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Hi. I stored mine over winter and it is fine. When it’s warmer weather such as now I just use it up as the HB is producing it. I wouldn’t keep it in direct sunlight but it will store all winter ready for spring and summer. Just ensure it does not smell and is not cloudy. If so do not use it.

@@BeanieComposter thank you - I thought that you'd said that before but my sister in law had been told 2 weeks.

Must be cousins

Yes I do have access to one of those at times but don’t own one.

I have seen them. It’s a shame you can’t get a HB cheaper than that.

Thank you for sharing that. How popular is composting in Australia.

Hi Garry we have two very small ponds but as you have seen the garden just is not big enough for a fish pond. Do you have access to getting hotbins in oz. Thanks for watching.

Thanks for watching

Thank you

First of all I must say well done for not giving up. I understand where you are coming from. The HB can give you a roller coaster of emotions but once you get the hang of it and how it works for you then it’s not as hard as you might think. Sure there will be times when not all is well but when it is then hopefully you will get some feelings of achievement. You are in the green so it seems like all your time and effort is paying off. You can now put all your kitchen waste into it to save collecting stuff on walks. Well done and keep up the great work.

I bought it to get rid of food waste but I think fundamentally HB is more suited to people with bigger gardens and/or bigger household hence having to gather stuff to put in it! 🤦‍♀️ I’ve noticed putting dried grass cuttings in along with food, cardboard, bulking agent that gets temp up! I’m not sure I’m going to have the storage to collect stuff & dry for throughout winter?! I considered getting worms for it?!? I read on google they would gravitate to cooler parts of bin. What is your opinion on introducing worms? 🙏 Btw…it only stays in green for couple of days then drops again?!? 😩🤔🤷‍♀️

@@lisadavies3788 Hi Lisa, I wouldn’t recommend adding worms if you want it to remain hot and i find that if you will end up with worms in the HB if you did up and add weeds which have eggs on the soil. The main thing I find is you need to add waste every couple of days to keep the temperature up. It is better to add fresh waste rather than dried waste as fresh waste has more energy present which creates the temperature from the bacteria. I always give the HB a good stir when adding new waste I understand that it is a pain but it works for me. I guess if you live alone then you do not always create a lot of waste but if you want to keep things hot then maybe ask friends neighbours for their waste. You have not mentioned bulking agent. This is quite important so I just wanted to check that you are adding this. I hope I can inspire you to get a system that works for you which is not too much effort.

Thank you. Well done at maintaining hot temperatures and being able to compost your cat poo. Have you tried the cat litter in the HB. I know i have mentioned before that it could cause air flow issues but if put with other bulking agent then it could work. It is great that you have another composter to put the litter into and we need more people like us guys that make just a small impact on the environment. I hope this will inspire more people to try it.

Thanks for your reply. I haven’t tried putting the litter in - just poo! - because as you say it could cause blockages . It looks as though airflow is almost the most crucial thing.

@@clerydesigns729 Yes along with preventing it going anaerobic. Keep up the good work.

If you have the mk1 HB Then it will not have the drain part fitted. The mk2 has a slanted inside which enables the leachate to collect at the drain point. So even adding the drain to a mk1 would not really help as the leachate would still come out of the mesh at the front. Best thing to catch the leachate is put some tape as I showed in a previous video. Hope this answers your question.

@BeanieComposter thank you. Right didn't realise the mk2 was slanted. I'll try and find your other video.

Hi Ian, it could be too late to add extra paper. My best advice would be to empty and try to dry out as I have shown in a couple of videos and then check for any lumps that may be blocking the air flow. It is a good time of the year that this is possible to do within a day. If warm and windy. Then add it back in with extra paper and bulking agent. I know that may not be possible. You could store the old waste and start again although I don’t know if you have food in it that could attract pests. If you could do that then ensure the old waste can dry out such as having it in a bag with holes. I don’t know if you have the mini or large bin and how full it is but as I said there are a couple of videos where I have had to empty the whole bin to dry the waste. Normally the videos where compost has gone cold. You should find it easily. I hope this helps. Please don’t hesitate to ask any other questions about the HB and let us know what you are able to do.

