Aerated Static Pile Composting: An Introduction to ASP

Vermicomposting is a wonderful way to mitigate our impact on the waste stream. But hot composting using the aerated static pile method is the most effective means to stabilize large quantities of organic matter, especially in a smaller space.

This article is an introduction to aerated static pile composting and will discuss:

  • ASP and how it works
  • the components of an ASP system
  • why you would want to use one.

And we’ll close out with a description of my own custom ASP system at the Urban Worm Company and my own first couple weeks of operation before pointing you towards some helpful resources for learning more about aerated static pile composting.

What is Aerated Static Pile Composting?

Aerated static pile composting is a form of thermophilic composting accelerated and managed through the pushing (positive pressure) or pulling (negative pressure) of air through the composting pile.

Composting is – or at least should be – an aerobic process.

And the air typically delivered by perforated pipe or pipes at the bottom of the pile keeps the pile oxygenated which expedites the normal composting process. It also maintains the population and diversity of beneficial oxygen-consuming bacteria and has the benefit of controlling the foul odors that anaerobic composting emits.

The air is delivered on a preset schedule that can be tweaked according to the wishes of the operator, but a typical cycle is 30 seconds on, 30 minutes off.

How Aerated Static Pile Composting Works

In the most basic terms, an aerated static pile has 5 components:

  • a blower connected to a timer or to a temperature sensor which triggers the blower fan
  • a manifold to deliver the air, often with PVC pipe with perforations or holes to allow the air to enter the pile
  • an air plenum layer to diffuse the columns of air escaping from the perforated PVC, ensuring a uniform distribution of air into the bottom of the pile
  • an active layer, comprised of the base material intended to be composted
  • a biofiltration layer, often comprised of mulch, compost, or even very expensive Gore covers. The bio layer traps heat and odors and protects the active core from birds, rodents, and other vectors.

Blower

The blower and timer I received from O2 Compost is a simple bounce house blower and an analog cycle timer with simple dials to allow you to control the on/off cycle to your liking.

For anyone who is operating at the community composter level and below, this blower/timer combo is likely to be sufficient.

Some aerated static pile composting systems operate on negative pressure, meaning air is sucked through the system. These operations tend to be larger and more advanced.

Manifold

The manifold is the piping that takes the air from your blower to the pile and will often have several points at which it branches for the purpose of feeding several bins. For a multi-bin or pile system, you will need some fairly expensive on/off ball valves to prevent expending airflow on piles that don’t need it at the time.

In my case, there is a single manifold splitting into 3 underground manifolds, each of which can be opened or closed with a shutoff valve.

Air Plenum Layer

If the pressurized columns of air escaping the perforated manifold piping were to come into contact with the active material, you would risk drying out several different pockets of your composting material.

You could also experience “short circuits” where the air fights its way through the core or up the sidewalls, allowing an easy escape for the air behind it.

To prevent this, an air plenum layer, often a simple layer of wood chips, is laid atop the perforated manifold. It diffuses the air and delivers a more uniform air flow to the entire pile.

Active Layer

The active layer is comprised of whatever material you’re planning to compost, whether it’s high-nitrogen food waste, manures, or other organic waste.

ASP composting still requires the Carbon-to-Nitrogen ratio (C:N) of conventional thermophilic composting, right around 25-30:1.

So your high-nitrogen waste still needs a carbon source like wood chips, wood pellets, etc to raise the C:N in order to be composted effectively.

Biofiltration Layer

A biofiltration, or ”bio” layer is a simple covering of mulch or finished compost surrounding the active core which protects the pile from heat loss and pests. It also reduces the escape of any foul odors that may emanate in the crucial first few days of the composting cycle.

Adolescent humor alert: For those of you who are familiar with “dutch ovens“, the bio layer is the sheet that traps the heat and odor.

In an ASP operated using negative pressure, the air itself is often pumped into a biolayer as seen in the graphic below.

Why Would You Need an Aerated Static Pile System?

Aerated static pile composting is an effective method to accelerate and manage the composting process with much lower risk of foul odors.

Because of the decreased compost cycle time, an ASP can be a space-efficient way to compost large volumes of waste fairly quickly. And it can do it in colder climates that might not be as conducive to year-round composting.

