How I Make Very Fast Compost

sanderson wrote:Photos of your journey!

+1

Only people like us would be waiting on pins and needles to hear how a bin to store scraps of garbage from our kitchens looks and works.

Razed Bed wrote:Only people like us would be waiting on pins and needles to hear how a bin to store scraps of garbage from our kitchens looks and works.

I always wish we had a "like" button for posts like yours, LOL!

Razed Bed wrote:Only people like us would be waiting on pins and needles to hear how a bin to store scraps of garbage from our kitchens looks and works.

sanderson wrote:

Razed Bed wrote:Only people like us would be waiting on pins and needles to hear how a bin to store scraps of garbage from our kitchens looks and works.

+1

Off and running with the new tumbler.

I managed to get it put together Friday, but didn't get it into the yard and filled until today due to weather.

Here it is, mostly put together.



And here is a look at the inside, once it was fully assembled.




I knew it wasn't very big, but it's a little smaller than even I thought it would be. This could be good or bad, depending on someones needs. I managed to scrape together enough stuff to fill one entire side without much trouble. I wet it down, added a little bit of Jobe's, and it's off and cooking.

Greens consisted of coffee grounds, a few kitchen scraps, some plant cuttings, and some grass.
Browns consisted of leaves and straw mostly, with a little paper.


Back to the assembly phase.

It wasn't difficult to put it together. I suggest reading the directions all the way through first, and getting a feel for what you're going to be doing. Of course what you'll be doing is a lot of twisting, as there are going to be about 60 total bolt/nut combinations to put together. There are 6 on the legs/base, 2 that hold the axis bar to the base, and then each of the 8 sides of the tumbler has 7.

As I said, it wasn't bad, just a lot of wrist action.

It went together pretty easy, although a couple of the sides needed to have a helping pound from my hand to pop into place.

One thing to be careful of is to NOT over tighten the nuts on the bolts. They tighten very easily (I had a socket on the nut, screwdriver on the bolt) and I actually popped one on the base. I had one of the same size down in the shop, so no harm no foul. I will say that it didn't feel all that tight, and poof. So a good snug and you're in business.

I like the interior baffles. They should help mix as you turn, like a washing machine agitator. Just a question, can you leave out the center divider to make one larger container? I'm really considering this puppy to supplement my 3' cubic compost bin. Even if just to make compost for the rest of the yard.

Put in some grass clippings to your mixture, and that tumbler should get hot enough to smoke a ham.  Now, that's a weird thought--using a compost bin as the offset heat source for smoked meats/fish.  All you need is 150 degrees.

sanderson wrote:I like the interior baffles.  They should help mix as you turn, like a washing machine agitator.  Just a question, can you leave out the center divider to make one larger container?  I'm really considering this puppy to supplement my 3' cubic compost bin.  Even if just to make compost for the rest of the yard.

Yeah, the baffles were a nice touch. They're from the impressions on the outside where you can grab hold and turn it over. It was really well thought out on that front.

I would say that the baffle helps sturdy it up a bit, but not really. Even once it was put together it was still able to move easily, although it didn't move much because of how it's in there. Either way, it's more for separation than support, so I wouldn't think there would be a problem taking it out.

I think there are probably better long-term investments out there, but they are going to cost more. This one isn't leak proof, and when it rains you will some extra moisture. You will also most likely lose a little bit of dirt when you spin it around. Not a whole lot, but maybe a couple tablespoons full. It's just dirt coming out of the air vents and what not, but still that could add up over turning every 2 days for a month or two.

I think it will do the job though, and be worth the price.


FWIW, today (5/11/15) they have it through Amazon for $83, with free shipping. To find it, put "Yimby Tumbler Composter" in the search box on Amazon.

Razed Bed wrote:Put in some grass clippings to your mixture, and that tumbler should get hot enough to smoke a ham.  Now, that's a weird thought--using a compost bin as the offset heat source for smoked meats/fish.  All you need is 150 degrees.

Ah yes, nothing like grass fed, grass smoked ham at Christmas time.

Just checked Amazon and the cheapest Yimby was $99 w/ free shipping.  Darn.  Maybe that supplier sold out.

Wow, that was fast. Maybe it was a weekend sale that's expired now or something. Crazy.

Been adding kitchen waste to this little tumbler since last fall, froze solid during the winter and is now working very nicely. I moved it to the garden area and will maintain it as is, adding to it as material is made.
I'd like to keep it in view  so as to help me gain a better understanding on composting.
I have learned one valuable lesson, do not let it get to wet or it won't work as it should.
Adding lots of kitchen waste gives off much moisture, I combat this by adding shredded leaves, straw and newspaper.

jimmy cee wrote:I have learned one valuable lesson, do not let it get to wet or it won't work as it should.