Hi, there are no guarantees that you will not have any mice or rats but the HB is designed to help prevent the attraction of them. If you use it correctly and only put cooked food, raw meats and fish into it when it is hot composting and also keep it clean and tidy then you should be ok. We have never had any issues and I have seen mice in the garden. It is not 100% rodent proof nothing is and I have seen some second hand HB’s for sale that have been damaged by what looks like rodents. All I can say is in over seven years of owning it we have never experienced any problems but as I say it depends on how you manage your HB. I think as long as you take precautions and you don’t have a current problem then you should be fine. I have been planning to do a video on this so now would be a good time. I think you will be fine but as the HB company say it can’t be 100% guaranteed. Hope this helps and any other questions just ask.

Thank you.

Hi Roger, good to hear from you. Without seeing what you are adding in to the HB it is hard to tell. The bottom waste will normally be wet but shouldn’t be stinking. Have you been running it in the green or does the HB never stay or get hot. Each time you feed the HB are you stirring the new waste into the old. I always stir the old waste first from quite low down to check on how wet things are. As I have said before if paper/cardboard is wet then add more to the new mix. Always better to be drier. Are you adding too much waste in one go. We have a video on ratios on the channel so if you can find this it may help. It sounds as if your HB is going anaerobic which I am sure you know. I would suggest emptying everything and cleaning the HB completely and starting over again. My last video HB service is what I would suggest. You can add some of the old waste back in but add extra bulking agent and paper as you put the waste back in. Just add enough waste to get to the top hatch and then give it time to get hot. Feed it every other day but with only one caddy of waste including paper and bulking agent. See how that works and see if you get into the green. You can also send some photos to our email and I will look at them. If you do send me some photos of the waste you are putting in. The email is on the front CZcams page. I am not sure where you are but here the weather is good for the weekend but I would suggest not drying out the stinky waste and putting back into the HB just ensure there is no food waste present leave it in old compost bags to carry on rotting down and let it dry naturally. Hope this helps and good luck. Let us know how you get on.

Hi, thank you for the lovely comment. Well done for keeping in the green. 62 degrees is something I would be more than happy with. As you probably know with the Mk 1 you cannot empty the leachate manually. I have put covers over the air vent but for me it never made any difference. It is interesting about the sheep’s wool. I remember you telling me that before. Here we don’t have access to that. It would be interesting to know if you stopped putting in the wool how the temperature would behave. Maybe there is a business opportunity on the hotbin website to start offering sheep’s wool as a heat boost. Thank you for sharing your experience with everyone. As you know this channel was for everyone to share and get advice with each other and together I think we are growing the HB community. I know since starting the channel many people have invested in a HB so as you say becoming more popular. Happy composting and will be on the lookout for some sheep’s wool.

Thank you so much. Yes one thing about gardening / composting is you can never stop learning. Like with many things in life it’s only your desire and commitment that holds you back. The HB is a very niche subject but I have noticed it is becoming increasingly popular. It also seems to attract people that have an interest in wanting to learn see how it works and from that aspect I seem to have created a channel where I get amazing comments from people such as yourself. Thank you for taking the time to recommend me it is very much appreciated. Happy composting.

Hi Barry, hopefully we will not have to wait much longer. Meant to be in the 20’s by the end of the week here. Hopefully you will get some nice weather where you are. Happy composting when you finally get around to it.

Hi Clery, you are welcome. We do not have a cat so unable to comment on cat litter but I know some people on here have asked before. As you probably know once hot you can compost cat poo. All I would say is that with cat litter I am sure it expands with moisture so jut ensure you add enough bulking agent so you do not block any air flow. We wish you every success and let us know how you find it as we may be able to inspire other cat owners to stop more waste going into landfills. Thank you.

Well done. There are no rules to say you should keep the HB hot all year round so I like your thinking. Less stress on you and the worms.

Hi Margaret,thank you so much for your message. I do think you are right about the twigs. I think it definitely helps. I have found when I empty the mini how different it is from the regular HB. With the mini you can empty everything quite easily and when the non composted waste falls down there is not too much to gather and put back in. With the regular HB it becomes harder to empty the whole bin. That is my experience. Thank you for telling us about the flies. I knew someone would know. HB is now running at 50 degrees and I am now hoping to stay in the green zone for at least a few months or until the HB is full. As you say better weather creates more positive feelings for most of us and at present it seems to be making the HB feel better. Happy composting and thanks for the comment.

