Hi Elaine, the starter is quite thick in the early stages when you feed with whole wheat flour because wholegrain flours absorb more liquid than white flours do. You just want to be sure that all the flour is fully moistened. As the starter begins to rise and ferment it will gradually thin out in consistency, but if you're struggling with a "too stiff" starter it's fine to add a touch more water to make sure you have no dry pockets of flour. Also, be sure to cover your starter container well so the starter doesn't dry out on top. We do have lots of recipes on our website that use a combination of wild yeast and commercial yeast. Our Rustic Sourdough is a great recipe, and I'm also a big fan of our Sourdough Sandwich Bread recipe. 

Barb

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