Sourdough starter troubleshooting almost always comes down to matching what you're actually seeing to the real cause. Most problems look alarming the first time and turn out to be completely normal. This guide ties each fix back to the exact feeding ratio and schedule choices you can dial in on this site's own tools, not just generic advice to "feed it more."

Reading the symptoms

Before changing anything, match what's in the jar to one of these: no rise at all, bubbles without rise, liquid or smell you're unsure about, or something that looks genuinely wrong (mold). Each has a different fix, and treating all of them the same way is the most common mistake.

What are you seeing?

Not rising at all

The three most common causes, in order of likelihood: the starter is too young (a new starter often stalls in a lull around day 3-5 before the real yeast population takes over), the room is too cold (activity slows dramatically below about 68°F), or the feeding ratio is too large for how strong the culture currently is. A big feed, like 1:5:5, asks a weak starter to lift five times its own weight, which a young or cool starter often can't do yet.

The fix for all three is the same direction: a smaller, more frequent feed. Switch to 1:1:1 or 1:2:2 in the Sourdough Starter Feeding Calculator, and give it a few days of consistent, warm feeding before judging it again.

Bubbles but no rise

This is a different problem from no activity at all. Bubbles mean fermentation is genuinely happening, the starter just doesn't have enough strength yet to lift its own volume. This is common in the first week of a new starter, when early bacteria produce gas before the wild yeast population is established enough to build real structure.

The float test is the simplest check: drop a small spoonful in water. If it floats, there's enough gas to leaven bread. If it sinks, it needs more time and feeding before you bake with it.

Hooch and smell

Hooch is the liquid that separates on top of a hungry starter, the alcohol byproduct of fermentation running past its food supply. It's normal, not a sign of trouble, whether it's clear, gray, tan, or dark. Pour it off, or stir it back in if you want a more sour result. A tangy or even faintly alcoholic smell is healthy. A sharp vinegar or nail-polish smell usually just means it wants feeding sooner, using the schedule in the Sourdough Starter Feeding Schedule guide as a baseline.

Gray or tan hooch
Normal. Pour off or stir in.
Dark brown hooch
Still normal, just more fermented.
Pink or orange streaks
Not normal. Start over, see below.
Fuzzy mold, any color
Not normal. Start over, see below.

When to actually start over

Almost everything above is recoverable with time and consistent feeding. The genuine exception is visible mold, specifically pink or orange streaks, or fuzzy green, black, or white patches. That's the one case where starting a fresh starter is the right call rather than trying to feed through it. Ordinary hooch, an off smell, or a slow week are not reasons to give up on a starter.

Frequently asked questions

Is hooch a sign my starter is dying?
No. Hooch is the liquid that separates out when a starter has gone hungry, and it's a normal sign of an active culture, not a dying one. Pour it off or stir it back in for extra sourness, then feed as usual. The only colors that mean something is actually wrong are pink, orange, or fuzzy mold, not the gray, tan, or dark hooch most bakers see.
My starter has bubbles but isn't rising. What's wrong?
Bubbles mean it's alive and fermenting, it just doesn't have the strength yet to lift its own volume. This is usually temperature, a starter still under about 4-6 days old, or a feeding ratio that's too large for how active the culture currently is. Try a smaller, more frequent feed, like 1:1:1, using the Sourdough Starter Feeding Calculator, and keep it somewhere consistently warm.
How long can I neglect my starter before it's actually dead?
Longer than most people think. A starter left a few days on the counter or a few weeks in the fridge almost always comes back with regular feeding, since real death from neglect alone is rare. The one exception is visible mold, pink or orange streaks specifically, which means starting over. Everything else, including a sour or even faintly alcoholic smell, is recoverable.

How this is checked. The symptom-cause matching above is cross-checked against multiple independent sourdough maintenance guides, including King Arthur Baking's own troubleshooting posts, rather than a single source's explanation. See Sources below for the specific pages consulted.

Sources