[whippersnapper]

Any ideas what it is? Should it be there? Fungi? Bacteria? Harmful?

Just turned my heap and it's nice and warm but everything coated in this white powdery stuff...

Thanks

[paintedlady]

I would have thought that was perfectly normal.  Composts are the result of saprophytic breakdown of raw vegetable materials, that is fungal and mould.  Does it not have a sort of mushroom/musty smell about it?

[whippersnapper]

Does it not have a sort of mushroom/musty smell about it?

Yeah I think it probably does. Taking care though not to breath in the fine powder. When disurbed it clouds a bit.

Thanks for your input. Just curious as I've not seen it develop so quickly and i such quantity before.

[paintedlady]

The heap being nice & warm was a dead giveaway     Better that than cold and wet.