer after keeping it alive for almost a year. Has anyone else had a starter go bad from a sudden temperature change?

3 comments

3 Comments

diana_murphy1mo ago

Oh man, that pinkish film is a bad sign for sure. I read somewhere that pink or orange streaks usually mean bad bacteria or even mold have taken over. It's such a gut punch to lose a starter you've had that long. My friend's starter almost died last summer during a heat wave, but she managed to save a tiny bit from the bottom. Temperature swings are no joke for those little microbes.

clairen851mo ago

Yeah, @diana_murphy, that pink film is the worst. My buddy had a starter for years that got those orange streaks after his AC broke. He tried to scrape the good stuff from underneath, but it had this weird, almost sweet smell that was totally off. He ended up having to toss the whole jar and start fresh from scratch. It was a real bummer. Have you ever tried saving one that far gone?

allen.aaron29d ago

But @diana_murphy, that weird smell might just be stressed yeast...