I've done the 180 thing too, from the same source (grass clippings). There are many microbes that can tolerate temps over 150 ðF. However, most of the ones we want in finished compost will croak above 150. That's also a common food safety temp in commercial kitchens -- 150 ðF for 10 seconds. In compost the heat comes from microbial activity, but high temps are a result of heat that hasn't been released, and temps hitting 150 are a clear sign that the pile needs aeration both for cooling and for oxygen, both to keep the desirable aerobes working. The commercial producers generally don't like seeing temps headed above 150 ðF. What saves compost that gets hot in the center are the cool margins where life thrives. Heat the whole pile to 150 ðF throughout and keep in there for a couple of hours, as might happen in a solarization treatment, and there won't be much actively kicking. There will, however, be spores from a number of thermophiles that will resume colonization once things cool back down and conditions are favorable.

What I would do is move that compost to the curing bin. The curing bin in which you don't add any more fresh materials. Start a new bin with fresh materials, and allow the curing to go on for a little while longer. Once it is not hot any more it's ready. If you mix with bagged browns that will cool it. If you mix it with native soil or turn it in very slightly even only a few inches it will be cooled. Once it is out of the bin and on the ground in just a inch or so it should not even get hot because you need critical mass to get heat. Maybe that is the problem the mass is too big, if you stopped adding and kept turning. I can never get my bins to maintain heat for very long, but they are kind of small in my opinion. A larger bin stays hot longer. Try taking some out a test in a small amount and see if it cools down right away.

Fast 'hot' composting requires a good mix of green (Nitrogen) and brown (Carbon) materials along with moisture and air. Fast hot compost can be finished as soon as 2-3 weeks. But if the mixture isn't right, you have cold compost which will break down in time, but may take a year or more. Now there's nothing wrong with cold compost - it's every bit as good as hot compost - it just takes longer...a lot longer. Vermicomposting is really a form of cold composting. Worms will process finished or near finished compost and it can make an excellent bedding material. However, it is important to also provide materials that are [more] actively decomposing to provide an ample feedstock. You 'can' purchase a COW, but you might want to begin with a simple rubbermaid/sterlite 10g or 18g bin. Your basement will be a bit cool at 50F as worms do best at 70F. They will be very slow, almost dormant at 50F, but they would be 'okay'. Also, as Bill points out, these won't really handle the volumes of material I think you're talking about. What you might better do is add worms to your outdoor compost heaps?

1) When the compost is uniform in texture, has a rich earthy smell, and none of the original ingredients are recognizable. 2) Probably. It depends on how much nitrogen you add and how finished the compost really is. 3) I would just layer it on top, about an inch thick at one feeding. You could go deeper, depending on how often you feed.