Dry and Cure

VilliageIdiot;2820833 said:

So where was I... Oh yeah Navi asked about the way to dry and cure...

So after Wash and Dry there is multiple steps to cure prep. First off you dry until it is fluffy but not dry. It you let it get too dry it wont cure. Having those hygrometers around helps a ton and are vital to a good cure IMO (unless you know everything and have the time to sit and watch paint dry).

First lets jump forward a bit... You want to cure with the humidity in the jar between 55 - 65 RH. outside of that range the anaerobic bacteria in there doing the cure dies or wont work. The point of the cure is 2 things. 1) this bacteria eats up all the excess chlorophyll and sugars. That leaves behind flowers that have purely the aroma and flavors of the strain and not generic hay smell. Also it makes smoking mild and smooth not harsh as the sugars and chlorophyll are very hard to smoke. 2) you get even wetness so an even burn. THC burns. Putting a flame to it destroys it. Only the stuff vaped off before the flame gets to it is what gets you high. So if it is not evenly dry and you have wet spots in there it doesn't burn fast and you waste a ton. That is why the potency goes up. Ever try and smoke fresh stuff and it doesn't work too well but when dries it does...that is why.

SO

Once it is mostly dry but still above 65 RH (which is hard to know hanging in an open area) you want to place it in storage containers like I will show below. If you are using a drying box you can put some hygrometers in there to know when. As you saw I dried them in my tent which I tried to keep at 60 RH so that it couldn't get to dry. After 4-5 days in there they felt ready. So I trimmed them and placed them just a light thin layer at the bottom of the containers. Then you open the container for like an hour or so every so often to vent it then close it again and watch the humidity go back up.

You dry them out in a cool dark place and when the RH in the box is stable at 65% for 12 hours it is ready to be jar'd.

Done correctly you don't need any cheater packs but many people buy and use these gel packs that absorb or release water to maintain a specific humidity. I recommend those until you have this figured out which takes a few tries. Sometimes using them in the boxes is a good way to not over dry if you have them drying in a dry area.

Then you need to sit back and let the bacteria do its thing. It is anaerobic so every time you open the lid to smell it kills them and the process starts over again. So that is where those humidity packs can really help a newb. If you pack them with the cheater packs then you can leave it sealed tight and get the cure done faster without worrying about it.

Another way is to just drop those Hygrometers in the jars and watch them and that help to reduce your anxiety.

A cure takes not less than 2 weeks and typically 2 months is the min golden rule. Many people go longer, much longer. Reputable growers and dispensaries don't sell stuff cured less than 2 months. I think 6 months is considered ideal...but I don't know. There are so many factors involved including storage temps. I just open them back up as i need them. I wont need this stuff until it is cured but I might open the lightest jar early to test.


Savvy?

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