Second Thermophilic Compost, Day 5. The Second Turn.

Yesterday, after this thermophilic compost reached a time and temperature threshold of 160 F for 24 hours I turned it.

The way I am being taught by The Soil Food Web School to turn a thermophilic compost pile is by removing the top and sides of the compost on to a tarp. On the first turn, I only take the top and the top half of the sides of the compost pile. This is to help ensure I have enough N for the second turn. So on the second turn I took the top and all of the sides. Then i put the hot middle on the bottom of the pallet and cage setip and the top/sides now goes into the new hot middle. Last is to put the bottom on top.

With each turn of the top, hot middle and bottom of the compost, I am breaking up any clumps of manure and material. It is important to not have clumpy material where it reduces oxygen in parts of the pile. We are trying to encourage aerobic soil organisms to have proper nutrient cycling.

It took about 3 hours to turn this compost. The temperatures went to 120 F immediately afterwards.

This morning after about 15 hours since turning the compost, the temperatures were at 160 F. However, I woke up at 1 am and checked the temperature and it was at 131 F. So this compost rose nicely and stabilized a a more preferable temperature of 160 F. This meant this compost will break down better than the last one I made where the hot middle was 165 F for 12 hours after each turn.

I will turn this compost pile tomorrow morning around 6 am.