Working with a Sourdough Starter Cold Feeding - week two after a move

This is the second cold feeding after a move - the sourdough has been slightly neglected and the hooch has formed again. Sourdough Starter; What That Liquid Means Quick note about sourdough starter, because this question comes up often. When I take my starter out of the fridge after it hasn’t been fed for a few days, I often see a layer of liquid on top. It can be yellowish or greyish, and it may smell sharp, a bit like alcohol or nail polish remover. That liquid is called hooch, and it’s completely normal. It forms when the starter is hungry. Even in the fridge, fermentation doesn’t stop entirely. The yeast and bacteria use up their food, the mixture separates slightly, and alcohols and acids build up. That’s what causes the smell. What I’m watching for instead is mold. Mold looks fuzzy or spotty and can be blue, black, pink, or white with texture. A smooth liquid layer on top is not mold. My starter always rises after feeding, which tells me it’s healthy. I’ll either stir the hooch back in or pour it off, depending on how sour I want the bread, then feed it as usual. So if you see liquid on top of your starter, don’t panic. It just means it’s hungry. Feed it, give it time, and it will come right back. I will leave the starter out to see how she bubbles this evening and will start forming a loaf tomorrow. I'll keep these brief and only put them out when I make a basic sourdough or the sandwich style I figured out plus there are lots of variations... but I have a lot to blog, write and paint, so I'll keep them to my real world schedule, not daily. #sourdough #sourdoughstarter #sourdoughbaking