Sourdough starter smells like nail polish remover (acetone). Is it dead?

Question

I was trying to make my Grandma's old sourdough bread recipe, but my starter smells exactly like nail polish remover (acetone) today. I think I forgot to feed it for a few days bc work has been so crazy lately. Is it dead, or can I still save it? I really don't want to toss it since it is a family thing, so thx for any tips :)

Answer 1

Hello RusticKitchenMom.

Your sourdough starter is almost certainly not dead. That nail polish remover scent is actually acetone, which is a byproduct produced by hungry yeast and bacteria when they run out of food. Since you mentioned you forgot to feed it for a few days, the starter has simply consumed all its available sugars and entered a dormant or stressed state.

To revive it, you can follow these steps:

1. Scrape off any dark liquid or crust on top if present.
2. Take a small amount of the inner starter (about 1 tablespoon) and transfer it to a clean jar.
3. Feed it with fresh flour and water using a standard 1:1:1 ratio.
4. Keep it in a warm spot and discard and feed it daily until it becomes bubbly and active again.

With a little patience, it should bounce right back to life.

Answer 2

No, your starter is not ruined. That acetone smell happens when the yeast gets hungry after a few days without a feeding. Just pour off any liquid on top, take a spoonful of the thick part underneath, and feed it as usual with fresh flour and warm water. It usually perks right up after a couple of regular feedings. Back in my day we just kept things simple and they always turned out fine.

Answer 3

That acetone smell is just hungry yeast talking to you. Scraping the hooch and feeding it fresh flour will revive your grandmother's legacy.

Answer 4

Dont worry lah your starter not dead yet. That smell just mean it very hungry already cause you forget to feed for few days. Just take one spoon from inside throw away the rest add some flour and water mix properly then wait one day. Sometime need feed two times then can use back to bake bread like grandma style.