I compiled a bullet point format for my reference. I thought I would post it for others to reference and or comment on.
Cannabis Curing Guide using a Hygrometer and Jars
Step 1:
The Dry
-Harvest and Hang
-3 to 14 days depending on relative humidity and temperature
-Keep it dark
Step 2:
The Feel
-Buds start to “feel” dry
-Stems “feel” dry but are flexible and don’t snap when bent
-Time to jar the buds
Step 3:
The Jar (65% - 70%)
-RH should be 70% at maximum
-The key in this phase is to get the RH down to 65% relatively
fast to prevent mold
-If hygrometer readings rise 1% an hour, this
indicates a high RH in the jar
-If RH is greater than 70% you need to leave the
lid off for 1 to 4 hours or even remove
from the jar if necessary depending on the RH
and temperature in the room
-Burp the jars for 1 to 2 hours per day to reach 65% RH
-It may take 24 hours to get a stable RH reading
Step 4:
The Cure (60% - 65%)
-Looking for a much slower release of moisture.
-Burp jars for a very short period once a day
-Stable RH readings may take up to 36 hours
Step 5:
The Smoke (60% to 55%)
-The cure continues
-It's ready to smoke
-Burp once a day until desired smoking RH is reached
-can be stored for longer periods up to 3 months
-Curing (65% to 55%) should take a minimum of 2 weeks
-Can cure as long as 1 to 6+ months
Step 6:
The End
-The cure stops at 55%
-Ready for long term storage up to 3+ months/years?
-Can rehydrate to reach preferred smoking RH
-Rehydrating will not restart the cure process
I have been reading a lot about curing and some of the articles are long and cumbersome with others being very short. The main difference I came across was that some said you can cure for up to 4 years and others said that after 6 months there would not be any improvement.
I think this probably has to do with the type of effect you want from your cure. My estimation is 2 weeks to 6 months for a more euphoric? type of THC high.
The longer cures of 2 to 4 years would give more of a CBN "sleepy" high secondary to "THC being converted to non-psychoactive cannabinol (CBN)"