Hi Emily, sorry for the delay in responding to your question! That first feeding with whole grain flour is stiffer than subsequent feedings because whole grain flours absorb more liquid than AP flour. Also, when measuring by cups it's easy to measure a heavy cup of flour, which will also lead to drier results. If you don't have a scale, be sure to use this method to measure your flour, and remember that when you get to feeding your starter with AP flour, the recipe calls for a "scant" cup of flour, which means one that is not quite full. By now you're well past that first feeding, but keep in mind that it's okay to add a touch more water if you're not able to moisten all the flour when feeding your starter. By the time you get to feeding with AP flour, the consistency should be like a thick, but easily stirrable paste right after feeding. As the starter begins to rise and ferment it becomes more like a thick pancake batter, with bubbles throughout, when it's at its peak. I hope this helps! Let us know how it goes. 

Barb

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