I made my starter using grapes, and wow, was it great. It rose, it fell, it had a wonderful, wine-like smell, and in general, acted like a starter should.
And then I went on vacation for two weeks.
I took out my starter yesterday (from the fridge), and it still smelt great, but I've fed it three times now and nothing has happened.
Is it dead? If not, should I be more patient or am I missing something here? (And before you ask, yes, it is no longer living in the fridge)
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Mebbe you need to give it more time? Sometimes when they're cold and we ask them to do too much they get overwhelmed and seem to go dormant.
Look at your culture like it was the remnants of a fire in a fireplace, and there are a few good coals left. It's morning, and you want to get a fire going. It's probably a bad idea to throw a few big pieces of wood on there and expect it to burst into flame. A few shavings first, and then a few more, and then some kindling, and so on.
But my guess is that your sour will still take off, it'll just take longer. Keep it a little warm, i.e., not in the fridge, but not next to the stove, either. Keep it covered to discourage molds from settling on it.
And if that doesn't work start over. Others may have better suggestions!
Good luck,
Muff
Hi Ihawley It may help if you could give us some more details. There are so many different starter recipes on the web. So unless you used a recipe from this site, we really don't know enough to be able to accurately help you. Please give us more information about your starter.
What is your procedure for feeding your starter?
How much starter do you retain when you refresh your starter?
How much flour(and what type(s), and water do you add to feed your starter?
How long are you leaving your starter at room temperature once you feed it?
Are you leaving it unattended on the counter while you are off at work or gone? It could be rising and falling while you are gone.
Do you allow it to breathe? I.E. a loose fitting lid or cover?
Anything else you could tell us... Climate conditions at home etc...
Homework for you to read and learn more about the type of starter you are creating....Dom's excellent starter experiment found here: http://sourdough.com/forum/topic/54 One of the starters Dom used is a grape based starter.
But Please!!!!don't throw out your starter yet :)
Terri