Is my sourdough starter done?

Question

It's about 4 days old so far. It smells rather strongly of sourdough, but I still don't know if it's done yet. Every once in a while, there are 'frothy bubbles' but not enough that I would consider it froth...although I stir it...maybe if I didn't, it would look more frothy? lol.
One website says that when it's done, it may be puffy, which mine certainly isn't...there is often a light brown liquid on the top...but not what I would consider the dark brown of what I have heard hooch described as. But it smells sour! Ahhhhh! 
I'm confused. Is my starter done starting? :)

Dave C · Accepted Answer

It sounds like your starter needs to be feed.  Have you added any flour and water to to your starter lately?  

The liquid does sound like "hooch"... you can pour it off or mix it back in when you feed your starter.

Dances with Buddha · Answer

The rule of thumb I learned is when you get a couple inches of "frothy/bubbly" dough/batter within two to three hours of feeding, it is ready for use. 

I keep my starter in a one quart mason (canning) jar (glass). 
This makes it easy to see how much frothy batter gets generated after feeding.

If you're not getting that much froth that soon after feeding, I would just keep feeding it once every 24 hours, stirring back in any separate liquid that forms. 
Obviously, the amount of batter is going to increase, so you'll need to transfer some to a second container, or just discard the excess.

As long as you are getting some froth, that's a sign your yeast/bacteria has not completely died.
If you don't get the roughly two inches of froth after a week, I'd say your yeast/bacteria colony is just not viable.

Namaste',
dwb

dadnbob · Answer

If it's your first making of the starter it still needs to sit more.  Mine gets that funny colored liquid on top....I just stir it back in.  My starter is now just over a year old.

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Is my sourdough starter done?

3 Answers