DEBRIS.COMgood for a laugh, or possibly an aneurysm

I’m not an expert, but I believe this is what contaminated sourdough starter looks like.

Ed Wood of Sourdoughs International is an expert, and he writes, “If there is a slightly unpleasant odor and if the layer of “hootch” is at the bottom or in the middle of the fermenting culture, it indicates that contamination has occurred.”

Then again, he also writes that contamination “sometimes, although rarely, occurs.” It’s happened to me both times I’ve used his cultures. Two out of two seems a lot more frequent than “rarely.”

I am struck by the similarity in composition between a contaminated sourdough culture and a septic tank. Both contain stews of fermenting bacteria. Both separate into three layers: solids on the bottom, liquid in the middle, and a scum layer on the top. Both smell kind of funky. They are different in color, though.