Have I really missed that big of a thing in this thread? Low and slow is only for drying, not curing?
DrZiggy's Low And Slow Drying: Maximizing Your Harvest
Indeed, for drying only (it's in the name of the thread)!
The cure happens in sealed jars in a cool dark place. Back of an interior closet or someplace where the heat of the house won't effect it too much.
Well, wonder if that is why it smells grassy. I have some that has been in there for 6 months and it has turned brown.
Brown's not usually good. Is it mushy or did the actual sugar leaves just dry out? Smell bad?
not mushy at all. It does still have green also. It has a bit of cat pee smell but I also don't have the best nose since Covid in Jan. It could be just that diesly smell as it is Sour D. I just ground some up to make edibles. Once ground up it smelled really good. Don't need to smoke it and I mostly Vape or make edibles. Wouldn't be the end of the world if I had to abandon it. I have like 3 8oz mason jars. Here is a pic. It was my buddy's first trim and my first grow so not the best.
Not seeing the brown or any sign of a bad trim job! I'd just take them out of the fridge and leave them someplace cool and dark for a month and see if there's an improvement.
Sorry to hear about the Covid but I'm glad you're over it and getting your sense of smell back. Waiting a month might be perfect timing!
Sorry to hear about the Covid but I'm glad you're over it and getting your sense of smell back. Waiting a month might be perfect timing!
You are doing almost exactly same as me, except after approximately ten days in paper bags in the fridge, I place in jars. After a few hours sealed in jars (at room temp) I check RH - if over 70% they go back in paper bags in the fridge for a day or two. If under 70 I'll leave in jars but open in the fridge for 5-6 hours. Then bring sealed jar out of fridge up to room temp again for at least 3-4 hours. Then I check RH again. Same as above process until jars settle below 64% sealed in jar. Then I leave jars in a cool dry place, burping for about 2-3 mins once every day or two. After 3-4 days I only burp 1x per week. After 3-4 weeks I burp maybe once per month.not mushy at all. It does still have green also. It has a bit of cat pee smell but I also don't have the best nose since Covid in Jan. It could be just that diesly smell as it is Sour D. I just ground some up to make edibles. Once ground up it smelled really good. Don't need to smoke it and I mostly Vape or make edibles. Wouldn't be the end of the world if I had to abandon it. I have like 3 8oz mason jars. Here is a pic. It was my buddy's first trim and my first grow so not the best.
If anyone has tips or tricks I'm open to em!
This past dry / cure I thought the terps were coming back! I was so happy for a few days (after about 3 weeks in jars). But alas, the terps went away and slight grassiness returned. Oh well, it still smokes decent and the effects are nice.
Based on what I have read from previous posts on this thread, it sounds like I may want to adjust my system / process so that the fresh bag of weed in the fridge stays longer than 10 days. So I'm thinking if I place MORE buds initially in the paper bags that might slow the process. I have been placing about 110 grams in bags (after I harvest, wash, and hang dry for 2-3 hours). After it has been in the fridge for ten days or so it it weighs maybe 28 grams per bag and is around 67% humidity. That may be too light. Evidently my small outdoor fridge does a good job of removing humidity fast.
Next October I may increase the amount per bag. Hoping this will extend the time in fridge (low and SLOW), and retain more of the terps. The watch out would be if it gets too moist it may grow mold. I wash with a 4 bucket system to include hydrogen peroxide, which should inhibit mold growth.
Damn, sometimes I feel like I need to order a white lab coat off eBay.
*lifts pinky finger*
I'm doing science!
If you want to extend the drying time, it may be a matter of lowering the temperature?
I burp mine in turkey bags now, then jar. i tried it once and that's how I'll be doing it moving from now on. Saves you from opening and closing a lot of jars.
I burp mine in turkey bags now, then jar. i tried it once and that's how I'll be doing it moving from now on. Saves you from opening and closing a lot of jars.
Hiya Rexer!
