Never thought I'd be watching videos on cleaning out a compost bin. HotBin coming today! You give great information with your videos and your style is so easy to follow.
Hi BeanieComposter Thank You so much for these Great Videos you have both made and the Helpul Information you give in them. I have Just been given a Hot Bin to use in my Garden and was looking for a Video to Explain how to use them and what can l put into it. Also l wanted to see how to set One Up and how it works. These Videos are just what l needed l can't Thank You Both Enough. I will be Watching some more of these as soon as l get my Hot 🔥 Bin from Yorkshire. Happy Gardening from Petesveg.
You are more than welcome. Welcome to the hot composting community and I hope you will enjoy your HB. Looking forward to hearing how you get on. Any questions just ask. Happy composting.
Really enjoyed your video again,Thanks so much for taking the time to explain to us all exactly how to do this really satisfying job of emptying the hotbin.Your compost looks amazing and I can only hope that all the hard work I've put into mine will produce results as good as yours.I find myself planning ahead now for filling the hotbin and I tend to store a few tubs of mixed chopped waste and grass clippings in my warm greenhouse which seems to keep it all a bit drier until I fill it up.Always look forward to your updates so many thanks and I hope you have a good bank holiday weekend.
Nice to hear from you again Elizabeth 🙂, Yes it is satisfying when you get nice compost out and when the hotbin is working well. I am sure with all your enthusiasm your compost will be beautiful. The warmer you keep your waste the better so good idea about keeping it in a warm greenhouse 👍 Have a lovely long weekend too!
@@BeanieComposter yes emptied half the bin then restarted it with fresh grass and a hot bottle, it’s back up to temperature again now, I need to slow down on the feeding now.
@@BeanieComposter I tried your way and it was certainly much better. Unfortunately even though I’ve been draining the leachate regularly, the compost was very wet, although it wasn’t really smelly, surprisingly. I think I need to increase my paper/cardboard ratio. Your vid reminded me to have everything to hand which also helped a lot - so thank you 😊
Excellent down-to-earth video - I have my hotbin about a year now, and I've made all the mistakes you mentioned (apart from the ants, which aren't really your fault!) I particularly liked the way you left the bit in the centre, and will be sure to use that idea next time I'm doing an unload - Thanks from Ireland and keep up the good work, it's great to learn from your mistakes!
Great video, thank you Mr and Mrs Beanie. I'm about to do my first hotbin harvest and this is very useful as the Hotbin people themselves say take the middle out first...but I'm going to go with your method which makes better sense. I did think it was 90 days to harvest though so not sure what I'm going to find in the depths! Hotbin has been running at about 50 to 60 for most of the past 3 months.
Hi Judith, thank you for your comment. If it's the first harvest then the more you wait the better, but if its been running hot most of the time 60 days should be enough, no harm checking. Please let us know how it turned out. Well done for keeping it hot, thank you for watching.
@@BeanieComposter Thanks for that. It has been 90 days now and my little bin is nearly full to the top, 60° steaming gently and with white fluffy mould (?) over the top surface. Do you think I should leave it to bed down a bit before emptying as its the first emptying? Not really much room to add more waste though so would it just get cold?...Thank you.
@@judiththwaites9239 I think after 90 days it should be good. The only way is to take the hatch door off and check it. It will most certainly be good enough to put into bags if you want it to continue breaking down. It should not go cold but if you are nearly full then I would have to take some out. Once you have removed this then the next batch should get better and better. The white stuff is quite common so don't worry about it. You do not need to let it bed down just empty it. Let us know how you get on.
@@BeanieComposter. That makes sense thankyou so much. So will I always need to remove some of the top layers the bin gets full, to make space for new waste/bulking agent/paper in order to keep the bin running hot? I did my first harvest this afternoon right after seeing your video, it was quite exciting to see what's been going on underneath all the additions over the last 3 months. It didn't collapse (was very kind of you to demonstrate with your bin what mess happens if you don't retain the centre core) and the compost looked dark and rich not smelly and moist but not wet. Quite like the bark chippings throughout the mixture, so I've put about half of what I took out into a plastic box and the rest back in the hotbin with fresh waste etc. Fingers crossed, the temp had risen to nearly 40 this evening. Good luck to you and all your followers in their hotbin hobby.
