Is this okay or moldy? Sourdough starter question

This was modestly active starter that I put in the fridge last week since I slowed my baking routine. Took it out today, a week later, to feed and saw this. Is it mold or normal variant? It’s ap flour fed 1x per week in the fridge. Stored in a dedicated starter crock I got from KAF.

Update:
Looks like this died but in any case I re-fed and looks great. So I baked a loaf which turned out perfect. Now...should I eat it? Anyway thanks guys. enter image description here

sourdough starter

Best Answer

It sure looks weird - but with just a blurry photo we’re mostly in the guessing territory. In the other hand, sourdough can look strange after a while in the fridge.

Activity means that you have at least a good amount of active yeast and the vinegary smell indicates lactobacillae, both indicators of a good starter. In a stable sourdough, the combination of the two will keep mold at bay by outgrowing any unwelcome bacteria or fungi and by creating an inhospitable environment due to the acidity.

Whether a sourdough starter that has developed mold spots needs to be discarded is a widely discussed topic - some count on the desired microorganisms’ power to outcompete the mold, especially if the obviously moldy parts are scooped off, others assume that the mold may grow alongside them.

In short:
We can’t say whether your started had mold or just some hooch (the latter perfectly harmless) and so can only give you the general ideas and concepts to help you make an informed decision.

On a very personal note (and this is by no means a recommendation or statement about food safety!), I would interpret the pattern as hooch and the grey patches as the beginning discoloration that often happens with a starter that has been stored for a while in the fridge. I see no fuzziness and no “weird” discoloration apart from the brown-grey of dark dough. But on the other hand, creating a new starter takes only a short while. Hint: Many bakers have a “backup” of their favorite starter for cases like this.

Pictures about "Is this okay or moldy? Sourdough starter question"

Is this okay or moldy? Sourdough starter question - Teacher Asking a Question to the Class

Is this okay or moldy? Sourdough starter question - Crop black teacher talking with smart multiethnic boy and girl siting at desk with notepads

Is this okay or moldy? Sourdough starter question - Persons Left Hand Doing Thumbs Up

Quick Answer about "Is this okay or moldy? Sourdough starter question"

See the orange streak? This starter shouldn't be saved. However, if you see a pink or orange tint or streak, this is a sure sign that your sourdough starter has gone bad and should be discarded. The stiff starter above was left out at room temperature for two weeks.

Is mold on sourdough starter OK?

Using moldy sourdough starter is a recipe for disaster. If there's even a tiny bit of mold on your sourdough starter, you need to toss it. It cannot be saved and you should not use it. Consuming mold can cause many illnesses including respiratory illnesses.

How do you revive a moldy sourdough starter?

Take a small pot and mix a teaspoon of sourdough with roughly 30 grams of water and 30 grams of flour and cover. The following day, discard some of the starter leaving just a teaspoons worth in the pot and repeat the feedings.

Is my sourdough starter contaminated?

Here are some signs of contamination in a sourdough starter: Pink or orange tint or streak. Furry surface or dots of furry patches i.e. signs of mold. Blue/green moldy patches developing on the surface.