Sourdough starter from whole grain

I kept a standard sourdough starter for years, feeding it white flour regularly. But it turned pink and went foul when I was away from home, so I threw it out. A couple days ago I tried establishing a new starter using freshly ground, whole hard red winter wheat. I was shocked to see that it was incredibly active after just one day. I expected I would need a couple weeks to establish something strong enough to use in bread. But this starter looked ready after just 36 hours. Unfortunately, it smells terrible ---- really putrid. I guess it's full of bacteria that are producing the bubbles (and stink) and there are not enough yeast. I suppose I'll try again with the fresh grind, but presumably I'll get the same result. Has anyone had better success establishing a starter on freshly ground flour? Why shouldn't this work?

I’d suggest you keep feeding it and see if the odor sweetens over a week or two. I always start a new one with whole grains and I get it to work.

Great news Jake: you succeeded! It rose so fast because whole grains have lots of yeast on them. Yes, the strange aromas are due to other bacteria also present. So you have two options:

1. Keep feeding it, like Master Christopher suggests. Only I would use a small amount with lots of added flour,  like 1:3 yeasty starter to new mixture. This will allow the yeast to overtake the bacteria. And I would do it during the day so you can re-feed it just as soon as it gets bubbly, this will also keep the yeast ahead of that strange bacteria.

2. Start over again only during the day so you can feed it as soon as it bubbles. My most active starters are from whole rice grains. If I leave them overnight the bacteria overtakes the yeast entirely. If really want to keep that yeast happy, set your alarm and re-feed it in the night ;-)

Of course, for sourdough, you want a bit of bacteria for that sour, but you'll get good bacteria in there without trying to, just from your hands and such.

Personally, I prefer the wild yeast flavor over the sour bacteria flavor-- in the French "levain" tradition--so I feed my starters often to keep the yeast well ahead. But inevitably the sour creeps in.

Nathanael Szobody wrote:Great news Jake: you succeeded! It rose so fast because whole grains have lots of yeast on them. Yes, the strange aromas are due to other bacteria also present. So you have two options:

1. Keep feeding it, like Master Christopher suggests. Only I would use a small amount with lots of added flour,  like 1:3 yeasty starter to new mixture. This will allow the yeast to overtake the bacteria. And I would do it during the day so you can re-feed it just as soon as it gets bubbly, this will also keep the yeast ahead of that strange bacteria.

2. Start over again only during the day so you can feed it as soon as it bubbles. My most active starters are from whole rice grains. If I leave them overnight the bacteria overtakes the yeast entirely. If really want to keep that yeast happy, set your alarm and re-feed it in the night ;-)

Of course, for sourdough, you want a bit of bacteria for that sour, but you'll get good bacteria in there without trying to, just from your hands and such.

Personally, I prefer the wild yeast flavor over the sour bacteria flavor-- in the French "levain" tradition--so I feed my starters often to keep the yeast well ahead. But inevitably the sour creeps in.

Thank you! I think I'll try both options. I've got a holiday weekend coming up where I can feed multiple times a day, if necessary. Fingers crossed!

Nathanael and Christopher, thanks very much for the tip. You were correct. After a few days of regular feeding, the starter smell turned yeasty. Making the first loaf now...

For those of us who struggle with daily monitoring and feeding requirements, keeping your starter in the fridge is a game changer. I've been doing this for years now and it can go for a week or more with no attention and not get nasty. I tend to bake once or twice a week on average and if I feed it every second or third day that works well. To feed, I use organic whole wheat, milled myself, and some rye flour in about a 3:1 ratio.