Hi Beanie - we are up and running in Scotland - just about a month in and 55-60degrees C - very happy with that in February! - we’re collecting a lot of leachate , our question is, how do we use/dilute this as a fertiliser? Have you done a video on that?
First of all well done for achieving those temps at this time of the year. It is recommended to dilute the leachate 1 part leachate to 10 parts water and if it is a delicate plant then 1 part leachate to 30 parts water. I personally never measure and save it in old milk bottles that have been cleaned ready to use in spring/summer. I also use it on most things and we did a video on Miracle grow vs leachate that is worth a look.
I could've done with this a couple of days ago! I just let it collapse and put the undone stuff back, but I'll be doing this next time. It's good to see other people's results so you know if you're on the right track. Only thing I would add is take the thermometer out first. I've lost it before now as it collapsed into the bottom and hid for 3 months. Cheers!
Yes you are right. I guess many of us have found a thermometer in our compost. If you look on the hotbins videos there's never collapse. Amazing how they do it.
I use a bus boy dish pan. It's a little bit wider than the Hotbin and about 4 inches deep. Works easily to collect the compost and not too much mess if the compost collapses.
Hi Richard. I guess I just have always used the raking stick. Maybe I need to try a spade but just find that the raking stick is easy for me to reach every corner. I do have a plastic pet food scoop that I find handy. Thanks for the comment and this is what the channel is about seeing what other people do so thanks.
Hi well I’m up and off with the compost , 🤞🏻going to resist going opening the lid to check the temp although keep wanting to do I have it at the back of my garden shed it’s a bit shaded from the sun don’t think to much sun on the composter cabinet to good for it. Can’t wait till I can get some compost out of it 🤞🏻oh I was going to say we don’t get many ants but must be time for them as I have been seeing a lot down the path at side of the house and on the paving flags that the bin is hope they don’t decide to make a nest in there like you have had any way bye Jean x
Good luck Jean! I'm sure you'll be fine, just remember the first batch of compost is never the best because you put everything from scratch, but it should still be good 👍 Once you open the hatch and you see the steam coming out of it you'll be pleased with yourself 😁 Let us know as soon as you are up to 40⁰ and rising. We love hearing from you X
So we have the mini and the original large one which is the one in the video. The large is 200ltr and can compost a lot. The mini is 100ltr and i would say is for smaller gardens.
Nice work, interesting to see how this goes along. Just started my first bin a week ago, been cooking at around 55 degrees centigrade. Also happy to be able to throw ground elder and other weeds in it, knowing it will turn into something useful!
Hi Kretipleti Yes it is great that you can compost perennial weeds and not worry about them coming back just don't add if it falls below 40 degrees. Sounds like its all going well so happy composting and thanks for watching.
Well I have joined your hot bin composters channel, and thank you for all this useful information. Though I am beginning to think this might become a full time job, just keeping it all ticking over. My wife is going to buy me a beannie hat, so I don't get to cold in the winter months stirring my compost.
Hey, welcome to the family! And your welcome for the videos, I'm happy you find them useful, happy composting! It does got obsessive, don't let the composting get between you and your wife 😉
I'm binge watching ALL your videos while saving up for a hotbin - I have a normal composter that is falling apart and our dog is barking at (either he smells the veg in it he likes or some mice have moved in) so I'm very much looking forward to have something more compact, closed and hot!
Thank you for watching and I hope they are giving you the information you require. I hope you manage to save up for one by the spring/summer time as that is a perfect time to have one.
You make it look so easy I tried all your tips and still had a collapse, however my compost was really dry in the bottom half with lots of paper and cardboard still visible
Hi Jennifer , May be this batch was just a little too dry then. I tend to put less paper during the summer. Just need time and experience and I am sure you will be fine. Always better too dry than too wet.
@@BeanieComposter yeah I just didn't want it too be too wet, my mum thinks because we couldn't put grass in that may have also been a reason why it was so dry
@@Jennifer-5 If you look at our last video unless you have lots of kitchen waste then it has been hard this summer to have a lot of wet waste. Most plants have struggled so most garden waste is drier than normal. Grass does create a lot of moisture so I think your mum may have a point.
