Steve W > wrote in
:

> * Ivan McDonagh > 2003-10-27:
>> Hi people

<SNIP>

>
> Hard to guess what might have happened without more details on how you
> have recently handled your starter. Personally I don't eat anything
> that smells bad. Fresh healthy sourdough culture smells wonderful!
>

Thanks Steve and Bert.

Love Bert's idea - all I need is a mother-in-law *grins*

Steve,

The starter is a home-grown one started and fed on the cheapest flour I
could find. Just recently, being as how I've decided to start making
bread on a regular basis rather than just playing, I got some "bakers
flour" from the supermarket and now use that instead of the super cheap
*ahem* rubbish.

Feeding regime is basically empty the whole lot into a mixing bowl to
use for bread and then add 50g flour and 50g water to whatever is left
in the starter container - there's usually a reasonable amount. Because
I'm baking every day now I just leave the starter in the open - the
weather isn't terribly hot (day time max about 25C) and it tends to be
suitably frothy and wonderful by the time I get around to using it
approx. 24hrs later.

I agree with you comments - my starter *did* smell wonderful ... if ever
I started to think life wasn't so good, I took a good sniff and
magically gained a sense of perspective

Thanks for the feedback.

Ivan.