Couple of questions for clarification

When you say you've got lots of black stuff and paper but not concentrated, you mean you don't have large solid areas of just compost/castings? Could paste a link to the video you're refering to.

After a year I assume you've harvested at least once, are you asking about worms composting at the bottom of the inn because you're getting large amounts of cardboard (or even food waste??)? Is this a 'you're not getting good VC out of the bottom problem' or just wondering about where the worms are?

As you, I find the worms tend to gravitate to moist and airy areas, so the sides and top are favorites for them. Lots of my feedings are processed top down (I cover with a light layer of VC which they populate in a day and start working down). Yep, the center is in general less populated especially once it starts compacting but the worms do follow it down and process it all given time.

Even with that being the case though, after the initial cardboard/paper plug I had when I first started the bin I haven't had any really come out of the bottom at all.
So that worm behavior is nothing odd, and it shouldn't stop the inn from giving you nice VC out the bottom.

So with some more info, if it's not nice VC out the business end, we can work out what's up. I can post some pics of mine for a general idea (doing a feeding tomorrow :))
PS. I assume conditions of the food is ok, no nasty smells etc, just maybe fewer worms than you expect?

I have not harvested any compost at all. There is just a little on the newspapers throughout. I did dump the whole thing about a month ago and maybe I upset the system because all the contents got mixed together. Maybe I need to start over and just put this stuff in my pile of leaves. Will get pic of the bottom stuff in a little bit.

Here are pics of my worm Inn

This what it looks like from top to bottom. Help Me!

Hmm, pardon a whole wack of questions, but better to do all the basics at once instead of stringing it out over days.

How many worms do you have?
If you've got lots are you absolutely sure they are composting worms?
Where did you get them and how much did you start off with? Any die offs?
How much do you feed and how? Chunky, blending food, frozen and thawed etc.?

Yep, something really weird is going on, should not be like that at all. I assume you haven't been feeding much as just rotted composted food should have left behind more than what you have after a year. So looks like you've got almost no worms or somehow they are not composting ones (but will know after your answers). I just can't see how it would be so unprocessed otherwise.

He's pics of mine with descriptions so we can work from a common source when we talk about a bunch of worms etc. Links are to the pic as opposed to in post as there are bunch, don't want a three page post :)

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/405/innv.jpg/
This is the inn with some cardboard on top to keep things moist. Probably about half an inch thick of loose cardboard. When I feed I move aside all the loose stuff and leave any that the worms might have already worked over and into the VC. The cardboard around the edges is just at the top to keep fresh wet feedings from gunking up the side of the cloth.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/341/feedingcardboard.jpg/
Basically under the cover layer. Some top bedding that got buried and leftover bedding which I mix in with the feed.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/708/worms2q.jpg/
Digging a bit into the last feeding, can see left over bedding and a few scraps left. Nice group of worms that keeps going down.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/36/vcscrapbucket.jpg/
The rough stuff that comes out of the bottom. This is my scrap bucket which I use to cover new feedings, why I don't mind bits of paper etc.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/33/feedingbucket.jpg/
Todays feeding, optical illusion but it's really about a half bucket. See some bedding (Cardbard/paper) mixed it but it's really quite a bit more that it looks in the pic. It's the usual waste mix plus crushed eggshells and paper/cardboard bedding. Also toss in a little of my waste VC to fire things up.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/72/feedinginn.jpg/
Feeding dumped into the inn. Note I've got a ton of worms in the inn and worked up to this.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/441/feedingcovered.jpg/
Cover feeding lightly with stuff from my VC scraps bucket. Keeps some smells down if I get any and worms populate the top much more quickly. Then I move and add more cardboard to cover it all. In a week it will be down to what you saw in the first pics.

So looking forward to your answers so we can get talking and works out whats up, feel free to ask any questions about my system. The Worm Inn is really an amazing system when it's going so want to get you up and running :). I'm a person and a half who doesn't cook fresh much and mine in a year has given me about 3 plastic grocery bags full of VC.

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/830/yourcathasverybadhiding.jpg/
And one funny pic just to keep you smiling (one of my all time favs)

Excellent post PeterK2. I want to see the answers to the questions. It was like going to the doctor's. Maybe it is Dr.PeterK2? Those are the questions we need answers to to begin to diagnose and help. It was fun to see the series of pictures with matching text. Very educational. I love the cardboard around the edges. I was waiting to see the squirm of stars.

Are the bins outdoors?
Is that sun on the bedding?
Are there worms in there?
I have heard that everybody kills their first worms.
Also apparently many people can vermicompost in 100% newspaper. I do not think I could get it to work. It is what the first book I read on the subject said to use for bedding. Newspaper seems to clump and not allow in air and to me it just does not look as tasty as corrigated cardboard or even brown grocery bags. My system would have a hard time digesting even a two cup clump of shredded newspaper.
Are you using city water?
If the system is in the sun the cloth might dry out quick requiring a lot of water with cholorine or choloramine or floride in it which kills bacteria and life which are the wee little beasties we need to do the work of breaking down stuff and feeding our worms.

Maybe move the system into the shade and look in the composty leaf litter areas of the yard to find some compost worms to toss in the bin. Maybe toss in a handfull of leaves.

The type of system you have (I think it would be real cool to have one.) can handle a LOT of food waste. Maybe clean out the refrigerator and freezer and toss in an old dead potted plant.

I do not think you need to dump and start over. At most harvest from the bottom and put back on top a few times.