Hi Beanie. Great videos! Got my Hotbin coming in a few days. I know when you get it you put a few twigs in the bottom to help keep the air holes free from blockage. When you empty yours, why don't you put a few twigs in?
Hi, I always feel like I have enough bulking agent that has not fully broken down that is doing the same as if I was to put twigs there so I just feel it is not required. If I had bulking agent that had broken down then I would probably put some twigs there but as I say with what I am using as bulking agent I know it will not break down even after a couple of goes through the HB. Enjoy the HB when it arrives and keep us posted on how you are getting on with it.
Hi when converted that is pretty much the same price as here. Are they easy to get and do many people have them? looking forward to hearing how you get on with it on the other side of the world.
Thanks for your videos Beanie. I’ve had mine for almost a month now and have kept it between 30-60 at all times. Any advice on how to stop the lid squeaking when opening/closing?
Hi there, we have the same problem but it doesn't really bother me too much. Try to put some greas in between the joints but check with the manufacturerin case it effects the material?
The raking stick makes it possible to get into the awkward positions. I guess yes you could use just your hands but in mine there are often rose thorns that after a session of emptying the HB can give you some nasty splinters if you were to grab it all just using your hands. Some of the bulking agent does take a few compost cycles to really break down. So for me I find the raking stick a good choice of tool plus it is always being used to stir the waste.
Uoh thank you for your comment , on if get to Ewell will see you , that would have been great but I won’t go all that way hate leaving home now I’m so wobbly and weak , they come to me I got this dormer bungalow 11 years ago with three bedrooms and 2 bathrooms so the 4 of them have lots of room for them an now the covid has stopped them from coming just Great . I did a quick stock count on my garden the best I could and I was wrong . As over last 11 years have had plants that could not survive the cold here and had to give up on them my new count is around 145/150 it’s hard to count as so many if any one gives me a plant now I’m disappointed as can’t find anywhere to put it 😂 has to go in a pot . To say I feed the squirrels they have a box up on another building at bottom of the garden and they run around burying all the nuts they don’t eat it’s not easy as no free space so full of plants but that way no room for weed either. And big trees around my garden so lots of plants that are sun loving but quite happy to grow in shade , plus I have 2 rescue cats and won’t leave them they keep me going them my garden the squirrels and feed all the birds I’m a right dr Doolittle and talk to the animals I have always had dogs an miss a dog but could not walk one now ! And have mostly lived out away from other houses so not really my thing having people living near by like to be out on the hills not that I have anything against people just like open spaces best , but love my garden very much so between all the animals and garden and now the composter could do with doing a night shift , plus I don’t have help keep the house spick and span so not enough hours in a day 😂😂I like to watch your videos I’m sadistic I think cause it cracks me up when u find the ants nest but I might be in that position by the looks of all the ants I saw yesterday the little monkeys still won’t put anything down to kill them as they all on earth to do there bit not that I will think that if they build a nest in my composter happy days 😂hey take u all day reading my rubbish ha ha keep doing what you do especially your chef videos super and the filming very good .Jean x
Hi Jean, it's really great that you are enthusiastic about it all! 😊 we don't have so many plants but we are trying hard, propagating and filling the gaps. Our front garden meadow is doing well. Full off bees and little creatures. The bluetits has gone and the big rose started flowering so soon Mrs is going to be very bust deadheading and trimming (more bulking agent for me). We keep our fingers crossed 🤞for your composter steaming soon!
Just looked a quick peep I’m now up to 45 but that may be due to the last 2 days being red hot , only started it yesterday at around 12 ish so only been going 1 1/2 days feels pretty hot when opened the lid , I am infatuated with it this bungalow is a dormer With 3 bedrooms upstairs and a bedroom downstairs saves me going up an down stairs ,so quick to pop out in the late evening an check the composter 😂 I also have a big conservatory so start lots of seeds off in there but seeds all out and now shredder has pride of place and big pair of scissors for cutting my way through the huge box the composter came in . My son thinks I’ve gone completely crazy I am beginning to wonder about that myself ! Hope my composter never smells think my neighbours wouldn’t be too pleased , every time I walk past have wanted to go and check the temp it’s driving me mad 😂 I am going to behave now and stop parroting on about it all I will not bother you again for one week just to let u know the temp. I do enjoy your videos on composting and your recipes for lovely food thanks for ur time and ur wife film director x
Hi Jean, that sounds really good, if it's up to 45 I would start to put little amount of waste every other day. Don't worry about opening it and checking in I used to go with the torch at midnight when we first got it 🤣 Off to feed mine now. Have a lovely hot day and may your composter be even hotter! Keep us updated 🤞
Hi Beanie, quickly approaching my first reveal - gulp 😅 Quick question, when (if) i manage a nice column to hold the waste above, is it worth putting some twigs on the base to help with air flow going forward? (After making sure the holes are clear). I’m just thinking that HB recommend putting in twigs when you first use the HB so on that basis would think adding twigs when emptying should help??
