My sourdough starter went completely flat overnight

I've had the same rye starter for about three years, and it's always been reliable. Yesterday morning it was bubbly and ready, but this morning it was just a sad, gray puddle. I think my kitchen got too cold because I left a window open. I tried feeding it again with warm water, but no luck after six hours. Has anyone brought a starter back from something like this, or is it time to start over?

3 comments

3 Comments

wright.jesse2mo ago

Nah, that starter is definitely done for. A three year old rye turning gray and flat overnight sounds like it went bad, maybe some weird bacteria got in there. Cold might slow it down but it wouldn't just kill it like that, something else is wrong. I'd just toss it and make a new one, trying to save it seems like a waste of flour.

elizabeth_jackson2mo ago

Yeah, that gray color is a bad sign for sure. It reminds me of when my last starter got a pink streak, @wright.jesse, and I tried to save it for a week. It just made my whole kitchen smell like old gym socks. Sometimes you just have to let it go.

blake_cooper9d agoMost Upvoted

That "gray color is a bad sign" thing is spot on. My buddy had a similar problem with his starter and it turned out some mold had gotten in from a dirty jar lid. He tried feeding it for three days and it just got worse, so he finally gave up and started fresh.