Warning: My sourdough starter went nuts after I moved it to the garage

I put my starter in the garage last Tuesday because my kitchen was getting too warm. The temp dropped to about 55 degrees overnight. When I checked it in the morning, it had nearly doubled in size and smelled way more sour than usual. I learned that a cold shock can really kick fermentation into high gear, even if it seems counterintuitive. Has anyone else had a starter act weird from a sudden temperature change?

3 comments

3 Comments

chen.jade2mo ago

Cold does that to mine too, wild stuff.

allen.ruby14d agoTop Commenter

Yeah it really messes with the whole starter vibe, feel you there.

jessel352mo ago

Actually had the opposite happen to me once. A quick chill usually just slows my starter down for a bit. That big rise you saw might have been from the yeast getting really active right before the temp dropped, and then the cold just trapped all that gas in there. The sour smell makes sense though, since the cold favors the bacteria over the yeast.