Hi Damian. It will do no harm. I never do but as I say while you have it all exposed then go for it as once it collapses there is no going back. Good luck. I'm guessing you must have an advent calendar counting down the days as it is December.
@@BeanieComposter Hi Beanie, thanks for the quick reply as always 🙏 A Hotbin Advent Calendar, now thats an idea 😂 Another question for you please. Assuming the first dump is successful and the compost usable, how long before you next empty it. Is it every 2/3 months (when full again) or could it become monthly on the basis some of the waste left in could already be 2 months old?
@@damianwilliams881 Hi Damian, It will really depend on your temperatures. The hotter things are the quicker everything breaks down. So if you can keep things hot then you can be emptying in 30 days although that would be mulching material. I tend to just keeps things going until the temperature sticks at 40 with no shift and you know the compost is compacted and needs emptying. After your first as you call it dump then as you say the compost quality should be better as you have had it in there for longer and it will have already broken down a bit. With good temperatures I tend to go for 60-90 days.
@@BeanieComposter thanks Beanie. I’m going away for two weeks in January, any tips/advice on what to do about the HB during this time? I dont trust the Mrs to look after it! 😂
@@damianwilliams881 Just give it a good feed before you go away. If the weather is like it is here then it will be a struggle to keep it hot at best. We will hopefully have a new video on getting the HB hot again so some hints and tips will be in that. Have more trust in your Mrs. Its not rocket science.
Hi you really blasting off with your composting , I did think what a mess when taking any out is a boiler suit job ,or wet suit as long as no one can see you 😂 I could have done with couple of flag stones to put under it to make it easier for getting the leachate or whatever it’s called I’ll just call it liquid plant food , need those rubber gloves that vets use for helping cows to calf those gloves come right up to top of your arm . Hi thanks for the acknowledgment to me and my compost bin can’t wait to get going . Think your wife will be having a laugh at you getting the ants biting you little demons . Watching with interest and hope that when get going I will be able to manage waiting for garden to dry out a bit so that can cut the grass , if no rain couple of days an I will be off once get that cut . Sorry did have to laugh you getting bites off the ants . Bye happy composting and filming both of you Jean X
Haha she did have a good laugh at me, we are looking forward to hearing about yours starting 🤞What an idea about the vets gloves 🤣! We had some great weather here recently and we hope it will come to you too X
Never thought I'd be watching videos on cleaning out a compost bin. HotBin coming today!
You give great information with your videos and your style is so easy to follow.
Thank you, Tom, happy composting when it arrives.
Hi BeanieComposter Thank You so much for these Great Videos you have both made and the Helpul Information you give in them.
I have Just been given a Hot Bin to use in my Garden and was looking for a Video to Explain how to use them and what can l put into it. Also l wanted to see how to set One Up and how it works.
These Videos are just what l needed l can't Thank You Both Enough.
I will be Watching some more of these as soon as l get my Hot 🔥 Bin from Yorkshire.
Happy Gardening from Petesveg.
You are more than welcome. Welcome to the hot composting community and I hope you will enjoy your HB. Looking forward to hearing how you get on. Any questions just ask. Happy composting.
Hi Beaniecomposter Thank You for your reply l will watching most of your Videos for Help.
Many Thanks Petesveg
Just found you. Great tip about empty bin will try this method in future
Thank you. Hope some of our videos will help you out.
Really enjoyed your video again,Thanks so much for taking the time to explain to us all exactly how to do this really satisfying job of emptying the hotbin.Your compost looks amazing and I can only hope that all the hard work I've put into mine will produce results as good as yours.I find myself planning ahead now for filling the hotbin and I tend to store a few tubs of mixed chopped waste and grass clippings in my warm greenhouse which seems to keep it all a bit drier until I fill it up.Always look forward to your updates so many thanks and I hope you have a good bank holiday weekend.
