Activation Guarantee
At Ancient Grain, we care about your sourdough journey — and we want your starter to succeed.
Because our cultures are living microorganisms in a dehydrated state, they need the right conditions to wake up and thrive. Most of the time they do exactly that when the instructions are followed, but if your starter isn’t showing signs of life within 7 days of starting the process, we’ll sort it out for you.
Our Promise
If your sourdough starter hasn’t successfully activated within 7 days of beginning the activation process, we’ll send you a replacement at no cost.
You can choose the same lineage again, or try a different culture if you’d prefer something new.
We also cover shipping on all approved replacement starters.
What We Mean by “Activated”
Activation simply means your starter is waking up and becoming active again — you should see bubbling, signs of growth, and a consistent response to feeding over a few cycles.
Every kitchen is a little different, so we look at the overall behaviour of the starter rather than a single fixed measure.
How to Get in Touch
If your starter isn’t activating, just email us at support@theancientgrain.com.au and we’ll take care of you.
To help us help you quickly, please include:
• A few photos of your starter and how you’ve been feeding it
• A quick rundown of your process
• Details like room temperature, flour type, and water used
• Any notes on what you’ve observed so far
This just helps us understand what’s going on so we can get you back on track as quickly as possible.
We’re Here to Help
If something isn’t working, don’t stress — sourdough can be a bit quirky at times. We’ll work with you to figure it out and make sure you’ve got the best chance of success.