How to Start Your Hot Compost Bin

UPDATE: We now sell a Mini HOTBIN more suited to smaller households and spaces, this bin requires less waste to maintain the temperature, approx. 2.5 kilos or 5 litres per week. The long stem thermometer you see in this video has been discontinued in favour of a smaller 90mm version.

Some tips and simple steps to help get your compost bin going.

In this video we look at the fast start method to get your HOTBIN up to temperature in just 2 to 3 days. This video will give you an idea of the types of waste to add and what you need to do to get your HOTBIN off to the best possible start!

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[pip]

This may not be a popular comment, because being a keeper of stuff 'just in case it might be useful', I have made my own hot composter with a wheelie bin (my mum bought it for clinical waste, but no longer needed). I covered it with three layers of insulation (Celotex, Thermowrap, expanded rubber workshop flooring) left over from a building project. I put in a suspended floor of strong stainless mesh (long story, but it was free, too) and a water butt tap draining the space below it. I use the tap as my air valve. My main problem has been keeping the temperature down, and am on my second batch of compost since May 2020. I noted the comments about wetness, and find that by being able to drain the liquid, I not only keep an air space below the batch, but have averaged about 8 litres of rich liquid feed from each batch, and I don't have to put in so much paper. Just a thought as an adaptation to the design? I will say that unless one has all the materials to hand, it is a lot of time and work and a fair bit of money to make your own, so not trying to undermine your business, and many thanks for a brilliant idea. Emulation is the highest form of flattery...

[notunclemort]

Had my HotBin since November 2020. Added loads of different ‘stuff’: paper, card, kitchen waste, grass, weeds, coffee, teabags (ripped open), shredded hedge clippings, anything and everything that I could get hold of. Has produced very good ‘compost’ for either top-dressing or incorporating. Steady 50 to 70 C throughout winter. Magic! Very, very pleased. I wish I had two of them!

[moesmeisje]

Can the paper be printed or be replaced by cardboard? And is grass necessary? I don’t have grass in my small garden.

[tjwatts]

Excellent guide. I stuck in 2 mower bins of grass, about 15l of kitchen waste (shoved through my Bosch garden shredder but pre chopping at to roughly 1" lumps before binning would work as well), a handful of leaves, mouldy wood chippings from a pile, a shredder load of paper shreddings and some cardboard, also run through the Bosch, a few fresh branches, chipped to clean the shredder and some of my old fully plus semi rotted compost from a Dalek bin that never worked very well. I did add a starter bottle of hot water and it was a warm-hot few days this week.

24 hours, later, I had a top thermometer temperature of 31C and a core temp of 48C.

12 hours later, top temp 54C and core about 65C.

24 hours after that, I filled it with 2-3 hoppers of fresh grass clippings, bag of fresh kitchen waste chopped, a couple of bags (5l bags) or mouldy kitchen waste from the dalek, pampass shreddings and more shredded cardboard.

About a day later, it's hit over 60C top and 72C core. 72C seems to be the limit. The pile had dropped about 4" in that time.

Very very impressive - the proof of the pudding will be how well this sustains and whether it will accept my average grass clipping output.

[amyclements]

Hi, i am about to start setting up my hotbin again after a very failed attempt. As its winter, grass clippings aren’t available. Is there something i can substitute it with?

[WilliamsGail]

I've just received my hot bin. Your vids are really useful, so thanks. My initial problem is that I don't have any grass. I dug up the grass some time ago for raised veg beds. I do have a large compost heap in a pallet, which consists mainly of spent veg stuff and shredded paper and cardboard. Would this be regarded as a suitable substitute for getting me started?

[pepsi]

Just got my Hotbin today (07/05/2022)
I saw it at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show

I liked what I saw, so bought a mini and thing to put it on

Its now loaded up with about a 1/4 of the bag of wood chips they gave me, then lots of weeds, dead plants and a small amount of grass cuttings, then a bag of shredded paper, more weeds, dead things, then card board ripped up and sellotape removed

I dont know if there will be much food waste though, but there will be plenty of coffee grounds

Now I guess its a case of hurry up and standstill

I guess I'll just see what videos pop up

(Just one question- How do the worms and bugs get in there ? Its a sealed unit, plus would worms stand the heat of the Hot Bin ?)

I'm not expecting replies

[sandrabeach]

Why do I have liquid coming out of the air intake at the bottom of my bin?

[DannyPage]

Thanks for the advice. After two days it’s at 47°c.

[MotherBee]

Do you have distributor in New Zealand?

[geoffreymaddison]

Hi. When I started my new hotbin off, I feel that I have done it wrong. I filled up the bottom section, with all twiggy bits, up to the prescribed level, then I started to put the wàste in. But, I noticed in this video, there was only a few twiggy bits in the bottom. Can I pull a lot out, and put it in the top. Also I have shredded a lot of conifer twiggs and branches, will this suffice as bulking agent, or, do you think that there would be too much greenery. My bin gets HOT and very steamy, which is great, but starting it off like I did, it's now full to the top, with no more room.
Best regards Geoff Maddison

[katherinehayes]

You said you can add. Stale old and leftovers which could encompass pretty much any leftover cooked food - is that right? Meat etc?

[amyrowley]

Can you not add to the bin everyday? Does it have to be every few days?

[Emrys]

Keep it the green house in the winter to keep it warm

[tomneal]

can i just put leaves and grass clippings only in the bin ?

[alastairmccall]

can anyone help me with my hotbin? the bin is approx half full of waste which has been there over the winter. do i need to empty bin and start again? also with the current situation do not have any bulking material - how do i get it going again?

[Agui]

My Hotbin unbelievably had worms in the base part and dozens of them! I couldn't believe it!!

[elfredapownall]

My first attempt was a failure - scraping that all out to start again. Is the bulking agent just bark chips? Also what do you do if you haven't got a paper shredder? I tore strips of newspaper first time round.. but don't fancy having to buy a paper shredder. Advice please.. I want to make this work.

[delsmith]

When saving kitchen waste, sometimes it grows blue mould - which I know is not good. Normally I would dig this somewhere away from my vegetables.
Can this mouldy food waste be put into a Hotbin composter?

[jackpatchett]

Can you use hay and saw dust in this as well?