Nice to hear from you again Elizabeth 🙂, Yes it is satisfying when you get nice compost out and when the hotbin is working well. I am sure with all your enthusiasm your compost will be beautiful. The warmer you keep your waste the better so good idea about keeping it in a warm greenhouse 👍
Have a lovely long weekend too!
Great job! I really appreciate the methodical style of your videos and explanations.
Thank you we really appreciate the comments.
Really good advice Beanie - thanks for taking the time in making the video 👍
Your welcome Ken, how is the composter now, did it pick up the temperature?
@@BeanieComposter yes emptied half the bin then restarted it with fresh grass and a hot bottle, it’s back up to temperature again now, I need to slow down on the feeding now.
@@kenjames2214 that's great news, just remember to put no more then 2 caddies every other day. Good luck!
Good advice Beanie. I’ve emptied mine once before and created a right mess, but next time I’ll take it from the sides first. Thank you.
Hi Del, thank you. I'm glad I can help. 😁
@@BeanieComposter I tried your way and it was certainly much better. Unfortunately even though I’ve been draining the leachate regularly, the compost was very wet, although it wasn’t really smelly, surprisingly. I think I need to increase my paper/cardboard ratio.
Your vid reminded me to have everything to hand which also helped a lot - so thank you 😊
@@delsmith568 it is generally quite wet when you empty it, it just clumps up together but it's not runny. If it doesn't smell that's a good news. 👌
Excellent down-to-earth video - I have my hotbin about a year now, and I've made all the mistakes you mentioned (apart from the ants, which aren't really your fault!) I particularly liked the way you left the bit in the centre, and will be sure to use that idea next time I'm doing an unload - Thanks from Ireland and keep up the good work, it's great to learn from your mistakes!
Hi Elizabeth
You are sure right. I have made many mistakes and are glad you are enjoying the videos. Thank you for watching.
Great video, thank you Mr and Mrs Beanie. I'm about to do my first hotbin harvest and this is very useful as the Hotbin people themselves say take the middle out first...but I'm going to go with your method which makes better sense. I did think it was 90 days to harvest though so not sure what I'm going to find in the depths! Hotbin has been running at about 50 to 60 for most of the past 3 months.
Hi Judith, thank you for your comment. If it's the first harvest then the more you wait the better, but if its been running hot most of the time 60 days should be enough, no harm checking. Please let us know how it turned out. Well done for keeping it hot, thank you for watching.
@@BeanieComposter Thanks for that. It has been 90 days now and my little bin is nearly full to the top, 60° steaming gently and with white fluffy mould (?) over the top surface. Do you think I should leave it to bed down a bit before emptying as its the first emptying? Not really much room to add more waste though so would it just get cold?...Thank you.
@@judiththwaites9239 I think after 90 days it should be good. The only way is to take the hatch door off and check it. It will most certainly be good enough to put into bags if you want it to continue breaking down. It should not go cold but if you are nearly full then I would have to take some out. Once you have removed this then the next batch should get better and better. The white stuff is quite common so don't worry about it. You do not need to let it bed down just empty it. Let us know how you get on.
@@BeanieComposter.
That makes sense thankyou so much. So will I always need to remove some of the top layers the bin gets full, to make space for new waste/bulking agent/paper in order to keep the bin running hot?
I did my first harvest this afternoon right after seeing your video, it was quite exciting to see what's been going on underneath all the additions over the last 3 months. It didn't collapse (was very kind of you to demonstrate with your bin what mess happens if you don't retain the centre core) and the compost looked dark and rich not smelly and moist but not wet. Quite like the bark chippings throughout the mixture, so I've put about half of what I took out into a plastic box and the rest back in the hotbin with fresh waste etc. Fingers crossed, the temp had risen to nearly 40 this evening. Good luck to you and all your followers in their hotbin hobby.
@@judiththwaites9239 Well done. We are glad we have helped and may the addiction and passion continue. Thank you for keeping us all posted.
Thank you for the comment about the dry charcoal like bits, I was worried we were doing something wrong whe I found them in the compost.
