Because I expect mine to work hard and fast, only the very deepest stuff I pull from the beds after winter is 'completely' finished. The rest has a few bunny berries, maybe a twig or three, and a little hay.

Doesn't hurt how the stuff works, though. Still great for the garden!

castings like that come with extended time in the bin, not necessary, as income says

Bill

Yes, my castings look like that, but they are wetter when I harvest them. My bin always seems to be on the wet side. (One of these days I am going to drill a few more holes in it. That would probably help.)

I use corks from wine bottles as bedding under the worms and food and strips of newspapers as bedding above the food. I keep the food in net drawstring bags. I lift up the bags, and underneath the castings are mixed with the corks. There are no unfinished bits in the castings, except sometimes a few coffee grounds that slip through the net bags. The worms generally stay in the net bags, where the food is, but I do have to pick a few out of the castings.

If there is a lot of poo, I scoop it up and store it in plastic containers to use later (or as gift packs for anyone who needs a load of 'carp' - lol). In the containers it sometimes dries out and looks exactly like the pictures.

Most of the time, I just dump the wet, sticky castings and corks together into a 5 gallon bucket and add water. The water rinses the castings off the corks, and then I remove the corks (which float), round up any swimming worms, and pour the castings tea on my plants and lawn.

It's my own, unorthodox method but it's quick and easy and it works for me.

Mine look like the HANDFUL picture!
1) I don't play with my PETS and dig around, bothering them. But when I first started and had plastic flower pot type containers - it WAS easier to peek at them and dig around but I don't traumatize them anymore!
2) I "feed" them once a week - banana peels (chopped), egg shells (smashed up as best can in bag, sometimes in grinder), carrot/fruit pulp from my juicing, and veggie trash from meal prep. MAYBE once a month I will throw in left over rice (be sure to mix it w/ the rest of stuff WELL) and torn up bread. And once a month coffee grinds (just one carafe worth, not the entire month & torn up filters.
3) Once a month I throw in torn up egg container or the packing stuff (that rough, flimsy cardboard stuff when you get big items in the mail) that I get from the office. Yes, I get it wet & squeeze!
4) MABYE every 5 weeks I add more bedding - shredded newsprint (not the shiny colored stuff), more corrugated.
5) My bin isn't really soggy - I think it is more on the dry side but once a week I throw on top - about a dozen ice cubes. Maybe every other day I spray water on top - I have one of those garden mister/spray bottles near the bin.

I am going to start some tomatoes & herbs so I just scoop a little from the top - keep the mortality rate low, I hope!

My bin is the Rubbermaid with cover (10 gal?) and I have holes on the bottom, along the top AND thru the middle I have 2 3/4" PVC pipes with a lot of little (drilled) holes running the long way. I do keep it covered since I have it by the front door. I don't have to move the bin - our weather doesn't get toooo hot or freezing cold!

Hope this helps!