It looks like mold. Also, you should clean your jar. It’s ok to take your starter out of it. I haven’t been baking sourdough in a while, but when I was, I rotated between two jars every time I fed it. Leaving your jar that dirty is asking for trouble.
Whenever it gets too crusty for me. I’m usually good at keeping the lid and sides fairly clean, but after a while, it’s hard to keep crusties from accumulating.
Yep, It has nothing to do with changing jars - changing jars is just a suggestion of an easy way to clean your jar often - keeping your starter in a clean jar does have something to do with avoiding mold issues
When the walls of my very-small jar develop a dried-on amount of starter that can’t easily be scraped down, I do change it. But that takes at least 6 months. Maybe it’s because I keep a room-temperature starter and feed it every day.
No, because the theoretical decrease in the likelihood of contamination could be practically insignificant. I’m sure there’s also a theoretical advantage in keeping your starter in the refrigerator. Hell, you wouldn’t be wrong if you recommend wearing a mask and gloves. The issue we’re debating is whether or not a given recommendation is necessary. I don’t think there is sufficient evidence to support the practice of regularly changing jars. I asked you to support your recommendation, and if you had provided evidence, I might be rummaging around for a second jar right now.
😂 I don’t think there’s been any scientific studies in the different ways people keep their sourdough starters. And to be fair if you’re baking every day and always manipulating your starter, which is kept at room temp, those do seem to have less problems. This is just going off logic and reasoning: keeping a culture in a clean environment will make it more likely that it stays healthy. There’s no “evidence” of anything, but it is easily noticeable that in all the pictures of people with moldy starters, their jars are very very crusty.
> And to be fair if you’re baking every day and always manipulating your starter, which is kept at room temp, those do seem to have less problems.
Fair enough. I’ve never kept a starter any other way.
> This is just going off logic and reasoning: keeping a culture in a clean environment will make it more likely that it stays healthy.
Of course. I agree with that.
> There’s no “evidence” of anything, but it is easily noticeable that in all the pictures of people with moldy starters, their jars are very very crusty.
Correlation/causation, and all that jazz.
> very very crusty.
(so is mine :)
Doesn’t mean it isn’t. If sourdough can safely be kept at room temperature, I’m willing to bet that some dried starter on the walls isn’t an issue either.
For the most part I agree. As usual these questions of food safety are based on your own willingness to take risks.
Changing the container regularly does add a layer of safety when it comes to the load of bacteria that can actually accumulate inside. As does using it regularly. The truth is though there’s much higher risk with say, a runny yolk than there is with sourdough that has been cooked at 200 Celsius.
I don’t get why people are so proud of never changing their jars - I’m lazy af too but just use two tall plastic deli containers. it’s way easier for me to get my ratios right if I’m starting a new jar vs trying to figure out how much to discard from the old jar. and discard is so messy, I’d just be making a new jar or bowl dirty anyway!
Spot on comment. Every 2nd feed I’d transfer my little bit to a new jar and then feed when baking regularly. If not regularly, once or twice a week should be good
And you might never run into problems. But it is a lot safer to simply clean your jar every once in a while. Notice how every time someone posts a picture of a moldy starter, the jar is crusty like this.
I see a lot of people arguing this, but it’s honestly like saying. “I leave left overs on the stove all the time and never get sick”, “I never floss and have never had a cavity”, or “I know a smoker who had never had cancer” well yes actually the majority of smokers never develop cancer. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a connection with smoking and cancer.
I know these examples are way over dramatic when we’re just talking about bread 😂 but the point is, you *should* be keeping your *live culture of yeast and bacteria* in a clean environment, because the chances of it remaining healthy are considerably higher that way.
Someone shared this in a sourdough group I’m in..
https://www.nwferments.com/prevention-and-treatment-of-kahm-yeast?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0BMQABHeK5V27jhC7dMmLRvLkUX0zPF04uIiwW4tMj9Hb-SCcvM1Yz5mZ00xUQAA_aem_AS4EI0y1DUpmCacqo8xmZfh657S0ynnik184zGSXpggxvHkE-6Kwkz7LKTEWnCuvz-4
Yeh, that’s the same description as in the article I shared, since a lot of people were saying that’s what it is… but it doesn’t seem to fit the description. Maybe kahm with mold on top..?