Hi I am sure you are doing nothing wrong. It is just a bacteria but it does look like the charcoal after a BBQ.
Hi Beanie - we are up and running in Scotland - just about a month in and 55-60degrees C - very happy with that in February! - we’re collecting a lot of leachate , our question is, how do we use/dilute this as a fertiliser? Have you done a video on that?
First of all well done for achieving those temps at this time of the year. It is recommended to dilute the leachate 1 part leachate to 10 parts water and if it is a delicate plant then 1 part leachate to 30 parts water. I personally never measure and save it in old milk bottles that have been cleaned ready to use in spring/summer. I also use it on most things and we did a video on Miracle grow vs leachate that is worth a look.
I could've done with this a couple of days ago! I just let it collapse and put the undone stuff back, but I'll be doing this next time. It's good to see other people's results so you know if you're on the right track. Only thing I would add is take the thermometer out first. I've lost it before now as it collapsed into the bottom and hid for 3 months. Cheers!
Yes you are right. I guess many of us have found a thermometer in our compost.
If you look on the hotbins videos there's never collapse. Amazing how they do it.
I use a bus boy dish pan. It's a little bit wider than the Hotbin and about 4 inches deep. Works easily to collect the compost and not too much mess if the compost collapses.
Great idea. Unfortunately we do not have the space to put the old Guinea pig tray which would be perfect for us.
Great informative video but, just curious - why don't you use a small spade? A lot less messy.
Hi Richard. I guess I just have always used the raking stick. Maybe I need to try a spade but just find that the raking stick is easy for me to reach every corner. I do have a plastic pet food scoop that I find handy. Thanks for the comment and this is what the channel is about seeing what other people do so thanks.
Hi well I’m up and off with the compost , 🤞🏻going to resist going opening the lid to check the temp although keep wanting to do I have it at the back of my garden shed it’s a bit shaded from the sun don’t think to much sun on the composter cabinet to good for it. Can’t wait till I can get some compost out of it 🤞🏻oh I was going to say we don’t get many ants but must be time for them as I have been seeing a lot down the path at side of the house and on the paving flags that the bin is hope they don’t decide to make a nest in there like you have had any way bye Jean x
Good luck Jean! I'm sure you'll be fine, just remember the first batch of compost is never the best because you put everything from scratch, but it should still be good 👍
Once you open the hatch and you see the steam coming out of it you'll be pleased with yourself 😁 Let us know as soon as you are up to 40⁰ and rising. We love hearing from you X
Another great video thanks, what size is your bin?
So we have the mini and the original large one which is the one in the video. The large is 200ltr and can compost a lot. The mini is 100ltr and i would say is for smaller gardens.
Thanks for this, I didn't know where to start but now I feel confident to do it 🙌
Hi Holly We are glad it has helped you let us know how you get on.
Nice work, interesting to see how this goes along. Just started my first bin a week ago, been cooking at around 55 degrees centigrade. Also happy to be able to throw ground elder and other weeds in it, knowing it will turn into something useful!
Hi Kretipleti
Yes it is great that you can compost perennial weeds and not worry about them coming back just don't add if it falls below 40 degrees. Sounds like its all going well so happy composting and thanks for watching.
Well I have joined your hot bin composters channel, and thank you for all this useful information. Though I am beginning to think this might become a full time job, just keeping it all ticking over. My wife is going to buy me a beannie hat, so I don't get to cold in the winter months stirring my compost.
Hey, welcome to the family! And your welcome for the videos, I'm happy you find them useful, happy composting! It does got obsessive, don't let the composting get between you and your wife 😉
I'm binge watching ALL your videos while saving up for a hotbin - I have a normal composter that is falling apart and our dog is barking at (either he smells the veg in it he likes or some mice have moved in) so I'm very much looking forward to have something more compact, closed and hot!
Thank you for watching and I hope they are giving you the information you require. I hope you manage to save up for one by the spring/summer time as that is a perfect time to have one.
You make it look so easy I tried all your tips and still had a collapse, however my compost was really dry in the bottom half with lots of paper and cardboard still visible
Hi Jennifer , May be this batch was just a little too dry then. I tend to put less paper during the summer. Just need time and experience and I am sure you will be fine. Always better too dry than too wet.
