Hi Phoebe, this kind of early rising behavior is likely evidence of a type of bacteria that gives off carbon dioxide, rather than the wild yeast. This is a fairly common occurrence, and certainly doesn't mean your starter is unredeemable. Unfortunately, the presence of this type of bacteria also seems linked to a subsequent delay in the yeast becoming active, which can go on for several days, or even weeks in some cases. Since you are still so early on in the process, you might want to consider starting over with a different feeding routine that is meant to avoid this type of bacteria from the get go. This method was developed by microbiologist and sourdough baker, Debra Wink, who found that lowering the pH of the starter environment initially helps discourage this type of bacteria, and will help pave the way for a more timely emergence of the wild yeast. 

If you decide to follow Wink's method initially, once your starter is rising predictably you may want to gradually shift into feeding with AP flour over the course of several feedings, and come back around to our sourdough starter routine. 

While it's true that patience almost always wins when it comes to creating a sourdough starter, and eventually your starter will figure things out and begin to rise predictably, I think switching to Wink's method may save you a lot of flour and frustration. 

I hope this helps! Let us know how it goes. 

Barb

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