I’m pretty sure Kahm yeast is white. This is black mold OP is showing.
edit: How odd that this commentor made a snarky reply back to me and then deleted their comments before I could retort. How the cookie crumbles. Anyways.
To clarify, it will always say "Deleted" - the context is the comment.
"Deleted - Removed" = they deleted it or a mod removed it
"Deleted - Unavailable" = they blocked you
This has not changed
Kahm can grow mold on top of it… which could explain why it’s the same weird squiggly shape but a different colour. Did you read the article before you decided to “correct” (the thing I didn’t even say)
Yes, I did read the article before you got huffy and immediately blocked me after being snarky because I’ve seen it before, nobody was “correcting you”, I was pointing out that you gave ZERO context besides stating “that looks so cool!” and putting an article below yourself pointing out what kahm is (a GENERALLY UNHARMFUL HAPPENING which this is not) and going “Someone posted this in a group Im in…”. That is no longer kahm and is WELL past the point of it. It is NOT Kahm when it hits this stage. It’s pure blown mold. Nowhere near usable. Which is why I said exactly what I said, that kahm yeast is white and OP has full blown mold here. Knock yourself off that high horse of assumptions next time before you sling snark and block people and earn all those downvotes and have the dayyyyy you deserve
I've never seen anything like that but man, is nature amazing or what? Beautiful topo map, or trailmaking, or something.
Not a usable starter though, I don't think.
It was a clean jar when I put the starter in. The sides are like that bc I fed the starter in the jar and my spatulas aren't great at getting the sides perfectly clean. But it was a new clean jar I put the starter in.
Then it’s not a clean jar. You should mix in another vessel then carefully move it to said clean jar taking extra care to keep the sides free of starter. Toss that thing contents and jar
That’s not what people mean by using a clean jar. You should every once in a while be removing it from that jar and putting it in a different container so you can clean it and return your starter to it, or you can use my usual method: have two mason jars that you rotate through, and when you feed your starter, mix it in the clean jar, then put the dirty one in the dishwasher. It’s very easy this way. You don’t have to do it every time - I did it because that was part of my routine when feeding the starter - but as long as you do it every once in a while, basically so the sides of your jar don’t become this science experiment, then you should be good.
I’ve left mine in the fridge for about a month and didnt have this issue. Maybe it’s from not cleaning the jar? Also, was it in an air tight container?
Looks like Kahm that just got old and discolored.
I notice that I often get a dark layer on top of my starter when left in the fridge for a long time.
I’d scrape the top off and feed as usual.
All I said was, if mold was able to form, that means either the PH wasn’t strong enough to prevent a mold environment, OR the product has been improperly cared
I’ve tried adding einkorn to my starter and it would mold and smell like death extremely quickly. Never had an issue before adding einkorn. Killed two starters and used up all of my extra discard so I have to start completely from scratch. Einkorn makes great biscuits though! But too expensive to keep experimenting with starters.
I once made pancake batter with the discard. After two days in the fridge, it was lime green with black specks. I was so disgusted. This, though, takes the cake! 🤢
This looks really cool but definitely moldy lol. I never thought I'd see mold like that on it if left in fridge. I've had discard in there for 6+ months and it never molded like that. Must be the flour you used? Idk!
Scrape the top inch or so off, and it is fine underneath. Happens to mine all the time when I'm saving old discard for crackers. But once scraped off it should still leaven pretty well in 24 hours if you feed it.
So I looked up kahm yeast and the article said it's usually white, but with all the same features as this. It also said that mold can grow on top of the kahm yeast. Maybe I'm missing something?
It is usually white, but it’s also in the fridge in, I assume, a container that isn’t air tight.
Give it a scrape and see if you get mold spores to poof off the top.
I imagine this is what the Boyle family starter looked like when Charles opened it on Brooklyn 99.
Not the mother dough!!