@@BeanieComposter yeah I just didn't want it too be too wet, my mum thinks because we couldn't put grass in that may have also been a reason why it was so dry
@@Jennifer-5 If you look at our last video unless you have lots of kitchen waste then it has been hard this summer to have a lot of wet waste. Most plants have struggled so most garden waste is drier than normal. Grass does create a lot of moisture so I think your mum may have a point.
Hi Beanie. Great videos! Got my Hotbin coming in a few days. I know when you get it you put a few twigs in the bottom to help keep the air holes free from blockage. When you empty yours, why don't you put a few twigs in?
Hi, I always feel like I have enough bulking agent that has not fully broken down that is doing the same as if I was to put twigs there so I just feel it is not required. If I had bulking agent that had broken down then I would probably put some twigs there but as I say with what I am using as bulking agent I know it will not break down even after a couple of goes through the HB. Enjoy the HB when it arrives and keep us posted on how you are getting on with it.
Great idea using a paint roller. I'm getting a hot bin soon, but here it's expensive in Australia $500
Hi when converted that is pretty much the same price as here. Are they easy to get and do many people have them? looking forward to hearing how you get on with it on the other side of the world.
Thanks for your videos Beanie. I’ve had mine for almost a month now and have kept it between 30-60 at all times. Any advice on how to stop the lid squeaking when opening/closing?
Hi there, we have the same problem but it doesn't really bother me too much. Try to put some greas in between the joints but check with the manufacturerin case it effects the material?
I used a silicon grease, hate that noise lol
@@bobfal did it work? Mrs hates it too..
@@BeanieComposter so far, so good.
@@bobfal Thanks mate!
It’s no wonder you got bitten. The ants were probably hungry from all the talk about kebabs and barbecues. 🤣Thanks for the videos.
🤣🤣🤣 your welcome!
Is the stick really needed? Seems like just using your hands would be much easier and more controllable
The raking stick makes it possible to get into the awkward positions. I guess yes you could use just your hands but in mine there are often rose thorns that after a session of emptying the HB can give you some nasty splinters if you were to grab it all just using your hands. Some of the bulking agent does take a few compost cycles to really break down. So for me I find the raking stick a good choice of tool plus it is always being used to stir the waste.
Uoh thank you for your comment , on if get to Ewell will see you , that would have been great but I won’t go all that way hate leaving home now I’m so wobbly and weak , they come to me I got this dormer bungalow 11 years ago with three bedrooms and 2 bathrooms so the 4 of them have lots of room for them an now the covid has stopped them from coming just Great . I did a quick stock count on my garden the best I could and I was wrong . As over last 11 years have had plants that could not survive the cold here and had to give up on them my new count is around 145/150 it’s hard to count as so many if any one gives me a plant now I’m disappointed as can’t find anywhere to put it 😂 has to go in a pot . To say I feed the squirrels they have a box up on another building at bottom of the garden and they run around burying all the nuts they don’t eat it’s not easy as no free space so full of plants but that way no room for weed either. And big trees around my garden so lots of plants that are sun loving but quite happy to grow in shade , plus I have 2 rescue cats and won’t leave them they keep me going them my garden the squirrels and feed all the birds I’m a right dr Doolittle and talk to the animals I have always had dogs an miss a dog but could not walk one now ! And have mostly lived out away from other houses so not really my thing having people living near by like to be out on the hills not that I have anything against people just like open spaces best , but love my garden very much so between all the animals and garden and now the composter could do with doing a night shift , plus I don’t have help keep the house spick and span so not enough hours in a day 😂😂I like to watch your videos I’m sadistic I think cause it cracks me up when u find the ants nest but I might be in that position by the looks of all the ants I saw yesterday the little monkeys still won’t put anything down to kill them as they all on earth to do there bit not that I will think that if they build a nest in my composter happy days 😂hey take u all day reading my rubbish ha ha keep doing what you do especially your chef videos super and the filming very good .Jean x
Hi Jean, it's really great that you are enthusiastic about it all! 😊 we don't have so many plants but we are trying hard, propagating and filling the gaps. Our front garden meadow is doing well. Full off bees and little creatures. The bluetits has gone and the big rose started flowering so soon Mrs is going to be very bust deadheading and trimming (more bulking agent for me). We keep our fingers crossed 🤞for your composter steaming soon!
