i can't help myself and almost every time i refresh i wash the glass jar i keep my starter in than i do mass murder and put boiling water inside than i mix my starter in other jar and once the first is cool enough for the sourdough family i place them in that sterilized jar (once i almost kill them all as i left 2 inches of boiling water in the jar and was about put it in there)
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Well, yes...you're doing the right thing. The jars have to be kept squeaky clean and you won't get any nasty mould problems. I just wash it very clean with tap water, then rinse with filtered water and let it stand to dry. Have never used boiling water.
I wash mine every 2 or 3 weeks.
i wonder if my washing got anything to do with sour milk smell
when my starter got nice and fruity i didn't wash jar at all for about two weeks than when i started washing it went back to sour milk smell after few days.
rye flower helped a bit but last few refreshes i went back to all white and it is going back to sour milk smell
Croc, as I've said before, the only time I get the fruity smell is with my rye starter, all my white starters have a somewhat sour milk smell.
If you want to get rid of the smell then when you refresh your starter only use about 1 Tablespoon of your original, this will also help to cut down on the amount of "Sour".
Oh, and keep your starter warm (20 - 27C), when they get cold they produce more acetic acid which will contribute to the sharp smell.
We usually manage to go for about two months before it really needs a good scrub and a wash!!
Mind you, we cannot overstate the importance of keeping the innards of the jar clean and hygenic.
It's just that if the starter gets a bit lively, we tend to find it's easier to live with the crud that blasts its way out of the top of the Kilner jar.
Hi Greenwich. Welcome to the forums.
It seems to me new starters usually go through the "fruity" smell as they develop to maturity and being a stable starter. I am sure someone knows the technical reason. I think a tangy sour smell is more usual for a mature white starter.
Teresa