Take a heap that will not heat. DMR reports that below 1.5 percent nitrogen the material is not properly fermented and the heap may not pass 55 to 60 °C, and it sets a minimum base batch of 300 kg because small heaps lose heat too fast. The heap may also be too wet and airless, or genuinely too dry.
Each of those causes predicts something else you can check. Low nitrogen means the formulation record will show it. Too wet means leachate at the base and a sour smell. Too small means the outside is cool but the very core is warm. Go and look for what you should not find.
- Nitrogen too low
- Too wet and airless
- Batch too small
- Too dry