In the context of vermicomposting, home vermicomposters do not need an aerated static pile in order to produce food for their worm bin. Even many of the larger commercial worm farms in the US use windrows (long piles) turned by a compost turner in order to perform “pre-composting,” which is the preparation of organic waste by incompletely composting material.

Pre-composting kills pathogens, releases heat, and reduces volume like normal composting. But by interrupting the process near the end of the hot cycle, sufficient food value is retained for the worms without the risk of the organic material heating up again.

ASP piles are easily monitored and the process can be managed by adjusting the blower timing to meet the needs of the large-scale vermicomposter.

The Urban Worm Company ASP

I am not – and likely never will be – a large-scale vermicomposter. Yet I just built my own ASP.

Why??

Well in my work in marketing the Michigan SoilWorks CFT, we often have potential clients who are thrilled with the idea of large-scale vermicomposting, but aren’t yet educated about how to handle large-scale waste before feeding it to the worms.

So at the very least, learning about composting was an imperative. But because I have had a few clients come visit Urban Worm HQ, I want to showcase what an ASP can do in terms of waste management.

And in order to produce a consistent feedstock for my CFT, I knew I needed a manageable way to produce compost from a consistent source, in this case, horse manure from a nearby stable.

So while learning about ASP composting was necessary to help market the CFT, actually doing the composting was important to operating it effectively.

(Note: The ASP I am operating is not “large-scale.” In fact, it’s tiny. But validating aerated static pile composting as a method to prepare waste for the CFT was a must.)

O2 Compost: A Wonderful Resource

A top resource for ASP plans, training, and equipment especially for the small operator is O2 Compost, in Snohomish, WA. I made contact with Peter Moon, who is a rock star in the composting world and has installed projects, large and small, all over the globe. He is simply a joy to work with.

On Peter’s recommendation, I purchased the plans, blower, and some manifold parts for the Micro-Bin. The purchase also gets you lifetime customer support from Peter!

While the Micro-Bin is a one-bin system, Peter assured me that the blower would be sufficient to operate a 3-bin system, even if two bins were being aerated simultaneously by the blower.

Because I live in suburban Philadelphia in Zone 7A, producing consistent output in the winter was going to be difficult. So again on Peter’s recommendation, I opted to install my aerated static pile composting system indoors in a horse stall in the first floor of my barn, which is conveniently adjacent to my CFT.

As this horse stall measures 12 x 14ft, I had to decide how I wanted to divide the space. I had enough space for two large bins or three smaller ones. I chose the 3-bin option and with the help and guidance of my employee Mark, a retired engineer, we dug the initial trenches for the underground manifolds and poured the footers for the ASP walls.

We built up the bin walls using cinder block and mortar, ultimately capping the top with 2×8 treated lumber. For the front of the bins, I wanted a strong, but attractive “face” of the ASP, so using a 1×4 lumber sandwiched between 2×8 lumber, we were able to create a cavity in which to slide composite Trex slats repurposed from a patio renovation to finish out the front of the ASP.

And I think it looks great!

Exhaust vents are drier ducts connected to PVC. Air is extracted via 4-in inline fan.

But the challenge with an indoor system is the moisture generated by the composting process. While not a problem in an open-air environment, releasing hot vapor into a wooden barn could spell disaster for the structure in the long run.

So I opted to enclose my bins and rig up flexible dryer ducting to a PVC manifold which uses a sweet little 4-in inline ducted fan made by Cloudline in order to extract the heat and moisture generated by my system and push it outdoors.

As of the date of this writing, this method of extracting humid air seems to be working well. But I still struggle to keep the condensation from pooling inside the fan which could reduce its lifespan.

But so far, I am thrilled with the ASP!

The Urban Worm ASP: Lessons Learned in the First 14 Days

Compared to my first efforts at other endeavors, this ASP has been an unmitigated success!

But it hasn’t come without some lessons learned.

Blower Timing

I started a single bin with a 6 minutes on, 60 minutes off schedule, which was way too long to run the blower. I adjusted it to 3 minutes on, 30 minutes off before actually re-reading O2’s instructions which suggest 30 seconds on, 30 minutes off. I was likely drying out the compost with excessive airflow.

