When It Goes Pink or Smells Wrong
Okay. This is the lesson where I tell you what to do when your jar scares you.
And it will, at some point. Every single person who's ever kept a starter alive has had a day where they lifted that lid, looked in, and thought "oh no." That includes me. Especially me. My first starter ever went pink around day five and I about cried. So let's get ahead of it.
Smells that are fine
Your starter is going to smell like things. That's the whole point, it's alive and it's doing chemistry in a jar on your counter. Here's what's normal:
- Tangy, like yogurt or vinegar. That's the acid building up. Good sign.
- Beer-ish, or like bread dough. Also good. That's yeast activity.
- Nail polish remover, sharp and a little unpleasant. This one throws people. It's called acetone smell and it usually shows up when the starter's hungry, meaning you waited too long between feedings. It's not dangerous, it just means feed it now and it'll bounce back in a feeding or two.
- Faintly like a gym sock, mild version. Some starters go through a rough patch in the first two weeks where they smell a little off in a "hm, that's weird" way but not a "get it away from me" way. That's usually just the wild yeast and bacteria sorting out who's in charge. It settles down.
Basically, anything sour, yeasty, or sharp is your starter working. Trust your nose more than the internet's descriptions, because everybody's starter smells a little different depending on your flour and your water and honestly your kitchen.
Smells that are not fine
- Rotten, like actual garbage or death. Not subtle. You'll know.
- Anything that smells like nail polish AND looks slimy or has liquid pooling with a gray or dark tint. A little clear or grayish liquid on top (that's called hooch) is normal and just means it's hungry, you can pour it off or stir it in, your call. But if that liquid looks colored or the whole thing looks slick and stringy, that's different.
What pink, orange, or fuzzy means
This is the one that scares people the most and it should. If you see:
- Pink or orange streaks or spots, anywhere in the jar
- Fuzzy mold, any color, on the surface
- Black or green spots
Throw the whole thing out. Not "scoop around it." Not "just stir it in, it's probably fine." The whole jar, into the trash, wash the jar with hot soapy water, and start over.
I know that's a hard thing to hear after you've been feeding something for a week or two and you've started to feel attached to it. I get attached to mine too, we named ours the Sponge because Richard wouldn't stop calling it that. But pink specifically is a type of bacteria that has no business in your food, and it's not worth the gamble to find out how sick it'll make you.
Here's my actual story on this, because I lived it. My first starter ever went pink around day five. I'd been so careful, weighed everything, fed it on schedule, and there it was, this rosy little streak along the side of the jar. I about cried. Felt like I'd killed something, which, I guess I had. But I looked it up, confirmed what I was seeing, and pitched the whole batch. Second try, I kept the jar in the oven with the light on for a little extra warmth and consistency, and that one took. Oh man, the relief when it finally started doubling. So don't take a pink starter as a sign you're bad at this. Take it as a sign to wash the jar and go again.
Why it happens
Usually it's one of a few things: the jar wasn't clean enough to start, the kitchen's too warm or too humid and something else got a foothold before your yeast could establish itself, or you went too long between feedings and let something opportunistic move in. It's not really about you doing something wrong so much as it's a numbers game in the first couple weeks. Wild yeast and bacteria are duking it out for territory and sometimes the wrong team wins early.
A caution while we're here
If you're ever unsure whether to toss it, toss it. I'd genuinely rather you waste two cups of flour and start over than eat something that made you sick to prove a point. This isn't the place to be a hero.
My actual opinion on all this
I think discard gets thrown away too fast once people are past this stage, pancakes, crackers, whatever, use it up instead of pitching it. But a starter that's gone bad, that's not discard, that's contamination, and that's the one time I'll tell you don't get creative, don't try to save it. Different situation entirely.
Before next time
Check your jar today. If it smells sharp and tangy and looks bubbly, you're fine, keep going. If you see any pink, orange, or fuzz, dump it, wash the jar with hot water, and we'll start a fresh one together next lesson.