Just looked a quick peep I’m now up to 45 but that may be due to the last 2 days being red hot , only started it yesterday at around 12 ish so only been going 1 1/2 days feels pretty hot when opened the lid , I am infatuated with it this bungalow is a dormer With 3 bedrooms upstairs and a bedroom downstairs saves me going up an down stairs ,so quick to pop out in the late evening an check the composter 😂 I also have a big conservatory so start lots of seeds off in there but seeds all out and now shredder has pride of place and big pair of scissors for cutting my way through the huge box the composter came in . My son thinks I’ve gone completely crazy I am beginning to wonder about that myself ! Hope my composter never smells think my neighbours wouldn’t be too pleased , every time I walk past have wanted to go and check the temp it’s driving me mad 😂 I am going to behave now and stop parroting on about it all I will not bother you again for one week just to let u know the temp. I do enjoy your videos on composting and your recipes for lovely food thanks for ur time and ur wife film director x
Hi Jean, that sounds really good, if it's up to 45 I would start to put little amount of waste every other day. Don't worry about opening it and checking in I used to go with the torch at midnight when we first got it 🤣 Off to feed mine now. Have a lovely hot day and may your composter be even hotter! Keep us updated 🤞
Hi Beanie, quickly approaching my first reveal - gulp 😅 Quick question, when (if) i manage a nice column to hold the waste above, is it worth putting some twigs on the base to help with air flow going forward? (After making sure the holes are clear). I’m just thinking that HB recommend putting in twigs when you first use the HB so on that basis would think adding twigs when emptying should help??
Hi Damian. It will do no harm. I never do but as I say while you have it all exposed then go for it as once it collapses there is no going back. Good luck. I'm guessing you must have an advent calendar counting down the days as it is December.
@@BeanieComposter Hi Beanie, thanks for the quick reply as always 🙏 A Hotbin Advent Calendar, now thats an idea 😂 Another question for you please. Assuming the first dump is successful and the compost usable, how long before you next empty it. Is it every 2/3 months (when full again) or could it become monthly on the basis some of the waste left in could already be 2 months old?
@@damianwilliams881 Hi Damian, It will really depend on your temperatures. The hotter things are the quicker everything breaks down. So if you can keep things hot then you can be emptying in 30 days although that would be mulching material.
I tend to just keeps things going until the temperature sticks at 40 with no shift and you know the compost is compacted and needs emptying. After your first as you call it dump then as you say the compost quality should be better as you have had it in there for longer and it will have already broken down a bit. With good temperatures I tend to go for 60-90 days.
@@BeanieComposter thanks Beanie. I’m going away for two weeks in January, any tips/advice on what to do about the HB during this time? I dont trust the Mrs to look after it! 😂
@@damianwilliams881 Just give it a good feed before you go away. If the weather is like it is here then it will be a struggle to keep it hot at best. We will hopefully have a new video on getting the HB hot again so some hints and tips will be in that. Have more trust in your Mrs. Its not rocket science.
I don't use any shredded paper and have no issues, BTW
Do you never add paper/cardboard ?
Hi you really blasting off with your composting , I did think what a mess when taking any out is a boiler suit job ,or wet suit as long as no one can see you 😂 I could have done with couple of flag stones to put under it to make it easier for getting the leachate or whatever it’s called I’ll just call it liquid plant food , need those rubber gloves that vets use for helping cows to calf those gloves come right up to top of your arm . Hi thanks for the acknowledgment to me and my compost bin can’t wait to get going . Think your wife will be having a laugh at you getting the ants biting you little demons . Watching with interest and hope that when get going I will be able to manage waiting for garden to dry out a bit so that can cut the grass , if no rain couple of days an I will be off once get that cut . Sorry did have to laugh you getting bites off the ants . Bye happy composting and filming both of you Jean X
Haha she did have a good laugh at me, we are looking forward to hearing about yours starting 🤞What an idea about the vets gloves 🤣! We had some great weather here recently and we hope it will come to you too X
Nice information video thanks
I take it you’re Not an Adam Ant fan
Hi , thanks. I had to "stand and deliver" to finish off the video 🤣
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Hi Gill cannot see any message