This morning the bagpipes keened as I consigned the starter to the compost pit. It smelled corny and ripe, and even though there were no bubbles I thought, okay--good to go.
Then when I wiggled the jar and held it to the light, I saw a scummy film where I thought there might be bubbles, in the condensation at the bottom of the jar. Well, maybe that's okay, like cheese. Then I saw a faint blush of red and I notified the piper. White mold, black mold, either one I can work with to an extent, but red mold is verboten. Just as when you make cheese.
My salt-rising experiment failed, so now it's up to you.