- In the morning of day 3, I stirred the starter, discarded half (around 4 ounces), and fed it 4 ounces all-purpose flour (3/4 cup + 2 tablespoons) and 4 ounces filtered water (1/2 cup), mixing it up so there was no dry flour left.
As you can see, the sourdough starter was more than doubled in size on day 3, with "hooch" on the bottom. It also still smelled terrible. Hooch is a clear-to-dark-coloured liquid that can collect at the top or the bottom of your starter when it's hungry and needs a feeding. It's normal and not a sign it's gone bad or moldy. However, watch out for a pink or orange tint or streak, as this is actually a sign that your sourdough starter has gone bad and should be tossed (it's unlikely to happen unless you've left it out for weeks without feeding).
Image Source: POPSUGAR Photography / Tara Block