It is fully composted when it smells like clean dirt and doesn't mould when you put it in a sealed container for a few days. It's better to let it go an extra year than to use it too soon. My mix of seaweeds, table scraps, vegetation, fish, and cat carcasses goes about 3 years before I use it on anything. I'm really paranoid of moulding out a crop . . . and mould absolutely loves the indoor garden!