I finally stopped worrying about my starter smelling like acetone

Read a comment from someone in Portland who said their starter smells like nail polish remover every winter and it's totally normal. Has anyone else noticed their starter gets more sour smelling when it's cold out?

2 comments

2 Comments

riverowens5d ago

Blame the cold temperature slowing down the bacterial activity, letting the yeast take over and produce those acetone compounds before the other microbes catch up. Happens to mine every November like clockwork.

-1

lindaw124d ago

Call me crazy but I actually kind of like the acetone tang, gives it a unique character. Even if it's technically a flaw, it's a cool reminder that real fermentation is alive and does its own thing. Just bottle it fast before it goes full nail polish remover.