Please help me save my compost!

[Gonewiththemadness]

I started a compost bin a few months ago and I used an old unused dustbin for it.
Basically I just cut the bottom of a black dustbin out so that it was touching the floor and since then I have added grass clippings and leaves but mostly food scraps. Fruit skins, veg peelings ect. Some crushed egg shells. Recently added a lot of unused supermarket produce that was going out of date.
I’ve been turning it every week or so but it’s absolutely SOAKED!
It’s so water logged and stinky! What can I do to save it?

Add layers of cardboard every 30 cm of depth. Grass clippings tend to go to a black smelly mess, but are brilliant under courgettes, marrows etc.

Is it not supposed to be soaked?
You can take whole courses on how to maximise composting experience.

You need LOADS more ‘brown’ stuff.

Sounds like not enough air to it. You need to break up the “green” layers (veg peelings, grass, garden waste) with “brown” layers. Twigs, straw, cardboard and newspaper are all good but make sure cardboard and newspaper are at least partially ripped up and scattered. To save it I would brace yourself for the revolting stink, don some hefty gloves and spread it out. Then rebuild your heap by starting with a layer of twigs, layer of brown, layer of green, alternating occasionally with a few twigs. It probably doesn’t need turning so often either, I’ve only ever done mine once or twice a year at best. Good luck

Does it have a lid?
Add lots of dry material. It doesn't sound like there's much there already. If you look online there's lots of info about greens (wet) and browns (dry). Things like toilet roll inners count as brown and can be added as well as paper - I tend to only add paper that doesn't feel shiny. The other thing to do is to add a few bulky things like sticks or bits of cardboard, which help the pile to stay aerated.

Sounds like you've left the top open.
I'd take the bin off, drill big holes around the sides (1", about 4" apart).
Then, as One small step says, get a load of cardboard in there (corrugated is great) or shredded paper, maybe some dryish stalky stuff, layered like lasagne with your wet/stinky stuff. Then cover the top of your compost bin to prevent it becoming to saturated.

If you've got a plot where you are planning to grow veg, you could just dig a trench, full it with the wet and stinky stuff, and cover, it will all break down in the end

You can also put in autumn leaves as "brown" material.

If you have a paper shredder, you can put all your confidential waste in there too!

You say it is touching the "floor", do you mean earth or concrete?

Thank you for all the responses!
I’ve not left the lid off it at all and it’s touching earth but I think my ratio is wrong. I have barely any dry stuff in there so will move it from one bin to the other (I cut the base out of two bins but have only started using the one so far.)
It stinks at the moment so not looking forward to it but I think that’s what I’ll need to do! Thank you so much for all of the advice, I don’t have a veg patch yet. Only just getting into gardening and was hoping to use it for pots of tomatoes and beans ect in the summer!

It's all a learning experience and composting is like a specialist subject of its own! There is lots you can do with growing in pots (and other recycled containers) if you are able to keep up with the watering. The taste of a freshly picked tomato is worth it though!

Newspaper, shredded paper. Egg boxes ripped up or the egg box type material that avocados and pears come in. Loads of dry and mix it up. It will rot down quickly and give you lovely compost. Will take a year or so til it’s really ready.