[USCC] Finished Compost Grinding

[Will Brinton]

Dear Richard

I'm hesitating to speculate what the Energy Index on your compost is 
after going to this extent
to reduce it with an electrical grinder! And why?

First of all, it sounds like your compost is dry, and so I wonder if it 
really broke down and matured adequately.
There is nothing like moistening and turning with a spading-fork, before 
finishing-off a home compost.

Secondly, - and regardless of the answer to #1, try screening the 
compost, and return the coarser material to the bin for one more go around.
To do this use 3/8" hardware cloth on a wood frame, if you are a 
do-it-yourself type, or acquire a garden sieve (see Gardner's Supply or 
try gardenshoponline.com which has a lovely 3-mesh size hand held 
compost screen).

Will

William F Brinton jr President
Woods End Laboratories, Inc.
www.woodsend.org www.solvita.com
207 293 2457 ext 17

>
> Subject:
> [USCC] Finished Compost Grinding
> From:
> Richard Fortune <steelydan_fan at yahoo.com>
> Date:
> Wed, 26 Mar 2008 17:17:45 -0700 (PDT)
>
>
>We have an Envirocycle compost bin that we've been putting in our kitchen fruit & vegetable scraps, egg shells and coffee grounds. Well, it's full and finished decomposing, but it's dry and kinda chunky and needs to be broken up before putting in the garden. I used an old Krups blade-type coffee grinder and was able to (tediously) finely grind up about half a buckets worth before the unit gave out.
>
>Are there more appropriate electric-powered devices out there to handle this task???  If so, please name your favorites.
>
>Thanks,
>  
>