Carrie, the whole grains used at the start are for the benefit of the extra wild yeast they carry with them; with more wild yeast to start with, your starter gets a jump-start. Once it's started, though, whole grains don't contain as much food for the yeast; and they also tend to carry more bacteria that can cause your starter to sicken and die. So it's best to continue feeding with an all-purpose flour – unless you're an old hand and can recognize and correct immediately any signs of "illness." Give it a try, for sure; it's just more dicey. Good luck - PJH

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