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I finally asked my neighbor why her sourdough starter always looks perfect
She was on her porch in Cincinnati last Tuesday and said, 'I keep it in a mason jar with a loose lid, and I feed it exactly 50 grams of flour and 50 grams of water every morning at 7, no matter what.' It made me realize my own 'whenever I remember' schedule is probably why mine smells like nail polish remover half the time. What's the most specific tip that saved your starter?
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oscarwilliams2mo ago
Smells like nail polish remover" means you're starving it, right?
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tara3451mo ago
Hit the nail on the head. That nail polish remover smell is basically your starter screaming "feed me" in the most dramatic way possible. When they're hungry they start producing acetone instead of that nice fruity alcohol smell. It's like their metabolism goes into panic mode and starts breaking down everything for energy. I used to let mine go way too long between feedings and it would reek so bad my roommate thought I was doing my nails in the kitchen. Now I feed it every 12 hours like clockwork and it's a totally different beast - smells like fresh bread and yogurt instead of a chemical spill.
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val_craig372mo ago
That acetone smell is basically my starter's cry for help. My feeding schedule is so bad it probably has trust issues. Guess I should try setting an alarm.
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