Spent 3 days fighting a dry starter that just needed warmer tap water (like 80F instead of 68F)

After 72 hours of feeding, discarding, and staring at a barely bubbling jar, I finally realized my kitchen counter was too cold and moving it near the water heater fixed it in one feed - has anyone else spent way too long on a fix that simple?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_wade9d ago

Oh man, I feel this in my soul (and my neglected starter that I've been nursing for a week). I was doing the same dance, kitchen counter was a solid 68F and I was getting maybe one sad little bubble a day. I finally moved it to the top of my fridge where it's warmer, and it went from barely alive to doubling in like six hours. It's amazing how such a small thing makes such a big difference, but also frustrating when you're just sitting there wondering why nothing's working.

samk779d ago

Yeah, the 'one sad little bubble a day' line hit me hard. I had a starter that was basically just wet flour for two weeks straight. I tried the fridge trick too, but my fridge must run cold because it just made things worse. I ended up sticking the jar in the microwave with the door cracked and a mug of hot water next to it like some kind of sourdough incubator. Felt like a complete idiot, but that thing doubled in four hours. Goes to show you'll try anything when you're desperate for a rise.

aaronsullivan9d ago

You tried keeping a starter on a counter that's only 68F? That's barely above room temp, man. Most people don't realize starters need it closer to 75F or they just sit there.