The first time I did low and slow I set my digital controller to come on at 42F and off at 38F. This past grow I raised a few few degrees - on at 46 and off at 42. Thought that might extend the time - which it may have slightly. Another thing that comes into play is how often the compressor cycles. More often = more moisture removed from the fridge. I'm hesitant to go higher temps. Maybe I will widen that temp range so the compressor does not cycle so often? i.e. on at 46F off at 38F. I have a small mini fan I installed inside the fridge so there is a little air movement. This should help keep temps from going too high or too low.
Ideally I would have a big sealed box set to 62% humidity and 62F. With a fan gently blowing away from the hanging colas. I think that is what the large commercial growers do?
Hey GratefulBud!
That might be a good range to try. I think it might be a bit of trial and error, then sticking with it.
thats a good idea. How much heat is it adding? That too will cycle the compressor more often. Sorry, that probably doesn't help
Probably (i have no idea)- but I wouldn't use them as a benchmark. I'll take a low and slow dry with a good cure over commercial any day!!
When I first installed the fan I checked temps pretty thoroughly for several weeks. Just bottles of beer and soda inside. I tried a few different temp setting on the controller. I don't think this fan adds much heat at all. It's small. Barely any air movement. I'm tempted to leave the fan off next time.thats a good idea. How much heat is it adding? That too will cycle the compressor more often. Sorry, that probably doesn't help
I'm not too sure what to say. Truthfully, you've got more knowledge and experience trying it, and it all sounds good with me. I average 10 days or so in the fridge (slightly different method, but same principle).
You could also even stuff some stems in there- it'll add more moisture and slow things down.
Are you open/closing it often?
The liquids in the spare space is a good idea- it'll act like a ballast.
I don't think so. I made a conscious effort to not open very much.
It may just be my particular setup. Others here have great success with it. I just need to get it dialed-in.
I remember watching a video about a big commercial grow op in Vegas, and they would use a lower RH drive the bulk of the moisture out in the first 24 hours and then raise the RH to slow down the drying. That's what I've been trying to do since I saw it, but I'm at at the mercy of mother nature. I'm glad I haven't harvested lately because the RH has been under 35% for the last 2 weeks!
Hello all. Total newbie here and joined these forums just to learn about the this drying process. Ive now had two grows, one outdoor and one indoor-and screwed up and overdried both times. First in a we dryer and the second try9ing to use my mini wine cooler/fridge.
Im looking at chopping another plant next week and would like to make it through the dry this time.
Im in the NE USA, and in mid winter here i can't get humidity past the 30s. I have two used wine coolers sitting idle and i would like to try and utilize them, but still have a ton of questions after trying to wade through this long thread. ill try and make them simple:
1) what is the max high temp you can use with this method? My smaller wine fridge only gets down to 50 degrees. Will this only really work at temps of 30-40 F degrees?
2) Could this higher end temp be the reason for over drying my last try in the wine fridge? Here i used paper bags-after about a week, they measured about 69 RH after a few hours in the jar. But after putting them in Grove bags to cure, they are dropping steady and are now below 58- which is probably a sign of over drying in the first place.
3) I see the paper bag method versus others laying buds on shelves? Is there a preferred method, assuming i can get my cooler at 50 or below? Is the bag method for a more even dry? Or is it simply faster?
4) What about using binder clips or string and hang drying un trimmed buds in the mini fridge? And related, if you do no wet trim, will that possibly slow the dry even in the fridge? After practicing with two prior harvests, i have difficulty with a dry trim....must be my poor small motor skills- lol
Thanks in advance for any advice...other then this, id be looking at trying to find a closet, but i would have a heard time keeping temps below 70 and be forced to buy an evaporative humidifier for the room itself.
Im looking at chopping another plant next week and would like to make it through the dry this time.
Im in the NE USA, and in mid winter here i can't get humidity past the 30s. I have two used wine coolers sitting idle and i would like to try and utilize them, but still have a ton of questions after trying to wade through this long thread. ill try and make them simple:1) what is the max high temp you can use with this method? My smaller wine fridge only gets down to 50 degrees. Will this only really work at temps of 30-40 F degrees?
