Better safe than sorry.That's fair, but I'd start treating right now for Botrytis if trying to save the plant, and not just wait and see if it gets worse. It likely will. I don't want to be the bearer of bad news and I have utmost respect and admiration for Brother @InTheShed and his growing knowledge/abilities, but I'm pretty close to 420% sure that is not caused by compressed trichomes.
Exactly!
All You Will Ever Want to Know about Water Curing Cannabis
May 19, 2022
After your cannabis is harvested, drying and curing are the next important steps to determining flavor and quality. Compared to conventional methods like curing in a mason jar, water curing your cannabis can cure it even faster. Of course, water-curing cannabis also has some disadvantages. read on to learn about the details of this different method.
The reason why marijuana needs to be cured at all is that doing so removes any irritating substance found in marijuana flowers. Through this process, the chlorophyll and sugars that make marijuana difficult to smoke decompose, thereby improving the smoothness, flavor, and comfort of smoking the plant. Traditional curing usually takes a few weeks while water curing cannabis only takes a few days.
There is a major drawback to water curing, so let’s get that out of the way first. THC and CBD in marijuana are fat-soluble, so soaking cannabis buds in water will not lose remove cannabinoids, and water can accelerate the decomposition of chlorophyll and sugar molecules that are not conducive to smoking.
That said, marijuana also contains water-soluble compounds that may wash off (such as terpenes), so the major drawback to water curing your cannabis is that it might reduce the odor and complexities in flavor profile. If that’s not something you care about and you just want to cure your cannabis quickly, water curing is a great technique.
Pros of water curing weed
Simplicity: All you need is water (preferably reverse osmosis (RO) water), mason jars, and a little patience.
Speed: Water cures several times faster than air, so you can get the results you want quickly.
Bud Rot Rescue: Cannabis with bud rot cannot be air-cured, but water-cured can potentially make them usable. Be sure to do your research into bud rot before you smoke any buds that have gone rotten.
Cons of water curing weed
Worse flavor profile: The water washes out the terpenes from cannabis, leaving you with a very mild smell. The potential upside to this is that it is a more discrete way to smoke.
Not great for sales: Water-cured cannabis is difficult to sell commercially due to lack of flavors—generally, water-cured cannabis just isn’t popular commercially.
So, how do I water cure cannabis?
The first step, the pre-step if you will, is to prepare all your equipment: a mason jar, RO water, and mature cannabis flowers.
Step 1: After harvest, trim your buds but don’t let them dry out. Remove any stems and fan leaves—save those for butter.
Step 2: Fill the mason jar with clean water and submerge the buds. Ensure that all the buds are well exposed to the water, and if the buds are too light and float you’ll want to try to weigh them down. Seal the jar and make sure that it is airtight. Maintain water temperature between 65-75 degrees Fahrenheit.
Step 3: Shake the jar a little and change the water once a day. You need to change the water because curing occurs when cannabis is exposed to clean water. As well, the water will be full of the irritating substances that seep out of the buds so you’ll need to refresh the water on a regular basis. After doing this for 5-7 days, you will notice that the water is clear. When there are almost no impurities in the water, your cure is complete.
Step 4: Hang the cured cannabis to dry to remove the excess moisture.
There is also a “Rapid-Fire Method” that you can do in a day. Place the cannabis flower in a large flat bowl and pour running water over it gently. Do this for about 10 hours and the cannabis is cured. It is not the best technique—you’ll lose a lot of flavor and will potentially damage your buds but it is indeed possible.
Should I use water to cure my weed?
Who should be doing this technique? Like the pros and cons we mentioned earlier, if you like a smooth mouth feel that has little odor using water to cure cannabis might be a decent choice to try out. Or, if you’re in a hurry to cure your cannabis, water curing is a quick way to get it done. We don’t normally go for this method, but we do know it is possible so we thought we would share. We know it is a controversial one and we would suggest that you only go this route if you have a specific set of goals you’re trying to achieve.
Edibles!!!!!!
I'm amazed about your pool... how is it filtered and how does it keep condition? It's not common to use H202 in a pool is it? I haven't heard of it before. It sounds clean and hygienic.
You know Otter, I thank my lucky stars that I looked closely at the trich pics and found the spores. I wouldn't have seen it until it was too late otherwise. I've had four hours of being high on this stuff. It passes the test but is quite unremarkable in taste so far. Smell has become quite piney but still floral and fruity.
It sounds like it will be a nice smoke when it's all said and done. Time makes a big difference!
Yes that does look similar. Thanks Shed. Do you think that I should not be using the weed for smoke or edibles? I don't make or use salve. Surely if this weed is decarbed the mold will be killed?Sorry to get here late...kitchen issues all morning and half the afternoon.
I wanted to mention that not all mold is bud rot. I lost my entire Tin Can Kush to a mold that looked similar (but further along) to the top of the first pic you posted:
This was after 6 days of hang drying with no sign of rot when it was alive. I decarbed all of it and am saving it for topical pain oil. I remember @Amy Gardner lost a few plants to this type of stringy white mold as well a few years back and she dumped it all. Nothing that looks like this should be smoked, and it can't be washed away.
I would get that harvest down to 58% RH ASAP and check it with a loupe every few days to see if it's spread.
I think if you wait a week and inspect it with a loupe you can smoke whatever doesn't have the mold. Anything with the mold should be tossed if smoking is the only other option.
, I’m ecstatic you were able to catch things before it got out of hand, and were able to save your crop. I’ve heard of powdery mildew, blossom rot, and mold from gardening but i’ve never had to tackle them. I’m so happy everyone was able to give you advice. I’ve caught up on everything i’ve missed, I remember you said that it got you high. How were you able to smoke without drying/curing? Or is there a quick dry method you use for a “tester “? I am fairly new-ish to cannabis so I was under the impression that it wasn’t possible to “test” until the drying and curing processes were complete.
Sorry Shed. To be clear, are you saying it should not be used for edibles or smoke, and my only safe option is to use for salve or discard? The buds are drying as we speak. Unfortunately I am unable to use a jewelers loupe as I am unable to hold it steady enough. I will have to make a call based on other criteria.
Hi Lexi and thank you. I'm still trying to ascertain what I should do with this harvest. If it is unsafe for use then I may not have managed to save it after all. I used a toaster tester to check the effects. That is I took a popcorn bud and broke it up into small pieces which I placed on a tinfoil boat on top of a toaster until dry enough to crush and smoke. It's not ideal and you can't test flavour. You can get a sense of how high you are going to get though.Congratulations on your harvest Carmen
I hope you are feeling more at ease and are able to enjoy your weekend
I'm saying don't smoke it at all. Whether you can decarb and make edibles seems to depend on the type of mold, and that we don't know.
To be honest, I'm not sure how you do that.
I needed to hear you say this. It's a bit gut wrenching to look at that flower and see a season go to waste
Ok, putting it this way is very convincing. Hells bells @ mycotoxins.
... damn.
I kind of knew that the moment the words were uttered and saved.
Thanks for digging that up Carmen! I'm going to link @Virgin Ground here so she can see it as well.
