Speedibin user gets his compost to 243 degrees F!

Speedibin user gets his compost to 243 degrees F!

142-c
Now and then we are flabbergasted.  This customer did it.  I didn't know compost could get this hot. Here is his story, for the record.  Just had to phone from Orangeville, Ont about results of using the device. And delighted with its performance. Used grass clippings and then (yuck) Initially, kitchen scraps, ending up with a foot or so in the bin,  mounded up like a little mountain,  and because waiting for fall of maple leaves and had nothing more to add except human urine which worked great as an activator, ending up initially with a foot  If leveled off, and before mounding up. Watched a  woman on the web site, was told to mound it up to help retain heat and worked out well. Of course, having watched many composting web sites, added small twigs about a foot or so long along the bottom for additional air supply.  Temperature gradually climbed to top up at 132 degrees.  Remaining  for about a week, slowly falling.  Compost yes, but half done, enough to dump blobs of it where grass refused to grow, even though plugs of good grass inserted in the bare patches gradually died. Those bare patches where I used raw vinegar left lawn in terrible shape, embarrassing, and prone to weeds. Not only did vinegar kill weeds, but dawned on me I’ve killed the soil bacteria too.   Any wonder nice grass plugs slowly died. Those compost blobs slowly penetrated, and brought bare patches back to life, and happy to see them fill up with fresh grass  from seeding and covering with more compost. A week or so accumulated 4 compacted big garbage bags of  maple leaves, laid down more twigs first, then thin layers of browned grass to prevent compacting, then another 2 to 3 inches of leaves loosely dumped in over the grass, another thin grass layer, followed by another scattered layer of leaves, gradually completely topping up the bin. Sprinkled half a watering can of water, then some fresh urine.  Closed the lid and waited a day or so.  Hmmm not much action, so Sprinkled more water to drip down the contents and saw rise in temperature to 80, then  100, then over 150, wondered how high it would go, heck it reached 200 and still climbing.  Leave it alone Tony, its doing its thing.  Began to worry a bit about fire.  Left lid closed, its still climbing, finally topped at 253 degrees, and remained there for about 3 days. Today, Oct 15th phoned Speedibin, related the whole story to her, meantime temp slowly fell in 2 days to 241, thank goodness. Didn’t lift lid supplying oxygen to prevent combustion.  Outside temp 70 deg this afternoon Going to peek at the compost tomorrow, but let temp fall a bit more.. Gone right now to check temp at core and its now, wait a sec.  It reads 240. Outside Is 69 deg. Time now 4.43 pm and now gone to watch blue jays get slaughtered again. Regards Tony.
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