Warning: My sourdough starter went from bubbly to dead in 3 days flat

I've been feeding my starter for about 6 months with no issues, but after I left it on the counter during a heatwave last week, it just collapsed. The bubbles stopped, it turned grayish, and started smelling like acetone instead of that nice tangy smell. I think the temperature swing (went from 72 to 92 degrees in my kitchen) just killed the yeast colony overnight. Has anyone else lost a starter from sudden heat, or was this a fluke on my part?

2 comments

2 Comments

jason_fisher410d ago

Wait, your starter actually turned gray from the heat?

the_robin9d ago

Oh yeah @jason_fisher4 it's actually more of a weird chemical reaction than straight heat.