Hi Kevin,

I had this problem for a while and here are few things I've done.

1) Decreased the hydration of my starter

I used to use a starter that was very fluid - it would die quickly (one
or two days) and consequently needed lots of refreshing and didn't hold
acidity very well. So lately I've been working from a starter at 66%
hydration. It can stay alive longer and holds it acidity better before
dying.

2) Increase fermentation temp.

The bacteria that really make bread sour like it warmer. I rarely let my
sourdough white breads (those breads where sour is the flavor I'm going for)
ferment below 80F. It means getting creative - I keep my fermentation bucket
over a heater vent in the kitchen and proof my final loaves in a couche,
seated on a cooling rack on the oven while the oven is warming up - usually
an hour.

That's about it - you should be able to smell and taste the acid in a raw
dough before you shape it into loaves. If it tastes yeasty or sweet - your
not getting the action you want from your lactobacilli (the bacteria which
produce the acid in sourdough).

Doesn't mean it still won't be good bread - but it won't have that sourdough
taste.

Good luck - Tom

"Kevin Breit" > wrote in message
news
> Hey,
> I made my first successful sourdough loafs today. The one thing I
> noticed was it tasted too much like fermentation and needed more sour.
> How do I increase the sourness and less alcohol flavor?
>
> Kevin