That's been my one true concern with the tumbler I purchased. Rain adding to the moisture level. I've thought about maybe draping a tarp oveit to keep out excess rain, but not sure yet.

Jimmy, do you also have a compost cage? I'm thinking of the Yimby as a supplemental composter for flower beds. Someday I won't be able to turn the big piles and I want to be prepared.

vortex wrote:

jimmy cee wrote:I have learned one valuable lesson, do not let it get to wet or it won't work as it should.

That's been my one true concern with the tumbler I purchased. Rain adding to the moisture level. I've thought about maybe draping a tarp oveit to keep out excess rain, but not sure yet.

Tread carefully if thinking of draping a waterproof cover over the barrel .
 
Do it so as to not block off any of the air / decomposition gasses flow for that could also lead to a wet contents if they cannot escape offinto the atmosphere.
 
Perhaps a light tubular plastic frame covered in a light tarp and with places that you can tie it to the composter frame whilst the " hat "  is a few inches clear of the composter body .
 

17 months ago ago I wrapped my barrel composter nice & snug for winter to keep the rain out and forgot to vent off the moisture being released inside ..which resulted in a misreable soggy mess that took me ages to clear out.  The dead weight also deformed the barrel sides making it exceedingly hard work to try and rotate it on its rollers that had by early spring indented the sides by about five inches deep . 


The barrel has now been re purposed as a fly proof air dryer for curing meats  & salami etc.

Plantoid, Thank you for sharing the soggy mess story as a warning to us tumbler- beginners.

My first attempt at composting was a bust. I read everything (I think)  but I had bought a tumbler on Craigs List because DH was really against the idea.  (room,smell,flies?). I ended up sticking it up on the raised bed "from hell" - meaning nothing grows there, except roses..). I filled it with aged horse manure, some hay, grass clippings, and vegetable scraps, but stopped adding to it because I was told tumblers needed to have a load and just stop) I may have filled it too much because it was really hard to turn. Anyway, it never got "hot" and I was told to add fresh horse manure, but never did. Last week, I tumbled it and the load fell out (door wasn't closed, apparently). Anyway, it didn't look bad and I spread it over the hell bed. Now I can start fresh. Please tell me what to do. It occurs to me that this might belong in a different thread. Sorry.

sanderson wrote:Jimmy, do you also have a compost cage?  I'm thinking of the Yimby as a supplemental composter for flower beds.  Someday I won't be able to turn the big piles and I want to be prepared.

I think you mean what  I call my piles ?
Yes, I have two, 4 X 4 X 3 foot high, a 1 foot space between I keep filled with coffee grinds..
I add fresh discarded groceries once a week and it's always cooking.

vortex wrote:

jimmy cee wrote:I have learned one valuable lesson, do not let it get to wet or it won't work as it should.

That's been my one true concern with the tumbler I purchased. Rain adding to the moisture level. I've thought about maybe draping a tarp oveit to keep out excess rain, but not sure yet.

Try rotating tumbler where the openings are parallel to the ground

momvet wrote:My first attempt at composting was a bust. I read everything (I think)  but I had bought a tumbler on Craigs List because DH was really against the idea.  (room,smell,flies?). I ended up sticking it up on the raised bed "from hell" - meaning nothing grows there, except roses..). I filled it with aged horse manure, some hay, grass clippings, and vegetable scraps, but stopped adding to it because I was told tumblers needed to have a load and just stop) I may have filled it too much because it was really hard to turn. Anyway, it never got "hot" and I was told to add fresh horse manure, but never did. Last week, I tumbled it and the load fell out (door wasn't closed, apparently). Anyway, it didn't look bad and I spread it over the hell bed. Now I can start fresh. Please tell me what to do. It occurs to me that this might belong in a different thread. Sorry.

Hard to turn ? don't try spinning it, turn it slowly. If you do that the material will mix much better.
It's easier also, once you get the feel, you'll be able to sense the inside turning.

jimmy cee wrote:Try rotating tumbler where the openings are parallel to the ground

That's the thing, there are openings everywhere that water can seep in. Then again, it also can seep out as well. It's very well ventilated, but that comes as a sacrifice on moisture control.

It may not be an issue, but it's something I'm keeping close watch on. I'm going to open it up tonight, and also give it its first active tumble.

vortex wrote:
That's the thing, there are openings everywhere that water can seep in. Then again, it also can seep out as well. It's very well ventilated, but that comes as a sacrifice on moisture control.

If thats the case, I would keep it under a shed/cover, however not cover it.

So far it seems to be doing alright, even through the rain over the last few days.

Turned it for the second time yesterday, and will see how it's going tomorrow when I flip it around again.

Still turning. Three weeks will probably be a stretch, but we'll see how it goes.

Still planning on about six weeks, but even at that it is still a decent time.

Thanks for the update.