I posted a couple of month ago that my neglected starter seemed dead
when I took it from the fridge. I did manage to bring it back to life
for one loaf of bread (that didn't taste right and molded quickly) and
then it died for real. When I fed it, instead of bubbling it got a
thick slimy layer on top, and when I peeled that off it smelled like
"death". Seriously, it wasn't really strong of a smell but it was like
a rotting corpse. It took a couple of days to completely get the smell
off my hands.

Anyway, I threw that out and started a new batch using rye flour and
bottled water. It got foamy in a day or two, but that wasn't a real
start. Didn't smell right, and the bubbling went away after the first
feeding. But after a week of feeding it twice a day, alternating rye
flour and all-purpose, I think I have a real starter again. I cooked
some of the starter on a griddle and salted it, and it tasted pretty good.

So today I started a batch of bread. I think it's rising but not sure;
the loaf is rising *very* slowly. (The starter must not like salt.)
The remnant that I fed is bubbling away happily on the counter.

Bob