And I assume that this dryness caused my compost to fall below 50% moisture content and cease the composting process as my temperature collapsed to 100°F from about 130°F in about 2 days’ time. This happened about 7 days into the thermophilic heating period which ought to last 21 days or so.

Moisture Content

So we know the excessive aeration likely dried out the compost, and we may  not have started with enough added water in the first place, but we needed to fix the moisture …and fast!

This is counter-intuitive, but excessively dry compost will become hydrophobic and will not absorb water. If left too long, the pile would have dried to the point where I would have had to take it apart and rewet the contents before piling it again in the ASP.

Thankfully, we have been monitoring temperatures daily and were able to detect the collapse in temperature and add more water quickly.

Tee inserted upstream of the exhaust fan to allow condensation to collect

ASP Vapor Management

Placing an ASP indoors came with challenges…and we expected them! While we were on the right track in installing the inline fan, we made two mistakes: we installed the fan too close to the ASP and we did not have a way to catch the condensate that formed inside the exhaust manifold.

This caused condensate to form inside the manifold and collect in the fan section, which would have severely shortened the life of our fan.

On the suggestion of Wormgear owner Dan Lonowski, we moved the fan farther away from the ASP and placed a PVC tee upstream of the fan with a narrow drain tube to carry the condensate away. The distance of the fan allows the hot vapor to cool and become liquid, while the tee is effective in trapping the moisture before it can pool in the fan.

A week after this modification, so far so good!

Excellent Resources to Learn More About ASP Composting

O2 Compost

Owned by composting rock star Peter Moon, O2 Compost designs small scale systems like mine and massive systems used by my friend Francisco Niembro, who affectionately refers to Peter as “Pedro Luna.”

I recommend his system so please let him know I sent you! 

Community-Scale Composting Systems

I met the author James McSweeney at a composting conference in New York City and I have to say I think he’s the Rain Man of composting! This book has been an incredible resource for learning more about aerated static pile composting.

If you’re interested in a mid-scale composting project or want to start a small composting business, then this book needs to be on your bookshelf!

Green Mountain Technologies

If you’ve got a large project in mind – and a large budget – then Green Mountain may be for you!

Green Mountain designed the 27th Ave Composting Facility in Phoenix. I visited this facility in early 2019….and wow!

41 thoughts on “Aerated Static Pile Composting: An Introduction to ASP

    1. Awsome Barry. I’m excited to investigate further. I would enjoy a conversation with you. I have been looking to recycle hot compost dog poop for viable worm food. I own a small company collecting poop about 30 tons a year. I hate sending to land fill. I only get bigger and poop amounts increase. ASP Seems like it could be an answer. There is envirwag that is doing a turning system in a cement mixer that I just discovered. They are in Colorado. Ok thanks kevin m new jersey

  1. I like that you utilized the composite “lumber.” Since this ASP is in the same proximity as your CFT- would it be feasible to direct some of that exhaust heat and moisture to the CFT? Perhaps utilizing a (raised bed) hoop house setup that’s sturdy but removable? If your inline fan was at the exhaust from the CFT row cover- what would that do for/against the overall dynamic?

    1. Yes, we are definitely going to tinker with that very idea. I have to say, it wouldn’t surprise me if the ambient temperature were kept high enough in the barn due to the ASPs. The barn is already built into the side of a hill, so we already have some geothermal effect going on.
      We’ll see!
      Steve

      1. Hi Steve

        Great article.
        I wondered if you knew what the airflow is for your blower.
        And what volume of compost that’s good for.

        Cheers

  2. Hi Steve, Thanks for the article. It is a good idea to feed the material afterwards to the worms. In the end, they bring the beneficial microorganisms and the stability to the compost 🙂
    best regards, david

  3. Super cool Steve! Just as a data point, could you share what the cost of the plans were from O2? I’ve been thinking a small ASP may be a starting point for a community-based precomposting for VC feedstock (much like yours but for food scraps).

    1. Hi Ben,
      I paid $795 for the plans which came with the blower, the timer, some of the needed manifold parts, a really good booklet about ASP. My cost was of course higher than that, but this was the O2 Compost part of it!
      Steve

      1. The intangible part of the deal is lifetime support from Peter. The parts of course have value, but being able to get in touch with the expert is also very valuable!