2) Could this higher end temp be the reason for over drying my last try in the wine fridge? Here i used paper bags-after about a week, they measured about 69 RH after a few hours in the jar. But after putting them in Grove bags to cure, they are dropping steady and are now below 58- which is probably a sign of over drying in the first place.
3) I see the paper bag method versus others laying buds on shelves? Is there a preferred method, assuming i can get my cooler at 50 or below? Is the bag method for a more even dry? Or is it simply faster?
4) What about using binder clips or string and hang drying un trimmed buds in the mini fridge? And related, if you do no wet trim, will that possibly slow the dry even in the fridge? After practicing with two prior harvests, i have difficulty with a dry trim....must be my poor small motor skills- lol
Thanks in advance for any advice...other then this, id be looking at trying to find a closet, but i would have a heard time keeping temps below 70 and be forced to buy an evaporative humidifier for the room itself.
Let me start by saying if your intention is to make sure you slow down the drying and not overdry, you could spend $15 on a Vicks Vaporizer and put it in the room where you hang dry your harvest. That will definitely get the RH into the 60s and maybe higher, so keep an eye on it!
To your questions:
That said, the more plant material the longer the flowers take to dry. Though I still think your issue is a with the Grove part rather than the fridge part.
To your questions:
For the preservation of terpenes (the original intent of low and slow) then mid-30s would probably be better, but 50º will work to at least slow down the process, as you discovered here:
From your description, you have already perfected the in-the-fridge part. If your Grove bags are allowing the RH to drop below your comfort level, I would move to jars when they come out of the fridge at 69% (test overnight next time), and slowly burp them down to 62%, at which point you can seal them for the cure.
I would go with your method as stated in #2, which seems perfect for the fridge part.
I would go with your method as stated in #2, which seems perfect for the fridge part.
That said, the more plant material the longer the flowers take to dry. Though I still think your issue is a with the Grove part rather than the fridge part.Hello all. Total newbie here and joined these forums just to learn about the this drying process. Ive now had two grows, one outdoor and one indoor-and screwed up and overdried both times. First in a we dryer and the second try9ing to use my mini wine cooler/fridge.
Im looking at chopping another plant next week and would like to make it through the dry this time.
Just an FYI - even though your problem is over drying, it should be mentioned that with this method you should always check the humidity that your refrigerator runs at. Wine refrigerators usually do not dehumidify like frost free refrigerators. Some mini refrigerators that have a plate on the back also do not dehumidify. My mini fridge ran at 70+ humidity and I couldn't dry in it - my moisture level never dropped. Chest freezers also do not dehumidify(you can run them at any temp with a temp controller). Your over drying probably has to do with temperatures and/or length of time of having bags open. It is possible that your wine refrigerator can run at a lower temp if you bypass the thermostat and run it off an on/off Inkbird controller that maintains whatever temp you want by turning on and off power at the plug. If your thermostat is not disabled, it will never get below 50. You may or may not be able to get a wine refrig to get down to 40 degrees depending on the tech. For example, if it does not use a compressor - that is thermoelectric and will only maintain a 20 degre temp diff from ambient. I am not sure how to disable the thermostat but some youtubing/google would turn up a tutorial. However, that is of no use if the refrigerator does not run around 20-40% humidity(frost free fridge range). Warm air can hold more moisture than cool air, so testing at 50+ degrees can be misleading as it would correspond to a lower humidity at say 35-40. Did you test your humidity level inside the refrig before/during drying?
First I want to thank birdinaz and in the shed for their replies, I truly appreciate the help. The comprehensive responses really clarify a lot for me. Just got notice I have to leave for the weekend and was going to chop. So I can push it till Monday or chop Friday and use the 50 degree cooler in another room and try and keep it as close to 50 as possible
To follow up here are a few other things which I am still a bit hazy about and would again appreciate help
1) yes I can buy a vaporizer or even a levoit humidifier with a humidistat but the closet I have to use will have a hard time getting below 70 degrees ...Iwhich I believe is a bit high to dry? I could turn the house thermostat down for a few days while I'm a way since it's the basement but that's only a temp two day solution -hence my I goal trying to use the wine cooler
2) as suggested I could use the 50 cooler and take them out a few days earlier and test them in jars overnight . My fear here is that if they even test in the low 60s that they keep losing moisture in the groves a week or two later ...