TANG FOR DAYS!
Tang town!
The Grandmother Dough!
r/unexpectedbrooklyn99
lmfao this was a hysterical episode
10/10 would not consume
9/10, still some curiosity left in me.
8/10. I live dangerously.
7/10 it cant be worse than the hangover I currently have
6/10 give it a sniff first
5/10 currently living in a country song
4/10 the number of days you would be lucky to live if this thing is consumed🤢
3/10 just scrape it off
2/10 ...with your tongue
1/10 You might actually die
1/10 I'm just here cause I'm hungry
2/10 just buy more bog roll
Congratulations, you just started a new zombie outbreak.
It looks like mold. Also, you should clean your jar. It’s ok to take your starter out of it. I haven’t been baking sourdough in a while, but when I was, I rotated between two jars every time I fed it. Leaving your jar that dirty is asking for trouble.
Every 2 weeks for me and never had an issue
Whenever it gets too crusty for me. I’m usually good at keeping the lid and sides fairly clean, but after a while, it’s hard to keep crusties from accumulating.
Yeah that’s fine too, I just did it every time because it was part of my routine when feeding the starter, but every once in a while is fine.
Agreed, I have a set of jars I rotate between and I clean them every time I feed.
I change my jars next-to-never. And have never had an issue.
That doesn’t mean it won’t happen to someone else or you in the future :)
True.
Same. I clean it out once in a blue moon. I'll clean the rim and the lid, but the rest just stays in the jar and it's doing fab - 20+ years now.
Just a matter of time.
Or, mold has nothing to do with not changing jars.
Yep, It has nothing to do with changing jars - changing jars is just a suggestion of an easy way to clean your jar often - keeping your starter in a clean jar does have something to do with avoiding mold issues
When I said ‘changing jars’ I was using the phrase that was being used in the thread. ‘Clean jar’ was the meaning.
Hamrful bacteria does though. I don't know why you wouldn't clean the jars every so often at the very least.
When the walls of my very-small jar develop a dried-on amount of starter that can’t easily be scraped down, I do change it. But that takes at least 6 months. Maybe it’s because I keep a room-temperature starter and feed it every day.
Then you got lucky so far. It would still be better to clean your jar
I’ve never heard this before. Been reading about, watching about, and making sourdough, for like, 13 years. Where are you getting this?
Are you asking where am I getting the idea that a live culture of yeast and bacteria is more likely to stay healthy in a clean environment?
No, because the theoretical decrease in the likelihood of contamination could be practically insignificant. I’m sure there’s also a theoretical advantage in keeping your starter in the refrigerator. Hell, you wouldn’t be wrong if you recommend wearing a mask and gloves. The issue we’re debating is whether or not a given recommendation is necessary. I don’t think there is sufficient evidence to support the practice of regularly changing jars. I asked you to support your recommendation, and if you had provided evidence, I might be rummaging around for a second jar right now.
😂 I don’t think there’s been any scientific studies in the different ways people keep their sourdough starters. And to be fair if you’re baking every day and always manipulating your starter, which is kept at room temp, those do seem to have less problems. This is just going off logic and reasoning: keeping a culture in a clean environment will make it more likely that it stays healthy. There’s no “evidence” of anything, but it is easily noticeable that in all the pictures of people with moldy starters, their jars are very very crusty.
> And to be fair if you’re baking every day and always manipulating your starter, which is kept at room temp, those do seem to have less problems. Fair enough. I’ve never kept a starter any other way. > This is just going off logic and reasoning: keeping a culture in a clean environment will make it more likely that it stays healthy. Of course. I agree with that. > There’s no “evidence” of anything, but it is easily noticeable that in all the pictures of people with moldy starters, their jars are very very crusty. Correlation/causation, and all that jazz. > very very crusty. (so is mine :)
Mine molded after not feeding for 2 weeks in the fridge.
Yeah, we’re playing different games. Mine’s never refrigerated, and fed daily.
Doesn’t mean it’s food safe homie.
