Hotbin

[sparrow100]

You 'might' find one on ebay. They do come up every now and then. I was just very, very lucky.

Am going to empty out the hotbin in a couple of weeks and refill with fresh manure. Am very interested to see what it's created out of the steamingly fresh stuff. It's great that it's that quick at composting things down, particularly now when I have no end of green waste.

[Small pumpkin]

Keep this going it's very interesting. You have nearly talked me into getting one, just as soon as I plan some sort of heist

[sparrow100]

Yep I am *smug face* Still trying to get the hang of it though.

And it won't stop me adding to my dalek family too. I could do with another couple of bigguns so am keeping my eyes peeled.

[veggiechicken]

Lucky you. Sparrow

[sparrow100]

This is a really handy thread! I managed to get hold of a free hotbin and filled it to the brim with fresh stable manure. The temp was at 55-60 for a week or two and has steadily fallen. To be fair the manure was searingly hot when I put it in - I dug it out from the middle of the heap.

Do you find that you need to add water to yours?

Perhaps it is from filling it with manure only, but when the temperature dipped I noticed that the contents were really dry. I added some dilute homemade nitrogen and have been adding chopped greens, and the temp is now maintaining at about 30C on the top thermometer.

When you empty yours out, do you use it straightaway or leave it to age somewhere? I have 3 daleks aswell, and I could top up the maturing one with this stuff if it needs to rest a bit more.

[Richard Eldritch]

You could get a couple of sheets of Polyiso board a frame, linings and something to bond it cheaper. White goods casings reclaimed from a skip would provide a sturdy frame to bouild round.

Alternatively you could stack sturdy fish boxes, Bond the top of one to the bottom of the one above it. cut out the bottoms, leaving just the sides.
Line inside and out.

The Hotbins are quite a neat COTS arrangement though.

I'm sure you could. I grow in my tiny london back garden so the compact nature of the Hotbin suits me. It does feel like a new product, and has plenty of room for improvment but on the whole it works damn well if like me manure isn't local. It's made a massive difference to the quality of my soil, my bin hygiene, and on my need for imported stuff. The worms are mad for it. Ya just can't beat slow cooking all your cardboard and food scraps at 50c for a couple of months!

[JustPotteringAbout]

You could get a couple of sheets of Polyiso board a frame, linings and something to bond it cheaper. White goods casings reclaimed from a skip would provide a sturdy frame to bouild round.

Alternatively you could stack sturdy fish boxes, Bond the top of one to the bottom of the one above it. cut out the bottoms, leaving just the sides.
Line inside and out.

The Hotbins are quite a neat COTS arrangement though.

[Richard Eldritch]

Just a last tip. I don't shred or cut up stuff I put in the bin as I find that larger pieces create more air pockets. Chuck plenty of sticks and twigs in, as they provide support for the air spaces within the compost.

[Richard Eldritch]

Richard, how do you keep the bin hot during the winter? I tried everything from turning it to emptying it to adding large amounts of a combination of horse muck, shredded rotten wood, cardboard and paper, chopped green plant material, food waste etc - I kept buckets of greens in the garage and fed it every few days rather than opening the lid every day. I even added blood fish and bone to give it some nitrogen. I phoned the company and they supplied an aeration pipe which made no difference. The only thing that gets mine hot (its currently 60C and happy) is grass. I simply don't have grass in the winter.

I just tip a bunch of chicken manure pellets in and maybe some sugar if it needs a real kick.. Think of the Hotbin as a fire, It needs Nitrogen and carbon(cardboard and wood) in equal measure (ish slightly more carbon) and oxygen. Remember it doesn't have to always be 60c. 30-45c is still plenty hot enough and if you take your reading from the lid remember that that is just the air temp at the top of the bin, the actual temp of the Muck is far higher.

[Penellype]

Richard, how do you keep the bin hot during the winter? I tried everything from turning it to emptying it to adding large amounts of a combination of horse muck, shredded rotten wood, cardboard and paper, chopped green plant material, food waste etc - I kept buckets of greens in the garage and fed it every few days rather than opening the lid every day. I even added blood fish and bone to give it some nitrogen. I phoned the company and they supplied an aeration pipe which made no difference. The only thing that gets mine hot (its currently 60C and happy) is grass. I simply don't have grass in the winter.

[Richard Eldritch]

I have had a Hotbin for the last year. It's amazing, I can't praise it enough. It does all it's claimed and produce what can only be described as a hybrid manure/compost. It takes huge volumes of card board and paper, Food scraps cooked or not , it doesn't care and reduces them to a sterile black "stuff" in a month. It takes a bit of practice to keep it going well. It likes a good balance of cardboard, twigs and green stuff and slops. I also give it a turn ( which is VERY smelly!) with a fork, and add some chicken pellets if it needs a boost. I know £150 sounds alot but trust me it's a god send, no more stinky bin bags! No card or paper in the recycling bags! and a "harvest" every month or two for the garden. No disease or blight or weed seeds can stand up to being slow cooked for three months at 55c.

Ps I have no connection the company!

[Two_Sheds]

and as soon as one is full, move it to a new spot & pile the unrotted stuff back in.

[Madasafish]

Two daleks are a far cheaper solution. Feed one as the other decomposes...

[Two_Sheds]

not quite as stunning as it appears from the marketing blurb.

I met one at the Royal Norfolk Show (I was manning (womanning?) the compost stand. The hotbin was super expensive, and pretty hot (60c, in the sun).
When I got home, I temped my own dalek, and it was in the 50s near the top of the heap.

A hotbin has its pros, but you can make perfectly great compost in a £10 dalek, if you remember that decomp bacteria needs food; warmth; moisture; a mix of browns & greens.

[hollow101]

Thanks penellype for taking the time to post such an informative reply to my question.

Certainly gives me plenty more to think about and a bit more research to do

Thanks again

Hollow101