My compost bin failed spectacularly after 2 months of patience

I built a three-bin system in my backyard in Bothell last spring and was so careful about layering greens and browns. Turns out I wasn't turning it near enough, and the whole thing just turned into a slimy, stinky mess that attracted every raccoon in the neighborhood. Ended up hauling 40 pounds of half-rotted scraps to the transfer station and starting over with a simple tumbler. Has anyone else had luck with those, or is there a better method for our wet Pacific Northwest winters?

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the_adam14d ago

Remember that the raccoons were probably coming for the smell long before it went slimy... that's more about what you're adding than how often you turn it. Meat, oils, and cooked food scraps will smell like a buffet no matter what bin you use. The real problem in Bothell is the rain, you need way more browns than you think, like double what most guides say. All that moisture packs down and suffocates the pile, turning it into that anaerobic mess you described. A tumbler helps because it keeps things drier and easier to spin, but you still gotta add shredded cardboard or dry leaves with every food scrap drop. Honestly, I'd skip the fancy setup and just do a simple wire cylinder with a lid, keeps the critters out and lets the rain drain better than any closed bin.