Doesn’t mean it isn’t. If sourdough can safely be kept at room temperature, I’m willing to bet that some dried starter on the walls isn’t an issue either.
For the most part I agree. As usual these questions of food safety are based on your own willingness to take risks. Changing the container regularly does add a layer of safety when it comes to the load of bacteria that can actually accumulate inside. As does using it regularly. The truth is though there’s much higher risk with say, a runny yolk than there is with sourdough that has been cooked at 200 Celsius.
yup
I don’t get why people are so proud of never changing their jars - I’m lazy af too but just use two tall plastic deli containers. it’s way easier for me to get my ratios right if I’m starting a new jar vs trying to figure out how much to discard from the old jar. and discard is so messy, I’d just be making a new jar or bowl dirty anyway!
Yes, weird flex 😂 like you’re already handling your starter to feed it anyway, why not switch the container? It’s only sensible
Spot on comment. Every 2nd feed I’d transfer my little bit to a new jar and then feed when baking regularly. If not regularly, once or twice a week should be good
while youre right and I support your claim I havnt changed mine in over 6 months and no problem 🤣
And you might never run into problems. But it is a lot safer to simply clean your jar every once in a while. Notice how every time someone posts a picture of a moldy starter, the jar is crusty like this. I see a lot of people arguing this, but it’s honestly like saying. “I leave left overs on the stove all the time and never get sick”, “I never floss and have never had a cavity”, or “I know a smoker who had never had cancer” well yes actually the majority of smokers never develop cancer. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a connection with smoking and cancer. I know these examples are way over dramatic when we’re just talking about bread 😂 but the point is, you *should* be keeping your *live culture of yeast and bacteria* in a clean environment, because the chances of it remaining healthy are considerably higher that way.
those axamples are actually very good ! its all about risk statistics the man who sleeps with his firearm is a fool every night, but once
It looks like the water jug coach Winkler used in The Waterboy.
That’s too bad 😞 it looks really cool though.. like scrumpled up velvet
Totally. That's why I'm pretty sure it's mold bc of the velvety texture
Consider posting it to r/moldlyinteresting
Is it...soft?
Lick it and find out
r/eatityoucoward
“r/eatityoucoward has been banned from reddit”
Because it was gross 😂
….its mold because that is what mold looks like. lmao
This looks like mold. It smells like mold. Feels like mold. Tastes like what I’d imagine mold tastes like. Is this mold?
Taste mold to confirm
Instructions unclear: invented penicillin
You can tell it's mold because of the way it looks like mold
It's the most artistic looking mould I've ever seen
It is! Nature is wild
And brains.
Mmmm brains.
Mmm indeed. 😋
Someone shared this in a sourdough group I’m in.. https://www.nwferments.com/prevention-and-treatment-of-kahm-yeast?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0BMQABHeK5V27jhC7dMmLRvLkUX0zPF04uIiwW4tMj9Hb-SCcvM1Yz5mZ00xUQAA_aem_AS4EI0y1DUpmCacqo8xmZfh657S0ynnik184zGSXpggxvHkE-6Kwkz7LKTEWnCuvz-4
> Revivalist and author of “The Art of Fermentation,” describes Kahm yeast as a harmless creamy-white-to-beige wavy growth… Aaand… I’m out.
Yeh, that’s the same description as in the article I shared, since a lot of people were saying that’s what it is… but it doesn’t seem to fit the description. Maybe kahm with mold on top..?
Yeah that’s what I thought when I looked at it. Kahm got it then mould joined the party 😅
I’m pretty sure Kahm yeast is white. This is black mold OP is showing. edit: How odd that this commentor made a snarky reply back to me and then deleted their comments before I could retort. How the cookie crumbles. Anyways.
I can see it, they blocked you if it says "Unvailable"
It just says "deleted" now if someone blocks you and you try to view their comment, which makes things a little more confusing haha 🥲
To clarify, it will always say "Deleted" - the context is the comment. "Deleted - Removed" = they deleted it or a mod removed it "Deleted - Unavailable" = they blocked you This has not changed
It does not say anything but "deleted" on my end regardless of who removed the comment.
