Tried to save my sourdough starter with tap water for 3 weeks straight

I moved to Austin last month and my starter went totally flat after day 2. I kept feeding it with the local tap water thinking it was fine, but after 3 weeks of nothing but hooch I finally tested the pH. Turns out the water here is super chlorinated and it was killing the yeast. Switched to bottled spring water and it doubled in size overnight. Has anyone else dealt with city water killing their ferment?

2 comments

2 Comments

clairebaker1mo ago

Oh man, same thing happened to me when I moved to Dallas! Used tap water for weeks wondering why my starter smelled like acetone and never rose. Bottled water literally fixed it in one feeding.

clairebaker1mo ago

Wait, bottled water fixed it in ONE feeding? I don't believe that, that's amazing.