My sourdough starter went bad after 2 years and I'm still not sure why

I had a starter I fed every week since 2022, no issues. Then last Tuesday it just... died. No bubbles, smelled like nail polish remover, the whole thing. I pitched it and started a new one from scratch, but a buddy says I could have saved it with a big whole wheat feeding. Did I jump the gun by tossing it, or was that the right call? What would you guys have done?

2 comments

2 Comments

spencer_perry7726d ago

I've noticed this pattern with a lot of hobbies honestly. People tend to treat stuff like it's either totally fine or totally dead with nothing in between. Your starter was probably just stressed from a change in temperature or the flour you used, not actually done for. Same thing happens with my truck sometimes - it'll sputter and act like it's dying, but a good run on the highway clears out the carbon and it's fine. A big feeding of whole wheat was probably all it needed, would've woken it right back up. You jumped the gun but it happens, now you know for next time.

piper_flores6926d ago

My friend Ray actually did the same thing with his sourdough last winter. He thought it was dead after it went all watery and smelled kinda like nail polish remover, so he just dumped it down the sink. Turned out his kitchen was just too cold and it needed a warmer spot near the radiator for a couple days.