Dennis, your sourdough starter can go through a period of smelling a little "off" in the first week. This is normal. We used to say this stage smelled like a teenaged boy's gym shoes. This is because the friendly bacteria and wild yeast have not quite fully matured and come into balance. I suspect if you continued to feed your starter its odor would have improved. I don't think there is anything about the temperature of your home or your method that would cause your sourdough starter to be doomed, so it might be worth another try. As long as your starter is not tinged with red, orange or pink (which are signs of mold), you can continue to feed until the starter doesn't smell funky and is active and bubbly. At that point, you're ready to bake! Barb@KAF

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