Very smelly compost

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gxm

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Jul 23, 2008
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Location
Portland, OR
I've been composting here for 3 years now, using 2 alternating piles.
I haven't had any issues with smell until I started dumping 15-20# of spent grain a week (15-20# going into the mash, not sure what it weighs after the sugar comes out and the water soaks in).
Lately, especially now that it's warming up (I switched to AG in November), my backyard is getting very ripe in smell. I've tried throwing a bunch of wood shavings over each batch I dump into the heap, but that hasn't helped much.

Anyone else had a similar problem? Any suggestions?
 
yeah, I live it portland, or, and it has been quite wet, which is part of the reason I added the wood chips. Maybe I should cover it so it doesn't get rain water.
 
Hell yea it's been wet! I can't WAIT for the rains to finally be over! Have you been adding grass clippings to your compost? Spent grains has a lot of carbon in it, and should be balanced out with some nitrogen. Grass is great for that and will hopefully help keep the smell down a bit.

Also, I never turn my heap when I've had the grains in there for a week, because the smell is freakin RANK!!
 
Keep a tarp over it and stir everyday until the smell goes away, then stir every week
also try and keep the green/brown balance in check, throw in some grass
-Ander
 
If your compost is stinky you need to turn it more. Lack of air wilcause anarobic (sp?)conditions in your pile.
Mix more green (leaves, grass clippings...) in with the brown (spent grain)and turn once a week.
Have fun!
Chardo
 
Here in NC, during the summer some kind of bugs lay their eggs in my spent grains in the compost and the larvae get active within a few days of dumping. Between them eating it and churning it to aerate, there isn't much smell. During warm fall and spring days, when the bugs aren't around, the smell can get pretty bad. I agree with chardo, that if the grains are all piled together, anaerobic conditions develop inside and anaerobic bacteria make quite a smell.
 
Ayup. You need to aerate the pile more often.

I do the same, or similar, I keep one large pile but alternate between boxes once a week or two weeks. If the pile is too dry, it won't heat up and break down very quickly. If it's too wet, it'll push out all the air and just stink.

Lately tho', I have taken to a smaller scale. I perforated a "spare" trash bin (black, wheeled, and with lid) and use that as a quick, hot composter.

I find I can keep the fresh stuff (vegetal waste, spent grain, etc...) hotter and wetter longer and break it down more rapidly before adding it to the main pile. And rather than physically turning the bin to aerate, I can drive a 3/8" rebar into the perfs to re-establish the channels. Been working great so far and has only cost me the bin.
 
Lately tho', I have taken to a smaller scale. I perforated a "spare" trash bin (black, wheeled, and with lid) and use that as a quick, hot composter.

Sounds a lot like mine. Just a big plastic trashcan with a lid that locks down. I drilled a bunch of holes all over it for air to get in and liquid to drain out. I can pick it up and shake it when it's empty but it weighs a ton when full! Luckily, the bugs (anyone have any idea what they could be? They're brown and about half to 3/4 of an inch long. segmented and they writhe around in there like crazy) keep it pretty well churned and aerated.
 
Sounds a lot like mine. Just a big plastic trashcan with a lid that locks down. I drilled a bunch of holes all over it for air to get in and liquid to drain out. I can pick it up and shake it when it's empty but it weighs a ton when full! Luckily, the bugs (anyone have any idea what they could be? They're brown and about half to 3/4 of an inch long. segmented and they writhe around in there like crazy) keep it pretty well churned and aerated.

Gotta love them maggots! Efficient lil dudes too.
 
black soldier fly larvae, just looked them up. research confirms what i was noticing. they're beneficial to a compost pile, helping break down the organic matter and innoculating it with beneficial bacteria. it sure is nasty to open the compost bin and see the whole thing just writhing with them though!
 
Yea, the grain seems to bring on the BSF larvae, they are like the Cadillac of compost pile bugs. They will die in the fall and compost themselves. The cool thing about them is that after they hatch they only live for a few days so no massive fly problem.
-Ander
 
geez guys...thanks for reminding me why I go to the store and spend the whopping $1.50 a bag for compost.

Nah, I really only use it for my hops; we really dont have much of a veggie garden so we don't need a lot of it. But, even if I did, I'm not sure I would want to go through all that
 
geez guys...thanks for reminding me why I go to the store and spend the whopping $1.50 a bag for compost.

Nah, I really only use it for my hops; we really dont have much of a veggie garden so we don't need a lot of it. But, even if I did, I'm not sure I would want to go through all that

Yeah. I never used much compost before I started home composting. I only started because it seemed such a waste to throw all the grass clippings, leaves, garden prunings, and kitchen scraps into the bin.

Now, especially since I have a mountain, I use it to top dress everything twice a year, fill divets, use for potting soil, dress the hops, etc....

I even give my neighbors some to dress their vegetable gardens with.

It goes fast too.
 
I've always been a lazy composter, thinking that turning the compost is for people who need a hobby. However, the compost smells much better a day after turning it. I imagine all my dumped grains were forming a wet grain blanket, allowing anaerobic nasties to go to work.
I'd also read in another thread that trub is chock full of nitrogen, so I dumped two batches worth on the pile. Easier than washing it down the sink.
 
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