There are alot of worms and I have harvested from bottom and put on top, that is why I thought it looked like that. I got them from a red wiggler farm in Florids. When I look there are alot of worms and they eat what I put in there. I use frozen then thawed food, dont cut it into pieces. The worm in use to be in a bedroom and I moved it outside like a week ago cause I was getting alot of fruit flies. Last time I feed them I microwaved the food. I couldnt open your pics, image shack and me dont get along I guess. Sorry, not computer savvy. I copied and pasted to search but wouldnt bring up pics.

I saw your pics finally. Thursday is my next day off, I will take pics of the worms for you, there are big ones and little babies too. They seem happy.

Hmm, how much do you feed a week? Have to ask again and is my main question right now as I feel I'm missing something.

And to double check. Your pics show one years worth of bedding and food in a Inn where NOTHING has been removed or harvested ever, correct?

It is really weird, here's my thought process so for. You said it's been a year and nothing has been harvested and/or removed. Normally I'd have said it was few worms and tiny feedings so population hasn't grown (or something keeping them down) and the VC amount is so tiny. You've seen my pics and I'm one person who doesn't cook that much.

But you mentioned you have lots of worms. So maybe they are not the right types. But then the feedings would still have to be fairly small as after a year, I'd have thought just rotted food would give you more black stuff (hence the feeding question). Then again, never seen the results of bins with basically no composting worms. If they are the wrong worms, would explain why bedding is untouched and they haven't grown in population much. Also explain you having lots of fruit flies, food sitting uneaten until it decomposes. BTW how long until a feeding is fully eaten?

With decent number of worms, bedding not being eaten, food being slow and lack of VC.... I'm leaning to wrong worms, looking forward to your pics. Not going to be easy though, telling from a photo is never easy. That would be the 'nice' problem as then it would be, just get some worms and off you, go as opposed to anything you've done.

Here's a vid about worm quantities just to quantify worm amounts.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQ4uYXHydoo

equinoxequinox

Yeah I never got newspaper to work well in a bin, too wet and it would just clump up. Professionally (large scale) I've seen it used, but those are in flat beds (not that deep and drier). Works better in the Inn also, but even then I prefer it on top so it doesn't compact too much.

PeterK2 Perfect Video.

The Inn with fabric sides should be the most perfect system. It has everything going for it. Nice harvesting method. Air everywhere. Zippered netting to keep in the flying baddies. I own no Inn or premade system. Mine is self made primative.

The weights for worm food never specify wet or dry weight or if bedding is included. Or even if the food is water heavy or water drained. Huge variations in information there. Even those of us with a family of 4 and a smidgeion of worms are walking the streets looking for more to keep our worms well fed... compostable food for our worms. It takes juicers or vegans or at least vegetarians to maintain a bin of any quantity of worms. IMNHO.

Where do you get good worms? I probably not feeding enough, I feed once a week and not much. I will have to find more food for them I guess. Will take pic of the worms if you still want to see.

Yes please Minderella, post the pics :). If they look right then you don't have to buy, especially as you don't feed much. Gives us an idea of population also.

Not much feeding as in how much? Sandwich size? Couple of banana peels and some apple peels a week (saw some in the pic)? Yep, that would be light.

If that's the case, then it makes more sense. I'd think it's just that you have very few worms relatively speaking and very light feedings in an Inn which has BIG volume. BTW you can toss in almost anything, coffee, tea bags, all peels etc. just no dairy or meat. The Inn that way is very forgiving. Corn cobs and husks are great for long term munching. I've actually started eating better as I don't mind having veggies go off now as it doesn't go into the garbage, which is hard to avoid with large packaging and buying for one person :).

BTW, if your goal is just to reduce your garbage, then what you're doing is working. It's going into the Inn and not to landfill, so you don't really have to change anything. If your goal was to create some VC for some purpose, then yep sounds like you'll have to find a way to get more worm food.

PS. I've gotten worms from redwormcomposting.com and thewormdude.com. Very happy with both.

Here are the worms

http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k537/Minderella83/Worm%20Inn/WormInn008.jpg

http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k537/Minderella83/Worm%20Inn/WormInn007.jpg

http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k537/Minderella83/Worm%20Inn/WormInn006.jpg

http://i1114.photobucket.com/albums/k537/Minderella83/Worm%20Inn/WormInn009.jpg

I knew it, I knew it would be hard to tell lol. I dunno, maybe they are. I'd have liked to see more banding (see pic).
http://www.redwormcomposting.com/buy-composting-worms/
I really would have thought that if they are, they would have eaten more bedding and grown in pop over a year even with light feedings.

As mentioned, if it's just to not throw food waste into the garbage, you can continue as you are as it works. If you want more VC, you'll have to feed more anyway whether or not you get some more worms. Can always get some for peace of mind. Curious to know if you do so and how that bedding ends up.

So for your original question, don't think you're doing anything really wrong (and yes, you don't have to throw tbe stuff away). Just a small worm population with small feedings. It's the small pop as to why they aren't everywhere eating (the Inn has a large volume) and why there's not that much VC.

I have slowly now increasing the feedings and I order a pound of red wigglers from Compost Guy. I guess that will for sure make sure they are red wigglers, right?

Yep, many people have ordered from them and are very happy. Can compare them with the ones you have once you get them. If nothing else you know you now have a good population if they do look the same.

If you have any cardboard boxes (plain corrugated is best) you can wet that down and toss it in also. Great for creating a home (doesn't wad up as much as paper) and the little tunnels in between the worms love.

Good luck, keep us informed how it goes :). Always curious.

Thanks for all your help.