Try getting a bag of lump/natural charcoal and dumping it on top. I started doing this with mine and quite having any issues with smell when I didn't get the mix correct. That charcoal is sure good at holding onto nutrients. Or you could just add a bunch more blowns and mixing it up. The charcoal is just nice because it's more or less an instant fix for the smell. I didn't have nearly enough browns for the last batch of grass that I put in so I gave it a try and it worked really well..

Thanks loads, jeremyjs. Where do you get natural charcoal? Probably a dumb question, but do you mean charcoal like you buy at the grocery for your grill?

Marlene

Yes, it will eventually turn to compost. I probably wouldn't "buy" anything to add to your compost. Add a bunch of browns, shredded paper, junk mail is the biggest source for me.... straw, woodchips, sawdust. Add more browns than you think you need... If you get a good source of browns mixed in the smell will go away. I like to keep a layer of brown material as a cover on my pile too.

Hi Marlene

Add carbons, the stronger the carbon, the less volume of it you will need. Personally I like leaves due to the nutrients they add and after that I'd go for shredded straw. Straw would probably add a lot to the porosity of the pile which might tend to alleviate the anaerobic action going on as well. I'd also add a couple of inches of a good carbon on top to act as a filter. I do this to a tumbler I add kitchen scraps to, pretty well eliminates any smell.

Good luck.

Lloyd

Thanks to all. I noticed after six or seven hours, the smell had dissipated -- until I turned things a bit. So I will continue to add more leaves; I don't want to use too much of my supply of leaves before the summer is over, so I may resort to shredded paper, too.

Thanks so much,
Marlene

Natural charcoal type stuff could come from your woodstove, as almost entirely burned wood. Alternatively, it could come from Malaysia or Indonesia.
What you are being warned off of is the use of briquettes, which have a binding material that is clay like, and might have petroleum products mixed in.
Growing up in Denver, briquettes were all that were available. Maybe that has changed.

I do not know if this helps your case, but I use wood ash to keep pH high. It helps alot with the ickiest sour smells.

Do you have any shredded paper you can add? Paper can soak up a lot of the water (and smell).