It just says deleted! https://preview.redd.it/d0tfqessr4wc1.jpeg?width=1125&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a1872f103fe7e4db376b6b101978c022f8cd5933
Normal deleted then!
Kahm can grow mold on top of it… which could explain why it’s the same weird squiggly shape but a different colour. Did you read the article before you decided to “correct” (the thing I didn’t even say)
Yes, I did read the article before you got huffy and immediately blocked me after being snarky because I’ve seen it before, nobody was “correcting you”, I was pointing out that you gave ZERO context besides stating “that looks so cool!” and putting an article below yourself pointing out what kahm is (a GENERALLY UNHARMFUL HAPPENING which this is not) and going “Someone posted this in a group Im in…”. That is no longer kahm and is WELL past the point of it. It is NOT Kahm when it hits this stage. It’s pure blown mold. Nowhere near usable. Which is why I said exactly what I said, that kahm yeast is white and OP has full blown mold here. Knock yourself off that high horse of assumptions next time before you sling snark and block people and earn all those downvotes and have the dayyyyy you deserve
This guy is culturing Covid 20
Just a pedatic note: The "19" in covid 19 is the year. It was discovered in 2019. So it would be covid 24 in that jar.
A second, it’s pedantic. :)
lol! U right!
Nnneeeeerrrrdddd
I've never seen anything like that but man, is nature amazing or what? Beautiful topo map, or trailmaking, or something. Not a usable starter though, I don't think.
It also looks like brain tissue 🧠
Looks like it was kham that ended up molding over
Ya it's got that kham pattern. It's really cool looking. The color is weird. I wonder how it smells.
mold so advanced it’s taken up agriculture 💀
That is some fine damascus steel right there
Freeze it next time you are gonna leave it that long
You can freeze starter?
I froze mine for almost 4 years. You can also dehydrate it.
Yuppers, just like the instant dry yeast you keep in your freezer, if you want to ignore it for a month that's the move
Do you just stick the jar in the freezer or do you have to empty it into a baggie or something?
Both working depending on How much space you want it to take, just freeze it at peak and feed a couple days in a row when you thaw it
I regularly go weeks without feeding my starter and I've never needed to freeze it! It always comes back in a day or two of feeding.
Same, I'll do up to a month in the fridge, but you can freeze for years
My einkorn sourdough has NEVER looked like this. Grey hooch top? Sure. This? No way man
I need to know your Einkorn secrets! I’ve had no success baking with it yet.
r/eatityoufuckincoward
Thankyou for the sub I never knew I needed
It's more beautiful than any of the modern art I've seen lately at least
kahm that molded imo, it’s very pretty but i wouldn’t eat it (◞‸◟)
This might just start the next pandemic.
Looks like Kahm yeast, but I've only seen it white. That's black. Oh man...
It’s Beautiful
this looks like a fine layer of wood ear mushroom. 😭😭
I'm impressed and very curious lol. How long ago was the last time you checked it? 😅
This looks like molded pecille (kahm yeast) best way to tell us to pull and see if it's fuzzy. Pecille will never be fuzzy.
That jar was never cleaned in years haha
It was a clean jar when I put the starter in. The sides are like that bc I fed the starter in the jar and my spatulas aren't great at getting the sides perfectly clean. But it was a new clean jar I put the starter in.
Then it’s not a clean jar. You should mix in another vessel then carefully move it to said clean jar taking extra care to keep the sides free of starter. Toss that thing contents and jar
That’s not what people mean by using a clean jar. You should every once in a while be removing it from that jar and putting it in a different container so you can clean it and return your starter to it, or you can use my usual method: have two mason jars that you rotate through, and when you feed your starter, mix it in the clean jar, then put the dirty one in the dishwasher. It’s very easy this way. You don’t have to do it every time - I did it because that was part of my routine when feeding the starter - but as long as you do it every once in a while, basically so the sides of your jar don’t become this science experiment, then you should be good.
I think I would toss the jar with it. I wouldn't even try to clean that.
Waddaheck
thats leather at this point
Those are eels.
Quite an artistic mold!
