Sourdough not rising :(

Hi! This is my second attempt at a starter, the second or third day it was bubbly like crazy but now it’s barely rising, maybe a little above the rubber band line. I used whole wheat flour for the first feed then switched to bread flour. I have 240g starter and feed with 120g starter 60g flour and 60g water. My house is 75 degrees F, and the starter looks a little runny with lots of bubbles at the surface. Not really sure what to do. Any help is appreciated!! :slight_smile:

Ok I found some of what I think is mold on the walls of the jar, considering tossing the whole thing and starting again

A good method to follow…

Ok thanks! I’ll give it a shot and hopefully third times a charm

Btw it is common for starters to show an intial burst of energy in dats 1-3 and then go through a quiet period. If it wasn’t for the mould I would have advised for you to persevere. Trick is to keep warm and not overfeed at this stage. Hamelman keeps it very hydrated which should speed up the ferment and while he feeds it often each feed is not too much. Once it is ready rhen feeds can be increased.

Yeah it sucks about the mold but I hope next time works! Would it be easy to convert that liquid start to a stiff one you think? Thanks again

As easy as pie. Nothing too it but first get an active startet going. If using the same jar make sure yoy clean it and sterilise it to minimise the risk of contamination.