Hi Anonymous, this is totally hilarious and definitely made my day! You may be raising a demon child of a sourdough starter, but it's scientifically documented that a good sense of humor offers protection from just such evil forces. Seriously though, the terrible odors you describe are actually not uncommon during the early days of sourdough starter development and aren't anything you need to worry about, as long as they go away and your starter begins to rise predictably. It's all part of the process as the starter gradually weeds out the unhelpful (and sometimes stinky) bacteria and builds a balanced ecosystem of wild yeast and friendly bacteria. If my reply came too late for this particular stinky starter and you've already thrown it out, you might want to consider an alternative starter process that helps discourage some of the stinkier bacteria, and also seems to help avoid a subsequent lull in rising activity. This method does require starting with a whole grain flour, but the initial quantities are very small and there's no discard for the first few days, so it's a flour saver as well! On the other hand, if your demon child has turned a corner and isn't smelling so bad, but isn't rising well, you could try this feeding routine:

1. Feed only once a day. 

2. Feed with whole grain flour, if available. If none is available, you can use AP flour. 

3. Feed with a ratio of 2:1:1 (starter:water:flour, by weight). Keep in mind that it's fine to maintain a smaller starter, so you could even do such small quantities as 30g starter : 15g water : 15g flour. Once this starter begins to rise predictably (twice), it's important to resume twice a day feedings; this will help keep the yeast active.

You'll also want to gradually transition back to AP flour and a ratio of ingredients that allows you to replenish the starter when it's at its peak of rising, or just beginning to fall. If you find your starter peaks after 6 hours, then you may want to slow down fermentation a bit by giving your starter a larger meal. This might look like a 1:2:2 ratio, or even 1:3:3. The goal is to find a feeding routine that is convenient for you, and allows you to replenish the starter when it's at its peak of rising. Letting the starter collapse significantly between feedings tends to lead to sluggish yeast behavior. 

I know this is a lot of information, so let me know if you have more questions! 

Barb

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