Firstly congratulations on getting your HB. If you didn’t have to pay for it then buy yourself a lottery ticket as that’s one lucky find. That is great news. I would suggest that you give it a good clean up and check it over(ensure the carbon filter and metal mesh is present especially in a allotment )then the HB is your oyster.Hopefully the videos will help you out inspire you and give you a giggle. Keep us all posted on how you get on and always here to help so please ask any questions and hopefully we can help you out

Hi Louise, great to hear that someone is having some hot weather. If you look on the HB website then you can get a replacement filter if ever you needed to replace it. It is this that stops any smells so really important for preventing vermin and flies from being attracted to the HB. Nice to hear that your HB is doing well after probably becoming a wormery for a short period. Thank you for watching.

Excellent information- appreciated!

@@louisejohnson3851 thank you.

Well done for getting the HB into the 60’s. Yes put all you can in it now. Cooked food scraps will certainly help keep the temperature up.

Thank you for the lovely comment. I do keep thinking of new content and still have an ongoing experiment which I believe will be a good one. Well done on creating some great compost and I am glad the videos have helped. As you see from this video there is always something to keep you on your toes. I think one thing I am showing is how much value you get from the HB with just a small bit of effort. I think someone with as much knowledge as Charles Darwin will certainly work things out but always here to help anyone out when and if required. Keep up the good work.

@@BeanieComposter Can't wait for your new videos! Don't underestimate your skills with the Hotbin. Best on the internet by far and the internet is a very very big place!

Yes winters wetter and summers hotter. All part of the HB challenge. This clean didn’t take long so definitely worth doing if you have the time and a good days weather ahead. It will not hurt if you are struggling with the temperature. Adding more paper/cardboard will help wetness. Hope you get round to sorting this out soon.

Thank you. Maybe sometimes I do add a bit more than I should so I will take this advice onboard. This could lead to an experiment. Thanks.

Well done. I wouldn’t dare to put the carbon filter in the washing machine. Mrs B would go mad.

@@BeanieComposter No i washed it in the sink and let it dry on a radiator

@@sparkmanuk99 I think Mrs B would be happier with that. Thank you.

Hi, yes of course you can use it as a cold compost bin. Just remember to not put any cooked food or raw meat / fish as this will attract vermin. Also it will not be hot enough to kill any seeds or perineal weeds. It will definitely still produce good compost just at a slower pace.

Well done. Did you get the mini or large one. I hope you enjoy it and if you are watching the videos thank you and I hope they help you out. Definitely a good time of the year to get one. Keep us posted on how you get on with it.

I think it’s a mini - all cleaned up and levelled, just need a bit of gauze for the hole at the bottom as that had perished - so excited😂 Going to cut lawn and read up on what to put in it first 😊

Hi. Thanks for the comment. I guess it may help. Ideally the bulking agent should prevent the holes from clogging up. Also i know people that put small twigs on the base plate after it is emptied. Generally it is very rare that the holes do get clogged up. It is more likely that the compost will be compacted to the point that the air cannot get through hence the HB going cold. It would be good to see if it did help and it is something I can look at in the future. Have you tried or thought of what you might use.

Thank you. Also. Thank you for watching. I hope if you have a HB you have managed to get it hot. Happy composting.

@@BeanieComposter I hope to get it set up in the next few days. Thank you again

@@tonysicily2687 good luck. I don’t know where you are but I can tell you I have plenty of waste here so I am guessing you have accumulated plenty too. A good time of the year to start. Will be interesting to find out how you get on with the HB.

Fortunately we do not have any squirrels in the garden so I have not had any experience with them. I have seen some second hand ones that have been chewed but I do not know if that is from squirrels. I think if you keep things tidy and only add cooked raw food when the HB is hot then you should not attract them but I cannot guarantee that.

@@BeanieComposter I see. One more question. Can you wrap your HB with gorilla tape for additional insulation and protection?

@@onebicycle3772 hi you could but you shouldn’t need to. One thing you cannot do is block the airflow so the top and bottom vents must be clear. Other than that you can put what you like on it. It is designed for the insulation to be enough for the HB to work without any extras being added.