  4. Hi,
    Thanks for great article.
    Am trying to set up a system for myself. Would like to see if you have info on the amount of airflow needed for a given volume of compost.
    Let me know if you can
    All the best,
    Niels Corfield

    1. This is a very complicated question because you’ve got to deal with pressure, length of travel, the number of turns in the pipe which create friction, blower timing, etc. However, my 1/4 HP blower is enough to run 3 ASPs simultaneously, granted with different airflow than if I were only running one ASP. So basically I chose not to try to nail down anything exact in the beginning, but to tweak the system with blower timing. In my case, because my system is indoors, I have an exhaust fan with adjustable speed and was finding that I was likely drawing too much heat away from my ASPs so I slowed down the fan speed and saw a temperature increase within 6-12 hours.
      If you are really wanting to geek out on airflow calculations, then see this article. Way beyond my ability though! 😉
      Steve

  5. Ok.

    I get it.

    Here are my issues with this system:

    1. It’s not very ‘green’; it’s actually costing more energy to process the compost.

    Reasoning: The monitoring, the timer, the blower; all these things require energy. This energy is going to cause a boost in energy expenditure, not just in the materials to buy, but to run the thing. Worms create their own energy out of the food you provide them. Like any pet, it can take some getting used to how to properly care for them. Who has killed many goldfish by throwing them in a bowl and feeding them flakes? I know I have. But electricity is not necessary for worms, neither is light.

    2. Startup costs are a lot more.

    Reasoning: My worm bin is six pallets tied together with zip ties. It’s outside, hanging out on a raised garden bed. I purchased $40 of mixed earthworms and red wigglers to throw into my new home for them. I feed them all kinds of crap and collect leaves during the fall for their bedding, and disperse it over the year. Also, I treat them to some nice poop, that’s free and organic. If I wanted to have a traditional small worm bin, I could spend another 40 bucks and drill holes in a plastic bucket and keep them inside.

    Steve, looking at your setup, I would say your startup for that is a lot more. You’ve got two different types of pipes, pvc and metal, 2x4s, 4x4s, plywood, electrical gadgets, and of course the 895 in plans. Now, you may have put a lot into your worms in the beginning. Buying one of those fancy long standing beds on legs, which to be honest, is unnecessary. Or the bag in a bag system. Those are expensive and designed to take work out of the worms, or to keep you from getting your hands dirty. Worms and dirt go hand in hand, or slimy long body in hand.
    For the average composter, this ASP system is highly unrealistic. If we’re being honest, it’s not green, expensive, and impractical. This would be better on a large scale, however, again, it’s not green.

    On a small scale, whatever floats your boat, I guess.

    Then again, I’m going to stand up for worms.

    I like to grow stuff.

    Stuff, I mean tomatoes, potatoes, vegetables, and other things that are tasty and good to eat. I also like to grow roses, herbs, and other things.

    You know what makes that stuff grow?

    Compost.

    The best compost, however, is worm poo. Especially poo from herbivores that then becomes worm poo.

    There is something that the worms leave in the process of processing the organic waste that makes it infinitely better for plants to grow.

    Yep. Worm compost is slower.

    Just because a hamburger can be made in 5 minutes doesn’t mean it’s the best hamburger you can get.

    1. Hey Rebekah,
      Glad to have you get this off your chest! And I can tell you’re passionate for the worms. Me too!

      I like – and understand – the minimalist approach to worm composting. And I didn’t offer this as a judgement on whether ASP composting is “better” than worm composting. In fact, I offer ASP as a complement to vermicomposting, especially at larger scales, which I made pretty clear with the statement “In the context of vermicomposting, home vermicomposters do not need an aerated static pile in order to produce food for their worm bin.”

      But if managing large amounts of waste is the goal – and it sounds like it’s not for you – then either traditional or ASP composting has to be part of the equation.

      1. How about investing in a small PHoto voltaic panel to covert solar to electric to power your ASP, etc. then that would be green!

