Bubbles but not rising

Hey guys! I’m new here! My starter is 18 days old. I’ve tried the “reset”. I’m using bottled water and unbleached AP flour. I’m having tons of bubbles but can’t seem to get a rise. I’m in south Louisiana. I keep Sally in the oven with the light on (I’ve tried various different warm places to keep her). Any tips or do i just need to be more patient and wait a little longer?

Have you checked the temperature of your oven when the light is on? Sometimes it’s too hot. Mid to high 70s is ideal. It’s probably fine to have it on the counter. That way you can keep an eye on it more easily also. You can even make starter in the 50’s if you wait several days between feedings :slight_smile:

I would start by thickening it a little, just in case your bubbles are popping through. Here are some next steps:

First thing I think when I hear lots of bubbles but no rise is that the starter might be too (or way too) thin - i.e. the hydration is too high (too much water, not enough flour). Starter needs to be on the thick side to rise.

Not talking about playdough thick but it needs to be a lot thicker than, say, pancake batter which is what I see a lot of people producing when they first try to create a starter.

Here’s the rule of thumb: if it’s thin enough to pour, it’s probably too thin to rise.

The solution if it’s too thin is just to stir in more flour until it won’t pour if you tilt the jar.