@@BeanieComposter Thank you. I think I will buy HB this end of Feb

@@BeanieComposter Hi. How about when there is heavy rain? Does water gets inside the HB?

Yes I will only put the chicken bones in the HB when they have been cooked. Thank you for the suggestions.

Yes stirring does help with the oxygen which the bacteria require to make the heat. For me it gives you a bit of a workout too.

Hi Mike, putting old half digested waste back in will be fine as long as you add fresh waste. You may need to just take some out of the bottom again. It has happened to me where even after a few weeks I’ve needed to take a little more out of the bottom where it has compacted and no air is getting through. If you have the mark two take the door off and see if any thing is blocking the mesh plate.

Thank you. Yes me too it’s a new passion so I am hoping to share that on the Chanel for people that are interested. Thanks for watching.

Yes in the spring summer they will require about 6 hours sunlight and be permanently in rainwater. They will need to go into a cold area as winter approaches. We will put one in our window sill to see how it gets on Thank you for watching.

Hi,the number one tip would be ensure you have good air flow. Two when hot keep feeding it to keep it hot. Three once you notice it going cold address it straight away normally it will need some compost taking out the bottom. Four keep your waste drier than you think. Five during the winter it will normally always go cold at some point so don’t worry you will always be able to get it hot again following our videos. The biggest tip I can give you is understanding how it works. This will help you understand why or how things go wrong. In regards to Collapsing the best way for me is leaving a core part that holds the compost up as shown in the 60 day compost video. Some people lay the HB on it side to empty it. Have not tried it but I guess that may help.

@@BeanieComposter Great points thanks Beanie, I did debate buying a second aeration plate to sit directly on top of the heap as a type of secondary lid to try and further store some heat in the heap, not sure if that would help at all.

@@user-rm2nl8wk5t the hot bin is supposed to be insulated enough to maintain heat but someone on here did say they put sheep’s wool on the top of the HB and it helped with the temperature. I personally think the HB is fine as it is so I would not bother myself.

Hi Barry, good to hear from you. Unfortunately the HB’s need a bit of TLC which is not uncommon at this time of the year. Hope you get them sorted soon. Already have buckets of waste from Mrs B and it is not even spring. Poland was nice thank you but as you know after winter there is so much to catch up on in the garden that the holiday is a distant memory. Happy composting.

Ditto here Barry. Since putting it down the end of the garden I’ve found it harder to keep going in winter as it’s been very wet here in Spelthorne with a lot of flooding. Traipsing over the grass isn’t doing it much good especially as it’s saturated so leaving it till things warm up and but then will empty and get it going again!

Yes sometimes that is the best thing to do. Good luck.

Thank you Margaret for your helpful response that I am sure will encourage others who read the comments. I know what you mean about emptying that is why I always leave the core part to try and hold it up and I don’t feel you need to take it all just as much as you can. Your method seems to work well for you but as you say it can be a pain. All those cakes really do act as a heat bomb. Maybe we are all wasting our time having lawns. Yes good to see better weather and lighter months ahead. Also good to see steam when you lift the HB lid. It is all good for now.

YAY! So I can put the half composted stuff back. Maybe I am putting too much back at a time

Hello Mike, I have a mini Hotbin and when I empty it I find that the bottom half is OK for mulching (or potting up if left in bags for a month or so). I get about 3 rubble bags of OK compost. I clear the bin, make sure ventilation holes clear, put a few sticks in base to help keep airflow going and refill the bin up to above hatch level with all of remaining stuff, plus fresh garden and food waste etc. I do this all in one go at the same so I dont have any half composted stuff left over. Hope your bin is going OK@@mikerawlinson3035

Thank you Sandra for that great tip. You must have a mighty big kettle. You know how tight I am when it comes to boiling the kettle for composting but sometimes you don’t have a choice it you want to get things hot again fast.

Hi, yes for anyone leaving their HB over the winter period then as you say you can end up with a giant wormery. Once you get the temperature up again you will notice the worms trying to escape from the top and you can have hundreds of them. Just be careful the do not block the bottom aeration mesh as that will definitely block the airflow and cause the HB to go anaerobic like it did with me. As you said when cold you can’t add meat scraps but I guess that’s why we pay our council tax.