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I am at day 10 of a new sourdough starter. I started using rye flour and all purpose flour but due to the COVID 19 pandemic I had to eventually only use rye flour because it is what was available. The starter isn't rising as much as I would expect.. usually it rises 1 or 2 centimeters, but it does bubble and seem active. When I start mixing it before feeding it seems like it smells like eggs. I feed it every 12 hours and keep it in a warm part of our home. I am not sure if I should start over (finally found unbleached all purpose flour!!) with an all purpose flour and rye flour mixture or if I should keep going.

Sourdough experts- please help!!!

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  • Thanks for the question. We don't operate like a discussion board. There are several sourdough starter questions on the site. Did you try the search bar to see if any of the current questions give you some direction?
    – moscafj
    Commented Apr 14, 2020 at 0:26
  • Might have caught some bad bacteria, try reducing the starter in the next feeding and add it to a new container that has been cleaned really well to avoid other contamination,
    – user29568
    Commented Apr 14, 2020 at 1:10

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Rye is fine for sourdough. It's actually the main motivator for sourdough since rye's rather sticky doughs take considerably worse to yeast as leavening than wheat doughs do. But while using sourdough is more relevant for raising rye, cultivating it works similarly well with wheat.

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Starters are naturally fickle, and slow growth probably comes from the dice you rolled with the organisms in your house and the stuff on your flour. It sounds like you're doing everything right, just give it time to build up.

Sulfur (egg), alcohol, and vinegar are all common smells that come from starters. They don't mean anything is wrong.

The most important warning sign is discoloration. If you see blue, yellow, orange, pink, or green, it indicates mold and you have to throw it out.

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  • Thank you! I found something online that suggested I add pineapple juice and it did the trick! I now have a healthy starter! Thanks for your help everyone!
    – sourdoughnoob
    Commented Apr 22, 2020 at 18:54

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