What's the black liquid floating on top of your sourdough starter?

If you've ever opened the fridge to get your starter out, then proceeded to freak out wondering what the black liquid is floating on top of your sourdough starter...don't stress!

I know that's easy to say, but trust me. It's nothing to worry about.

It's actually pretty hard to kill a sourdough starter if it's been stored in the fridge. 

When there's black liquid floating on the top of your starter, it just means that it's hungry.

What's happened?

The yeast inside your jar has eaten through all the available food, and the lactic acid levels are low. 

When this happens, acetic acid (the other type of acid that co-exists in our starter) starts to take over and the liquid begins to separate. 

All you need to do is stir it back in, then combine a small portion of it with some fresh flour and water, just like you normally would when you feed it. Easily fixed!

Just feed it and move on...nothing to see here 👀

YOU CAN SEE HOW TO FIX IT IN THIS VIDEO 📽️

To bring your starter back to life...

• Stir the liquid back in, giving it a good stir until its completely mixed. 
• Take out 50g of starter and add it to a fresh jar. 
• Then add 100g of bakers flour and 100g water, stir thoroughly, then continue to feed morning and night until it's back to its bubbly self. 

So as you can see, it's nothing to freak out about.

It's just our wild yeast telling us it's huuungry! 

Like all babies, make sure it has a full tummy and it will be a happy camper. 

Get more sourdough tips HERE

Until next time,

Happy Sourdough Baking.