Troubleshooting · 9 of 30
Pile is frozen solid
The pile is rigid, cannot be forked, and shows ambient or below-ambient temperature at the core.
01Symptom
The pile is rigid, cannot be forked, and shows ambient or below-ambient temperature at the core.
02Why it happens
A small mass, above 65 % moisture, exposed to sustained frost. Ice fills the pore space and biological activity stops rather than merely slowing.
03What to do
- 01 Do not add water — it will freeze and make it worse.
- 02 Leave it alone until the thaw; a frozen pile restarts on its own in spring if it is over 0.5 m³.
- 03 Break the pile into a larger heap with fresh material when temperatures rise above 5 °C.
- 04 Next winter, build bigger, insulate the sides and cover the top with a breathable sheet.
04Where this has come up in the logs
No published log has hit this one yet. The sequence above is the standard order at this bench.