Hi Dennis, I apologize for the delay in responding to your question! I hope by now things have improved and your starter is rising well, but I'm a bit concerned that you let it sit out at room temperature for 4 days without any feedings. Especially for a starter that is still in the creation process, this is likely to leave it very vulnerable to spoiling. While the crusty top may have protected the starter below, I would be careful to feed your starter at least once a day, and when it begins rising, step this up to twice a day. I'd also recommend covering your starter container securely with plastic wrap or even a lid. The reason we say to "cover loosely" isn't because the starter needs airflow in order to ferment properly, but because fermentation gases can build up in a tightly lidded container and cause the lid to pop off. As long as your container has sufficient head room and you open the jar now and then to vent the gases, it's fine to put the lid on to protect the starter from drying out. It may also be helpful for you to consider the ratio of ingredients in your starter. It sounds like the percentage of starter to fresh flour and water you're feeding it is fairly heavy on the starter component. This tends to increase the acidity of the starter, which can be helpful when it comes to getting the wild yeast to kick in. But once the starter begins to rise consistently then it's important to feed more regularly and consistently. If you're not routinely discarding and keeping the ratio of ingredients fairly constant, your starter will end up becoming dominated by sourdough waste and won't be able to perform well. Here's our sourdough starter recipe, and also a blog about creating a grape starter, to give you a little more guidance along the way. I hope this helps! Let us know how it goes. 

Barb

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