My Starter Doesn't Rise
Hi! I need your help as I'm very new to sourdough starters. This is my first time making sourdough starter.
So I started making a sourdough starter with AP flour on July 10th. I made it with 1 tbsp of AP flour and 1 tbsp of water.
On the second day, it started to bubble and rise and it was doing great! I started to feed it twice a day every 12 hours from day 4. But around day 5 or 6 until now (July 22nd) my sourdough starter didn't show any significant rise or progress.
I followed a recipe online so at first, I didn't discard any of my starter. On July 17th (8th day) I discarded my starter and kept 100 gr of it. I fed it 100 gr of AP flour and 100 gr of water following the 1:1:1 ratio. It rise only a little bit.
The next day until now I decided to only keep 40 gr and feed it only once every 24 hours since I read on the internet that it's better to feed it less frequently. It bubbles a bit, but never much and it never shows any signs of rising. It smells okay though so I think that the condition is fine.
From July 20th until now, I tried feeding my starter with rye flour, but I give it more water since the consistency seems to be too thick (paste consistency). The first time I fed it with AP flour, there was condensation on the jar walls, but the second time I fed it with rye flour yesterday, I didn't see any condensation. It also smells like rye flour (not sour) but I have never used rye flour before so I don't know how it's supposed to smell.
It showed some signs of bubbling, but not much. I also tried to stir it two times between feedings (only started doing that yesterday).
Should I change back to AP flour, half-half AP and rye flour? Any ideas on what should I do?
Things to note: from the 4th day, the temperature in my place was cold (around 17-21°C) and I brought it travelling with me two times. Now the temperature is warmer (around 22-27°C). Could that be the problem?
The first time I fed it with rye flour, there was condensation but the second time I didn't see any condensation.
Try to make the consistency not too thick but also not too runny. Ideally, it should be like thick sour cream. You can keep adding a little more water when using rye flour to get it just right.
This is a totally normal progression for a new starter. The exact timeline can vary from one time to another. If it's not showing signs of change or progress, feeding it is probably not the thing to do. Just stir it a couple of times per day.
The early bubbling is likely caused by some bacteria that you don't want. They will make the mix more acidic, and some other kinds of bacteria will grow better in the more acidic environment. They may not fizz. They in turn will make the mix more acidic and another kind of bacteria will be favored. The acidification and the changing of favored organisms will continue until it gets acidic enough to wake up the dormant yeast spores. You might get more or less fizzing and even a little rising action but they will be byproducts of those other bacteria.
By feeding too often, you can dilute the acidity and this could prevent it from getting low enough to kick off the yeast. But if there is a lot of microbial activity you will probably need to feed it to replace the starches and sugars that get used up.
Exact details of temperatures, etc., are not usually important because the process will work over a wide range of temperatures and concentrations.
TomP
Unfortunately my sourdough has mold and I had to throw all of it today :")
Planning on making a new one! Should I make it with 50% AP Flour and 50% Rye?
Also the last time I added rye flour, I mixed it well but after around 12 hours, I checked and there was a very thin puddle on top of the sourdough. If I tilt the jar a bit, I can see the water on top of the starter. I've never experienced it with AP Flour before but it might be because my AP Flour starter was more liquid than the rye flour starter.
is it normal or should I just use AP Flour?
Leave it thick until it thins out - then add more flour to thicken again - repeat. Then wait. Eventually it'll be a starter - expect a few weeks. Enjoy!