Dear Gregg,

The "sour" in sourdough comes from catching a spore in the air. I think the ingredients you used have become moldy. You should definitely throw them out or the mold will make you sick.

To make starter:

Mix 1 cup of flour with 1 cup of water and a pinch of yeast. Stir until creamy. Cover with cheesecloth and secure with string. Leave the mixture alone for a week in a large glass or plastic container, unrefrigerated. This living culture will bubble and smell weird. (Sunset Magazine many years published instructions to do this. My father made the starter and placed it outside to catch a spore. Whatever he came up with was the nastiest, cheesiest, most eye-watering starter I had ever smelled. It actually had to be thrown out.)

But if you find that the starter you produce inside your home doesn't have enough of a "tang" for you, by all means place the flour/water/yeast mixture outside and see what you can come up with.

At least once a week, use your starter or discard 1/2 cup of it and be sure to replenish it with equal amounts of flour and water stirred together until they are smooth and creamy. This keeps the starter fresh and active. After the initial week, you can store the starter in the refrigerator, but bring it up to room temperature for baking.

Happy baking!

Marilyn