vomit smell
Selina asked 3 years ago
Hi
I’m new to bokashi, this is my 3rd week. I have followed all the instructions however, my ‘tea’ smells like vomit!
When I open my bokashi bin and put my scraps in, it doesn’t smell at all (very slight sweet pickle smell)…
do I continue with filling this bin? Or shall I stop and just bury it and start afresh?
Thanks!
Nicki Casley Staff answered 3 years ago
If the bucket has a sweet, pickly smell (and doesn’t smell putrid and rotten) then your bokashi composting is working well.
As it is just the tea that is smelling, try draining the tea more regularly (once every day or two). Tip the bucket with the spigot open to drain out as much tea as possible. Also, make sure to press the food waste down firmly to ensure that the liquid is squeezed out of the bottom layer. If the tea is left to sit for too long it can go bad and smell pretty horrible!
Nicki Casley Staff answered 3 years ago
This sounds like there is just a part of the bin that has failed, giving the terrible smell. The ‘vomit’ smell you describe is sometimes caused by the contents being too wet. Next time, try squeezing down the food waste firmly to squeeze out excess liquid (especially if you have added wetter food waste such as fruit peels).