A couple of questions: 1. I had a starter that got quite alcohol-y smelling after a long time without feeding in the refrigerator. I got rid of it eventually. Is that a normal occurrence with sourdoughs? 2. I have a multigrain loaf recipe that calls for 'rye sour'. What's a rye sour? Your starter was fine, it was probably just hungry. The starter is dead when it turns red, orange or pink. As for rye sour, it's a flavoring that we sell (item#2673 $4.50)that gives rye bread a strong rye flavor. It's delicious! "Rye sour" is also a sourdough starter based on rye, rather than white or whole wheat flours. It's often used in sourdoough pumpernickel and rye breads. -PJH

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