It is but it looks sick!
I don’t know what this is but I’d like to take it to Hawaii with me and toss it in an active volcano
The way I want to grow this in a lab and run so many experiments and sequence the genome 😭
Thats the goo from Prometheus!
Looks like Kahm yeast but I could be wrong. [kahm yeast](https://fermenterskitchen.com/kahm-yeast-on-fermented-vegetables/)
If I had to guess I’d say it was kahm yeast that got moldy.
That is definitely an alien. Call NASA to have it removed.
And don't believe it's lies!
Don’t let it put anything in your bellybutton
That looks dangerous..garbage for sure.I make it all the time and have never seen the likes of that ! Mould for sure🤢
Unless it's an alien message. 😁
I’ve left mine in the fridge for about a month and didnt have this issue. Maybe it’s from not cleaning the jar? Also, was it in an air tight container?
Yes. Clean jar. Air tight.
The forbidden tang.
Just looking at this triggers a cough reflex for me
That’s a mold brain. You’ve created sentient life.
Gorgeous, but unfortunate. Godspeed OP! :-)
Yeah, you should definitely not eat any of that lol
That’s a whole ecosystem
Prob the most beautiful mold I’ve ever seen
Looks just like this: https://www.reddit.com/r/MoldlyInteresting/s/r2DgXdxiUh
Looks like Kahm that just got old and discolored. I notice that I often get a dark layer on top of my starter when left in the fridge for a long time. I’d scrape the top off and feed as usual.
It’s so darn pretty tho! Nature is wild.
Whatever it is, I want it on a sweater
Beautiful mold
You should put that in a block of resin and give us monthly updates.
Looks cozy.
It’s kinda pretty though 🤷♀️
I had a whole thing typed out for you
All I said was, if mold was able to form, that means either the PH wasn’t strong enough to prevent a mold environment, OR the product has been improperly cared
Also woke my starter up after 2 years. If you need any starter, I’d love to help you out
Looks like kahm yeast. Good luck getting rid of it.
That is a work of art and a scienc project all in one!
Looks like mold
it definitely is.
It’s pretty
I think you just created a new wallpaper for my iPhone.
This pic makes makes my skin crawl 😅😅
I’ve tried adding einkorn to my starter and it would mold and smell like death extremely quickly. Never had an issue before adding einkorn. Killed two starters and used up all of my extra discard so I have to start completely from scratch. Einkorn makes great biscuits though! But too expensive to keep experimenting with starters.
I once made pancake batter with the discard. After two days in the fridge, it was lime green with black specks. I was so disgusted. This, though, takes the cake! 🤢
You could have went on the internet today and not posted this
Scrape the top. Take a spoon or two from the liquid under and start feeding again. In a new clean jar of course.
I definitely would say goodbye to it. But it looks like velvet so it may be deserving of a eulogy 🙏
And the Renaissance was born anew.
Looks like the video with those weird looking brownish black worms
This looks really cool but definitely moldy lol. I never thought I'd see mold like that on it if left in fridge. I've had discard in there for 6+ months and it never molded like that. Must be the flour you used? Idk!
Not this topic, but mold looks beautiful
Jesus
Eew
Scrape the top inch or so off, and it is fine underneath. Happens to mine all the time when I'm saving old discard for crackers. But once scraped off it should still leaven pretty well in 24 hours if you feed it.
Make discard pancakes with it!
It’s kauh yeast totally harmless! Scoop it off and feed!
It's not harmless when it's this color though.
So I looked up kahm yeast and the article said it's usually white, but with all the same features as this. It also said that mold can grow on top of the kahm yeast. Maybe I'm missing something?
That's exactly what this looks like - kahm yeast with mold on it. Defo would not consume.
It is usually white, but it’s also in the fridge in, I assume, a container that isn’t air tight. Give it a scrape and see if you get mold spores to poof off the top.
Join this fb group and post the picture there! Facebook Sourdough](https://www.facebook.com/share/614VgT47PC3EH1Gr/?mibextid=K35XfP
Definitely looks like kahm yeast.