We never talk about uncured compost so I'm not surprised you couldn't find an answer.

The problem with uncured compost is more a problem with pathogens that might make you sick, not the lawn. You can use the compost on the lawn with no problems. The smell you smell is that of escaping ammonia (i.e. nitrogen). I'd go ahead and use it.

dchall_ : Thank you for your reassurance. I was worried that I might harm the lawn, as this is the first time I have ever applied compost to it.

I have heard horror stories of uncured manure, and made the leap from that to uncured compost!

I plan to follow your advice. Thanks so much!

Very often compost packaged in well sealed plastic bags with just a bit of moisture still in the mix will go into anaerbic (in the absence of air) digestion and will develop putrid odors. That does not mean you have "uncured" compost, just that this compost has gone anaerobic. Opening the bags and introducing air into the mix and allowing it to straighten out is most likely al lthat is needed. Compost is a living material with active bacteria working away, but if there is a lack of oxygen then the anaerobic bacteria take over and they produce off odors.
There is no such thing as "uncured" compost. Once the base materials that made that compost are digested and the compost smells like good, rich earth that compost is ready to use and does not need to be left sitting around being even more digested which causes a loss of nutrients that were in that compost.

kimmsr makes a couple good points:
When manure "cures" it becomes compost. Uncured manure, then, would be uncured compost. But once it is compost it is cured, so I think I know what you are talking about.

But his better point is about the bag being sealed. You can put excellent, finished, cured, compost in to a sealed bag and it will start to stink soon enough. That's probably what happened with yours.

When manure "cures" it becomes compost. Uncured manure, then, would be uncured compost. But once it is compost it is cured, so I think I know what you are talking about.

Jeeze! Another great moment in American literature!!!

I have done the bag test, my cured compost doesn't smell. I won't make comments on lawn application, I don't know.

Bag test

Stability to Maturity

Simple test

Many more links, just google "compost test sealed bag".

Lloyd

Just plain manure will always be just plain manure no matter how long it sits around. To become compost you need to mix it with other materials.