I would say the bottom was stinky because it was to wet. Do you have any drainage holes in the bottom? Drainage holes would, as the name suggests, drain the extra moisture out of the bin. Adding news paper will absorb moisture and stink, I think, but like you say, you will have trouble with getting nice looking finished stuff.

Hope this helps!

Anita

I agree about the drainage holes; if you don't have them, you need to add them. You might add a few ventilation holes on the sides near the tops, too. My bin tends to be wet, so I also have to avoid certain wet foods in my bins, like melons or juicy fruit pulp. I need to add some more holes myself.

Newspapers on the bottom just don't work for me. I use a layer of wine corks. I do use newspapers for bedding above the worms and food and they absorb a lot of moisture.

yes you're both right - I need holes in the bottom. I was trying to manage the moisture without holes, but I guess I can't have it both ways (no holes and no fluffing).
I probably should have just harvested the bottom stinky inch because the rest of the bin was fine.
Is stinky vermicompost still good stuff?

If you don't want to have drain holes and a catch tray you could use a turkey baster to remove the accumulated liquid as suggested in Worms Eat My Garbage

Here is a link that might be useful: Worms Eat My Garbage

On the weekend I sucked up some liquid at the very bottom of my bin using a turkey baster.
My bin is set up so that I have broken styrofoam pieces, then landscape cloth sandwiched in between 2 pieces of hardware cloth.
My bedding and vermicompost sit on top of the wire mesh.
I have holes around the sides of my bin about 1" from the bottom. I don't have drainage holes.

I had liquid accumulate at the bottom amongst the styrofoam pieces which I sucked up.

My bedding itself is moist, not wet and mucky. When I squeeze it, it holds together, so I didn't consider it too wet. I've never gotten drops of water out of my shredded newspaper bedding or the vermicompost (when squeezed), yet I have liquid at the bottom. I think it's from freezing my food but I'd rather freeze than risk fruit flies and fungas gnats.

Sherry