Hi Barbara, I recently acquired a starter from a friend. I waited 7 days before feeding it, since my friend fed it regularly before. When I got to feeding it myself, it did have liquid on the top (which I'm relieved to read is normal). BUT I somehow totally misread the feeding proportion---yes, I am embarrassed to say I misread the 100%, foolproof hydration. I used a tablespoon of starter with 100 gs of water and 50 gs of all-purpose white and 50 gs of all purpose wheat. The next day it formed a solid crust on top, with a huge air gap and then the bubbly and beautiful stuff. I mixed the bubbly sourdough and fed it correctly today. It seems strong, but alright. Is the hard crust a sign that I killed it? Was my revival full of bad bacteria?

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