Quick fix — do this now:
- Add a good handful of LIVE Bokashi Bran
- Press everything down firmly (exclude air — this matters)
- Drain liquid if it’s building up
- Add a layer of dry material (bran, cardboard, or a bit of paper)
- Make sure the lid is properly airtight
What’s going on:
Bokashi should smell sweet, pickled, slightly cider-like.
If it smells rotten, putrid or like a bin, you’ve got the wrong microbes in charge.
Bokashi is an anaerobic fermentation — it relies on beneficial microbes (mainly lactic acid bacteria) to dominate.
If air gets in, or there’s not enough active bran:
→ the good microbes lose
→ the “bad” decomposers (putrefying bacteria) take over
→ and that’s your smell
The Wiggly way (get it right next time):
- Always use proper LIVE bran (not dead, dusty stuff)
- Press down every layer — no air pockets
- Little and often is better than big dumps
- Keep it warm-ish (kitchens good, sheds in winter… not so much)
Big picture:
You’re not “rotting waste” — you’re fermenting nutrients.
Done right, you’re pre-digesting food into something your soil microbes and worms can go mad for.
