lol.. Nice. Im really hoping for a strawberry flavor. I really dont like coffee at all, however, I do like the smell of fresh brewed coffee.
Well I personally didn't notice any strawberry when smoking, and my girlfriend didn't notice it when she vaped. The flavor could very well be there, but I might not have a well enough trained palate to notice it. I'll be curious to see what you think when you have yours finished up, but it definitely doesn't taste like coffee when smoked, at least I didn't think so lol.
Im gonna have to try LSTing the way you have. Your getting such nice spreads. Loving the new home. Looks great brother.
What drying/curing process are you using? I started going through a ton of your pages but you have SOOOO many to find such a small topic lol But I did try lol
Thanks man! In my growing journey, LST is one thing I think I got a handle on fairly quickly. My preferred LST system just uses craft ribbon and paper clips. Lengths of ribbon have a loop tied on one end with a square knot, so the knot itself is stationary. I run the ribbon around the branch, putting the free end through the loop I tied, snug it to the branch, and use the paperclip to secure it on the edge of the pot.
I use this adjustable loop/ribbon method so if the branch grows while the ribbon is in place, the ribbon looped around the branch can expand and not cut into the branch. I have never once seen any impressions on my branches. I'll take a picture tomorrow if I remember, but the ribbon is then slid under one side of the paperclip, so the whole length of it holds as much tension as possible against the pot.
But if you don't start early enough, or the branches get stiffer, the paperclips won't hold as well if you try to bend them too much. And just today as I closed the doors, I heard one paperclip pop off lol. But I'll fix that one up tomorrow.
As for drying and curing, I've tried a few variations with canning jars, hygrometers, hanging in the same room as the grow, and hanging in a box.
The first few ended up too dry. The problem it seems for me, is that I don't understand when people are describing the branch snap, and the slightly dry bud feeling. If I wait until branches snap clean, it's wayyyy too dry. I then tried waiting until branches cracked when bent, but didn't snap clean, and that was still a little too dry.
On this time around, I waited until buds started feeling crispy. But when I bent the stems, they just folded, with no snap. But I went ahead into curing anyways. I had some sweating after a few hours, so I'd pop open the lid for a few minutes, wipe off the moisture, then close it back up.
Humidity in the container was holding at about 62%. The past week it dropped to just above 60%, so I opened it up, and moved all the buds around, buds on top on bottom, and buds in middle mixed between top and bottom. RH went back up to 62%% and held for a few days, dropped again to 59%, stirred up all the buds again, today as a matter of fact, and it's holding at 60% even right now. Buds were moved around about 5 hours ago.
Everything SEEMS to be going according to what I've read, but when my girlfriend described the flavor when she vaped the SB, she said it was like the freshest cut grass she ever smelled. Which to me sounds wicked bad.. I don't want grass or hay lol.
When I open the container it smells piney, has a bit of the smell I'd get from bags I used to buy, but also has a hint of grass/hay smell too.
The drying and curing process has been the most difficult thing for me to master.
My room is always 68-70 F in the summer. 45-50% RH. no fan ever blowing directly on the buds, and I still get some lame results. I know I'll get a handle on it eventually, but in the meantime it's a little annoying. Decent grows, ok yields, and bud that never smells the way it should after drying and curing.
I think what I need, is a step by step idiot's guide or something. I've tried following along various dry/cure posts, but the terms "stem snap" and "crispy on the outside" seem to be relative terms.
But one day I'll get it mastered..