Hi Laura, when it comes to your older starter, I would encourage you to be careful to try to feed it twice daily when you have it out at room temperature. Leaving it out at room temperature without feeding it for an extended time (a couple of days) is generally not a good idea, and sticking it back in the fridge will help to keep it safe. While I'm not sure the "slightly pink" hue you've noticed in the hooch is a sign that it's gone bad, it definitely warrants a few days of twice daily feedings at room temperature to ensure that it returns to a healthy condition where it's able to double within 6-8 hours, has a pleasant aroma, and shows no more signs of pink coloring. The same goes for your newer starter, with the caveat that starters in the creation phase are definitely more vulnerable to outside invaders and may have succumbed. On the other hand, if you're just seeing a slight pink tint in the hooch, you might want to give it a few more days of twice daily feedings and see if the pink disappears and the starter begins to rise consistently.
December 1, 2023 at 2:31pm
In reply to I’ve had my starter for a 3… by Laura T (not verified)
Hi Laura, when it comes to your older starter, I would encourage you to be careful to try to feed it twice daily when you have it out at room temperature. Leaving it out at room temperature without feeding it for an extended time (a couple of days) is generally not a good idea, and sticking it back in the fridge will help to keep it safe. While I'm not sure the "slightly pink" hue you've noticed in the hooch is a sign that it's gone bad, it definitely warrants a few days of twice daily feedings at room temperature to ensure that it returns to a healthy condition where it's able to double within 6-8 hours, has a pleasant aroma, and shows no more signs of pink coloring. The same goes for your newer starter, with the caveat that starters in the creation phase are definitely more vulnerable to outside invaders and may have succumbed. On the other hand, if you're just seeing a slight pink tint in the hooch, you might want to give it a few more days of twice daily feedings and see if the pink disappears and the starter begins to rise consistently.