      2. just to add my 2 bits worth. yes i am going into the worm business, and yes i am building an asp system. one thing it will do for me is safely treat pig poop, as i have a piggery. i have and waste lots of pig poop. asp will fix that . that is just one reason. i am with steve on this

  6. Hi Steve, I have done a similar set up because of grass seeds going through the worm bins. I was composting turning my bins every week but due to work commitments I was unable to turn them and the bins would become anaerobic. Solution forced air into the bins. I have a small set up with 50L bins and use small 12v air pumps for each bin. Thanks for the advice I will put put it to good use

  7. In the blower timing section above you show a photo of a digital temperature (and moisture?) gauge. Can you share any thoughts on this unit like what it is, if you are happy with it, does it log readings that are downloadable, etc.
    Thanks Steve!

    1. Hi Dan,
      Sorry for the late response. That is the control unit for the AC Infinity fan that I mention in the article. The probe is meant more to be an air probe although temperature is temperature and it works just fine for us. It does not log any information though. For something like that, look into the Kestrel Drop. It can withstand hot compost piles and it has Bluetooth capability.
      Cheers!

  8. Hi Steve,

    fantastic, rigorous article! I wanted to enquire about blower noise. I am considering starting a small (maybe 1 cubic yard or a bit more, as an initial experiment) ASP bin outdoors. However I live in an urban area (houses are touching each other) and was concerned about the noise generated by the blower, especially at night. Do you have any comments, observations or recommendations about the noise level and how to dampen it?

    Thanks,
    Stephen

    1. Thanks Stephen! This is a tricky problem. Even if the odor weren’t an issue, nearby neighbors might not appreciate the hourly blowing of the fan. It’s not *that* loud, but could be loud enough to cause trouble if your neighbor’s windows are open. Tough call.

      Cheers,
      Steve

      1. Very cool. Do you mix the grain and woodchips together or layer the two? And if you mix any tips on doing that without killing yourself?

        Also, do you find that you need to add additional ingredients/supplements to improve the compost quality?

  9. Hi Steve,
    I’m new to all this composting stuff but you mentioned to run the timer 30 seconds on and 30 mins off. How long would I run the system like this for? 21 days or so? Also if I decide to compost cow or horse manure at what point would it be okay for my worm bin? Should I keep the pile of manure at 150 degrees or so for about three days then feed it to my worms?

    Thank you

    1. Hey Robert! I would run the system for at least 4-5 weeks *and* until the temperatures start trending downwards.
      Cheers!
      Steve

    2. And you definitely need more than 3 days of high temperatures. 3 days at 150 might be enough to kill the pathogens that are in the hot part of the pile, but that time period does not ensure that the material won’t heat up on the worms.
      Cheers!
      Steve

  10. Hi Steve
    We have set up a two bin system and are currently waiting to get it started up. Our goal is to set up a model for processing compostable waste on a scale that can be multiplied . Our government regulations have been asking small communities to separate the waste for a number of years so with a deadline looming and no cost effective solutions in view we thought we’d try this. A councillor is also setting up a Chinese greenhouse and wants to incorporate this for the compost component that will provide heat for the passive solar structure here in our zone 4/ 5 area of Quebec. We have plans to visit a large scale version of an outdoor and in vessel ASP in a nearby town soon. but, I’m wondering if we can get ours up and running soon. My question is how high do I need to fill the bin up before starting the blower . It’s 37” by 57” long and has removable slats to a height of 3 1/2 ft. Most of the information has been about manure so I’m wondering if the 50/ 50 green to brown still holds and will layering be sufficient rather than premixing.
    Thanks for your time and dedication.

  11. Instead of “short circuit” I think a better analogy would be what baristas call “channeling”. That’s where the water in an espresso pull doesn’t diffuse evenly through the puck, leading to bad extraction. It’s a more apt comparison because it is trying to evenly push a pressurized fluid through a pile of fine organics.

  12. If I were to build around a bagster and have this outside on my patio do you think this would work if I were to put the manifold underneath the floor of The bagster surrounded by wood chips and then put all my compost on top with the forced air be able to make its way through the material into the compost?

    1. Hi Ryan,
      It *could* but I’d be worried that a Bagster would be too porous and would get too dried out so you’d definitely have to keep it moist and monitor the moisture content daily.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *