Compost bin design

[ArlyA]

I built one with a roof, because it seemed our compost had so much water in it, it would go anaerobic and took forever to break down. I built it 2 years ago and the pile now goes down fast. Doesn't anyone else worry about to much moisture? Ask if anyone like to see pic of its. Its made for snow loads.

 

[oosik]

Composting here is the EXACT opposite of what ArlyA has. I have to water my compost piles. Otherwise - being so very dry - they will never break down.

I compost in big piles and turn with my grapple. Takes two years for suitable material.

 

[Oaktree]

I love the idea of a compost bin that can be spun or tipped back and forth to make the aeration process easy; however, they feel kind of gimmicky. In addition, they appear almost air-tight. I know that composting is aided by all sorts of beneficial critters, and I wonder if they would have access to the compost materials in these kinds of bins.

Any thoughts or suggestions would be most appreciated!

I'm re-thinking my compost system here. I agree that the rotary bin seems to be over-thinking it a bit, but I do need something that will discourage critters from getting into it. Currently I'm using a frame with chicken wire stapled to it, but something (I suspect a raccoon, though I've never seen it) keeps ripping off the wire and scattering the contents all over. Had a bear get into it once too.

Composting here is the EXACT opposite of what ArlyA has. I have to water my compost piles. Otherwise - being so very dry - they will never break down.

I compost in big piles and turn with my grapple. Takes two years for suitable material.

We don't generate enough to warrant an open pile. I do have to occasionally water mine too or it just dries out. My bin does have a cover on it though.

 

[KennyG]

I went out a couple of days ago and turned my pile of leaves from last month. It was about 40 degrees outside and the pile was steaming like crazy. I can't imagine a pile getting too wet in our area since we have good drainage. My compost is usually finished in a year but I wouldn't put much effort into it even if it took 5 years. Compost isn't worth more than an occasional turning with the loader (which is kind of fun.)

 

[ning]

My compost typically doesn't have what you'd call "food" in it, because we built a bin adjoining our chicken coop ages ago and that's where we toss our kitchen compost; the only critters that get there are the chickens.

The compost pile proper gets the chicken straw/poop and it gets turned by tractor bucket (and chickens, though they only turn the top few inches). In the damp part of the year (like now) it's super active; in the summer, it needs water daily.

I'd like to build a couple bays like at the landscape supply using big concrete blocks so that I can make compost at a semi-industrial scale involving wood chips, leaves, dirt, ash, etc and have new stuff going into the first bin, turn both bins with the tractor (FEL bucket doesn't do great without something to dig against, concrete block there would help), and rotate stuff into the second bin after a few months, pulling out of there for gardening at some point.