Starter ProblemsMost starter problems fall into a handful of familiar categories. This article is designed as your first point of reference: what do you see or smell, and what does it most likely mean?My Starter Is Doing Nothing at AllNo bubbles, no increase in volume, even after several days of feeding. The most common causes are:Too cold. Below 18°C, fermentation becomes very slow. Try moving your starter somewhere slightly warmer, such as on top of the refrigerator or in the oven with only the light switched on.Too little food, for too long. If your starter has gone a long time without feeding, it may simply be starving. See Saving Your Starter.Bleached flour. For a starter that is still developing, bleached flour can make it harder to get going. Switch to unbleached flour, preferably wholemeal or rye.Still too young. A three- or four-day-old starter that is barely doing anything is often simply not ready yet. See Developing Your Starter for what to expect at each stage.My Starter Rises, But Not Enough to Bake WithIt bubbles and grows a little, but it doesn’t double in volume.This usually points to a starter that is not yet mature, or to a feeding ratio that doesn’t quite suit your kitchen.Try a lower ratio such as 1:1:1 for a faster, stronger peak, or simply give it more time to continue developing.My Starter Smells StrangeMost smells that seem “strange” are actually perfectly normal:Sharp or vinegary sourness — very common and part of a healthy, active culture.Alcohol-like or acetone-like — usually a sign of hunger. Feed it again.Mild and yoghurt-like — often a sign of a well-balanced, mild starter.What is not normal is a truly rotten, foul or musty smell that has nothing to do with sourness.That can indicate spoilage — see Starter Health & Safety for how to distinguish this from an ordinary hungry starter.There Is a Layer of Liquid on TopThis is called hooch, and it is almost always harmless. Your starter has used up its available food and is hungry.Pour it off or stir it back in, then feed your starter again.If this happens frequently, you could consider feeding more often or switching to a higher ratio, such as 1:4:4, so that more food remains available between feedings.My Starter Is Too Thick or Too ThinThe consistency depends on your flour-to-water ratio as well as the type of flour you use.Too thick: add a little more water at the next feeding.Too thin or very slack: use slightly less water, or switch partly to a flour that absorbs more moisture, such as wholemeal flour.There Is Mould or Vivid DiscolourationThis is where you stop trying to save the starter and throw it away.Pink, orange, green, black or blue discolouration, as well as fuzzy patches, are not something you can safely fix by simply removing the top layer.A full explanation of this distinction, and why food safety always comes first, can be found in Starter Health & Safety.Still Not Sure What’s Going On?For situations where several factors are involved at once — for example, a combination of temperature, flour type and timing that isn’t immediately clear — continue to Deep Starter Troubleshooting.For concrete recovery steps for a weakened or neglected starter, see Saving Your Starter.Part of the Starter Hub.Read next:Saving Your Starter · Deep Starter Troubleshooting · Starter Health & Safety