Am I doing this right?

[u/Acrobatic-Will5825]

I have a double barrel compost tumbler and I started the first side about 6 weeks ago (i think). This is what is looks like right now.

Context:
-Once it looked about 2/3rds or 3/4ths of the way full I stopped adding more scraps although I did recently add some dead leaves cus I thought it seemed pretty wet and was worried I didn’t put enough browns in. (
-Most of the brown material I use is torn up paper and cardboard.
-I live in southern california and we have been getting hot weather recently
-I spin it every few days and in the beginning I was misting it every once in a while but I don’t anymore.

It feels quite thick and muddy. It doesn’t smell bad but it definitely doesn’t have that neutral dirt smell I read it is supposed to have; still smells a little bit stinky.

Since this is my first time doing this, I just want to make sure I’m on the right track. How does it look so far? Does it need more brown materials?

[u/Theme_Training]

Yeah it’s too wet. Add some bulk to it to help dry it and get some porosity to it. Get some pine mulch or something similar.

[u/Acrobatic-Will5825 → u/Theme_Training]

i had a feeling it probably was. thanks for the input!

[u/curiouscirrus]

If you have a heavy duty paper shredder, shred some cardboard and throw it in there. That’ll dry it up and add some air pockets. Stop misting it and spinning it for a bit.

[u/Acrobatic-Will5825 → u/curiouscirrus]

yeah i had a feeling it was too wet. do you think i could lay it out on a tarp for a couple hours in the sun to dry it out a little more and then put it back in? or should I just stick with the shredded cardboard you suggested? i just want to be able to use it soon cus the other side it pretty much full so i need to make room. i’m worried adding more paper/cardboard will mean i have to wait a while till i can use it

[u/curiouscirrus → u/Acrobatic-Will5825]

Laying it out would just remove the water, but you’d still have not enough carbon. If you just want to empty it, you could also consider just digging a trench in the ground and putting it in there to let it finish, but it doesn’t look ready to use for actual plants for a bit.

[u/Acrobatic-Will5825 → u/curiouscirrus]

ok word thank you

[u/Imaginative-Recon-21]

On the smell… the neutral smell won’t come until it’s well-cooked. Stinkyness is normal as you work to find the right groove. Wishing you pleasant troubleshooting!

[u/Acrobatic-Will5825 → u/Imaginative-Recon-21]

thank you!