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Bin runtime: 3 weeks
Approach: Went for the big bang, loaded it up to the top of the internal line that marks the removable panel.
Bin set up: Placed a few small sticks for ventilation on base. Loaded in a mix of grass/leaves (blitzed with strimmer in another bin), a handful of general soil from garden, a handful of soil from old compost heap, few kgs of kitchen waste. A lot of shredded cardboard as the grass was wet initially and then a healthy few litres of the bulking agent that arrived with the product. Hand mixed the whole lot.
Experience: Exactly as expected bin went from 10 to 65 celsius in about 2 - 3 days. Held 60/65 for maybe 4 days before falling back to 50s and eventually 8/9 days later settling at 40s. I've maintained that temperature range over the next 2 weeks just adding 2 x 5 litre caddy's per week of exclusively household waste (bread, vegetable peels, fruit peel, etc) with the appropriate measure of shredded cardboard/bulking agent.
Issue: Everything seems to be going exactly as expected but I have just one issue. I am taking out about three quarters of a pint of leachate every 3 to 4 days. It is yellowy/brown in consistency. It has a very very faint earthy smell, nothing putrid, no sweetness. I know it's only been 3 weeks but I know that's far too much liquid. I've added a lot, and I mean a lot of shredded cardboard but I'm guessing for the contents of my bin I'll probably need to switch to a similar amount but of shredded paper.
What I'd like to know is
1) Does my heap look like it is on the way to becoming a soggy mess?
2) Do I at this stage simply add in a lot of shredded paper to the top of the bin and mix in to say a depth of 12 inches or so OR do I have to remove what I have and mix it all separately in a container and add it back to the bin?