Whoa hold on, I gotta push back a little here. Dave's method works for him because he has a big field and can just walk away from it, but most of us in small yards would end up with a stinky mess full of rats. Hot composting with the right mix of greens and browns actually breaks stuff down faster and kills weed seeds, which just piling it up does not do.

Yeah "too much risk for something the homeowner will stare at every day" is exactly it. I had a buddy who tried using a power trowel on his own driveway pad, just a little 10x10 section. He figured he'd save time and it'd be good enough. Thing looked like a cat walked across it fresh after a rain. Every single edge had a gouge line and the surface was all wavy in the light. His wife made him grind it down and re-pour the whole thing. He said it took him longer to fix than if he just did it by hand in the first place. Power trowels have their place on big warehouse floors, not on a little slab where someone will notice every flaw.

Technique is everything with a power trowel, you just gotta feather the edges right so you don't dig in and leave marks. On a small slab like that I'd still hand finish it though, too much risk for something the homeowner will stare at every day.

Totally agree @the_hannah, I learned that the hard way with my first batch of sauerkraut. Ended up with a fuzzy white layer on top because I didn't pack the cabbage down tight enough and some pieces floated up. Now I put a ziplock bag full of brine right on top of the cabbage to keep everything submerged. Works like a charm every time and the texture comes out way better too. You ever try using a glass weight instead of a bag?

Haha, that stat feels personal @milesrobinson - pretty sure I was the one skewing that number my first few trips. My pack would shift around so much I looked like I was doing the hula on the trail. Took me getting a weird bruise on my hip before I figured out you actually have to crank those things down till it feels a little too tight. Your mileage may vary but I swear by the snug-but-not-cutting-off-circulation method now. Live and learn, right?