August 20, 2021 - 6:45am
Possibly mold?
Hi,
It's been a long time since I fed my starter. I am pretty sure this is just hooch but can someone tell me if they think it's mold? It's not fuzzy or slimy. Its very looses and can be scooped off easily and looks fine underneath. It's smells fine. I poured off maybe a a tablespoon of hooch before I took the photos. Thanks in advance!
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I saw your post yesterday, but thought it best to see if others with more experience would reply.
I have never experienced this, but if it was me I’d scrap off the top part with the black substance and refresh with the healthy looking portion below. I don’t think you have a serious problem, although the starter may need a few feedings to get it active and healthy once again.
Good Luck and sorry you had to wait a couple of days for an answer.
Let us know how things go.
Danny
I suppose it could be mold. I’ve read here that orange/pink mold is dangerous and that other colours are supposed to be fine. I think I would do as Dan suggested and remove as much of the black stuff as possible. Then with a clean spoon carefully remove some of the healthier looking starter from below and feed it in a new container.
I had mold once in my starter and it smelled really off.
If you are still very nervous about it, you could build a new starter or rebuild it from a backup like dried and frozen or even from discard.
Benny
Thanks for your reply! That sounds like a good plan. After it's been out of the refrigerator for a while it just poured off. When I checked it today i poured it off and I will scrape some off just for good measure. It's healthy underneath.