[3759allen]

i've heard that you can use glycerin as an accelerator to speed up the rotting/ degrading process.

i have quite a large amount of the stuff that i could use, however i'm guessing you would only want to add small amounts.

does anyone use this in there compost heaps? does it do any harm when you come to use the compost or has it dispersed by then?

[compostqueen]

I've not heard of it. I don't think there would be any need to buy anything in to accelerate the composting process. You could use your pee, nettles or comfrey. Or all of those    The sun, when it does shine, really kicks things off. Stirring it frequently and adding water as necessary will all help speed things up.  To get things really cooking when you have some hot weather is some grass mowings

[maloneranger]

This sounds very odd!

Glycerin [=glycerol] is, in essence, a sugar.
The microbes in the compost will use it very readily.
However, it does not contain any nitrogen, which is often needed to get things moving.

Also, I wonder where you got a large amount of glycerin?
Are you sure that it has not been used industrially, and maybe contain something nasty?

[solway cropper]

I'd agree with her majesty, above. Well mixed compost works all by itself without the need for accelerators. As mentioned, pee seems to get things moving but do be discrete. Standing on top of your compost heap and spraying your pee around is considered unacceptable in some places!

[JohnB47]

i've heard that you can use glycerin as an accelerator to speed up the rotting/ degrading process.

i have quite a large amount of the stuff that i could use, however i'm guessing you would only want to add small amounts.

does anyone use this in there compost heaps? does it do any harm when you come to use the compost or has it dispersed by then?

Where did you hear it?

[3759allen]

there will be no need to buy it, i produce over 20l a month as the bi product from making bio diesel. it is formally known as "soap", this can be made into hand cleaner with further chemical reaction.

the person i buy my ingredients to make diesel said about it however he hasn't tried it as he doesn't have any compost heaps.

i've tried adding it to weeds on my gravel drive and it definitely makes them rot off very quickly, but concerned at adding it to the compost. 

[Dantheman]

pee and comfrey works well for me.

[compostqueen]

Comfrey is great stuff! 

[gobs]

there will be no need to buy it, i produce over 20l a month

I say! That's a lot even of breast milk.

[JayG]

Hard to imagine what benefit glycerine could be to the flora and fauna of a compost heap, and I'd be particularly concerned about what it was contaminated with after the biodiesel production process - it certainly won't have anything like the purity of the form used widely in food and pharmaceuticals.

[3759allen]

there will be no need to buy it, i produce over 20l a month

I say! That's a lot even of breast milk.

these man boobs have got to come in handy for something. 

[3759allen]

Hard to imagine what benefit glycerine could be to the flora and fauna of a compost heap, and I'd be particularly concerned about what it was contaminated with after the biodiesel production process - it certainly won't have anything like the purity of the form used widely in food and pharmaceuticals.

this is what i was thinking. couldn't see it being that good for the worms and bacteria that break the contents down naturally. and wasn't sure what affect it would have on the plants that will be growing in it.

to be honest i don't really need to speed the composting process up as i have 4 daleks and use 2 per year so i can leave it for 2 years to rot down. i just hate to throw things away if i can make use of it in some way.

[JayG]

Couldn't see it being that good for the worms and bacteria that break the contents down naturally. and wasn't sure what affect it would have on the plants that will be growing in it.

to be honest i don't really need to speed the composting process up as i have 4 daleks and use 2 per year so i can leave it for 2 years to rot down. i just hate to throw things away if i can make use of it in some way.

Perhaps whoever you heard suggesting using it on compost heaps was confusing 'chemically organic susbstance' (which it is) with 'organic compost material'  (which it isn't.) 

Having recycled what is presumably waste vegetable oil it does seem a shame to chuck away the main by-product, but it seems that due to a big increase in biodiesel production in many parts of the world the supply of glycerine is currently about 6 times actual demand.   

[diospyros]

known as "soap", this can be made into hand cleaner with further chemical reaction.

 

sounds like that might be the best idea then!

[Spr0ut]

I know someone who made their own bio-diesel who made liquid soap as a second product on their by-products. Worked as a low-sud soap in dishwasher and washing machine as well, so probably a better use for the glycerine.