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sourdough starter rescue?

 
gardener
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Location: South of Capricorn
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So I haven't fed my starter in a while. Like maybe 2 months. It was in the fridge, I have brought it back from the dead before after similar neglect, but this time it doesn't seem to want to come back. I have been feeding it twice a day and leaving it out on the counter (it's winter here, house is probably around 70-75F down to 55). It smells perfect, when I cook the discard in pancakes it tastes right, and it is bubbling, but it is not RISING. I put the rubber band on and don't see any elevation. No biggie? Time to start a new starter? This one is at least 3 years old and has been a superstar, til I went away and it got all resentful.
(sourdough uses white flour. I keep it in a quart jar and do about half a cup of flour at a time, when it's hot it lives in the fridge and I keep it very thick; during these recovery efforts I'm adding more water than usual)
 
pollinator
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IF it is bubbling it is still working...  maybe split it next feeding.  One half feed and set aside until tomorrow and see how it is doing. Other half continue as you have been doing see if there is a difference.   I noticed last time I forgot mine it took longer to see a rise then normal.  I would feed, set aside and feet again the next day it slowly got more active and starting the big rises again.   Think of it like reactivating dried starter.
 
master steward
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Like Dorothy, I still have hope. There are well documented cases of starter being found in old miners’ cabins in Alaska  and coming to life after decades of neglect.  While I am sure those cases where they didn’t come back were less publicized, I still have hope.
 
Tereza Okava
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Thanks!! Yes, I figure these starters are pretty tough, I think this one is just being temperamental. I have a lot of things to make with the starter so I don't feel bad about feeding twice a day! We'll see how it goes.
 
Tereza Okava
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So.... it was a busy weekend. It's also been pretty chilly here. I fed it Friday night, and then forgot to feed it again. This morning (Monday) I woke up and it had finally doubled in size! My starter has apparently taken on some slug-like tendencies..... (prior to now it lived in the fridge, since it gets pretty hot here when it's not winter. It never took 3 days to rise, though, not even in the fridge!)
So, there's hope!
 
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