Hi Kim, it doesn't sound like any of your starters were worth abandoning. It's not at all uncommon for a starter to develop some liquid on top if it hasn't been fed recently, or to become more liquidy as it gets a little further along in the process. This is because as the starter becomes more acidic, the gluten begins to break down more visibly as the starter ferments. I would encourage you to be a bit more patient, as it sometimes takes longer for the wild yeast to kick in than our recipe suggests. A typical feeding for our starter is: 1/2 cup (113g) starter + 1/2 cup (113g) water + 1 scant cup (113g) unbleached all-purpose flour. At the stage where you are now you should be feeding twice a day, about 12 hours apart. Note that the ratio of ingredients in our starter is equal parts by weight. If you happened to be measuring equal parts by volume (cups), this can result in a starter that is much more liquidy in consistency and won't be able to show the same type of rising behavior we indicate in our recipe. If you're using our recipe and quantities it's easiest to see the type of doubling behavior we describe if you store your starter in a clear wide mouth quart-sized canning jar that is taller than it is wide. 

• Reply