[HuggaBuggaMommy]

Originally Posted by UltraMother

I'm following sourdough.com's rec that you establish it for a week at room temp before moving to the fridge stage. Is that not an absolute? I'm also wondering about the acetone smell. It's pretty persistent, but the texture is good.

You should establish it for at least a week at room temp, or longer if it can't double in size at that point.

Yes, feed it more. I've absolutely found that fresh-ground flour gets the acetone smell more quickly, especially as the yeast colonies develop. My established white flour starter can sit on the counter for two days without being fed () before it gets that smell, whole wheat for about a day, and any freshly-ground flour I need to feed two or three times if I'm leaving it out.