[surbie100]

I'm very much a newbie to compost - what amazes me constantly is the sheer amount of material it takes to fill my dalek. Each time I think I've filled it it sinks by about a third. I turn it every few weeks with a fork and a fair amount of effort.

How can you get it hotter at this time of year? I've got nettles, chicken manure and stable manure mixed in with my shredded plants and paper, but it's only ever pleasantly warm in there.

Sorry if this is a very basic question!

[Kristen]

How can you get it hotter at this time of year?

Difficult during the Winter in my experience.  Possibly insulating the heap will help (keep the heat in, allowing the heap to generate more heat without it escaping)

[mumofstig]

Adding some manure, usually gives it a boost - or add urine as an activator.

[Kristen]

add urine as an activator.

Works well for me in the Summer, but I didn't really notice any heat generation in the Winter, and I have stopped using it in Winter as I think it may have been adding too much moisture at that time (Dalek heaps, so no drying effect from wind etc. compared to a slatted-side heap).

I am sure that, also, I am not adding enough green material in the Winter - garden not generating mountains of weeds like the summer!

My manure pile steams away merrily in the Winter though 

[Amilo]

[quoteHow much do you have to make?  Would microwaving it be an alternative?  I think if it "burns" over the fire it will be a different material?  I have known folk use the burnt soil under a bonfire as "sterilised soil" but all the humus in it has been burnt too, and I wonder if that has robbed some of its potential?
[/quote]

The burning was a consideration at the first attempt and confirmed to be a problem, so the next attempt was to add plenty of water to the compost container so that the action was of boiling/steaming and  make a lid with a chimney that will stick out of the fire chimney so that the steaming will give some idea of progress, but all this has to wait until next year when we return home, with the present set-up the fire, fumes and steam will be all mixed together.

[Kristen]

the next attempt was to add plenty of water to the compost container so that the action was of boiling/steaming

Sounds like a great solution.

Could you boil water such that the steam then passes through the soil, or would that be too much faff to construct? I suppose there is risk of pressure build up.

[Trillium]

In my cold winters the compost pile freezes solid so I don't bother. Something to think about if your winters are similar. In spring after the pile thaws, I turn it over adding some fresh manure and water, and off it goes. The fluffing/turning adds air which gets the heat going among the damp items.

[Amilo]

the next attempt was to add plenty of water to the compost container so that the action was of boiling/steaming

Sounds like a great solution.

Could you boil water such that the steam then passes through the soil, or would that be too much faff to construct? I suppose there is risk of pressure build up.

Precisely, I have to play around a bit but I'm thinking having a false bottom to the compost drum with the water sat under it, that way the steam has to penetrate the compost to escape. I just love tinkering!!