3- any further thoughts on paper bag v hanging the untrimmed bud in the wine fridge ? Iif it's still with a shot to get it again. I guess here the goal is to slow the dry but I've only seen trimmed bud in the paper bags in the fridge in other words if it's worth another shot with the wine cook at 50 degrees would you hang untrimmed or still use the paper bag?
Also interesting thought on temp and humidity in the fifty degree cooler
Yes I watched both with a good meter. Temps hovered around 52 with humidity about 65 and dropping to about 58 after a week...I don't have the skill to modify the unit
I suspect this 50 degree temp versus 30-40 in a real fridge is somehow the cause of the overdry . Meaning the higher temp may have accelerated the dry...
Anyway I'm up for any further suggestions , like maybe trying my wedryer in the above mentioned closet with a humidifier (whole room evap or in the closet itself) Maybe try and program the wedryer to turn off and on every hour to slow the dey
If the wine fridge is still looking sketchy , I could try the wet trim paper bag in an extra full size fridge we have, but would probably have to utilize the "crisping drawers" as this fridge is still being used daily off and on ..and wife will be like wtf?
To follow up here are a few other things which I am still a bit hazy about and would again appreciate help
1) yes I can buy a vaporizer or even a levoit humidifier with a humidistat but the closet I have to use will have a hard time getting below 70 degrees ...Iwhich I believe is a bit high to dry? I could turn the house thermostat down for a few days while I'm a way since it's the basement but that's only a temp two day solution -hence my I goal trying to use the wine cooler
2) as suggested I could use the 50 cooler and take them out a few days earlier and test them in jars overnight . My fear here is that if they even test in the low 60s that they keep losing moisture in the groves a week or two later ...
3- any further thoughts on paper bag v hanging the untrimmed bud in the wine fridge ? Iif it's still with a shot to get it again. I guess here the goal is to slow the dry but I've only seen trimmed bud in the paper bags in the fridge in other words if it's worth another shot with the wine cook at 50 degrees would you hang untrimmed or still use the paper bag?
Also interesting thought on temp and humidity in the fifty degree cooler
Yes I watched both with a good meter. Temps hovered around 52 with humidity about 65 and dropping to about 58 after a week...I don't have the skill to modify the unit
I suspect this 50 degree temp versus 30-40 in a real fridge is somehow the cause of the overdry . Meaning the higher temp may have accelerated the dry...
Anyway I'm up for any further suggestions , like maybe trying my wedryer in the above mentioned closet with a humidifier (whole room evap or in the closet itself) Maybe try and program the wedryer to turn off and on every hour to slow the dey
If the wine fridge is still looking sketchy , I could try the wet trim paper bag in an extra full size fridge we have, but would probably have to utilize the "crisping drawers" as this fridge is still being used daily off and on ..and wife will be like wtf?
It's relative humidity that matters here, and that's humidity relative to temperature. Your hygrometer will do the calculation for you so 70º isn't a problem. Just pay attention to the RH reading.
I never get to dry below 70º for most of the year.
Lose the Grove bags since they aren't doing what you want and put your buds in canning jars! No loss of moisture at all, and cheap.
Bags will help slow down the drying, which is what you're trying to accomplish. I suggest doing what you did last time but put the buds in jars overnight and see what the RH is in the morning. A few hours is too soon to tell.
50º for three weeks wouldn't work for low and slow, but for a week you seem to be okay.
I’ve just completed my 3rd fridge dry and I just wanted to pass on this tip.
I circulate my bags from the top shelf to the bottom twice a day when I give the bags a flip and a shake. I know it sounds silly, but I would often forget which side of my bag I was flipping to because for evenness I want to alternate sides.
Writing a simple AM PM on either side of the bag has been a huge help to me. I just thought I’d share in case anyone else might find it helpful.
I circulate my bags from the top shelf to the bottom twice a day when I give the bags a flip and a shake. I know it sounds silly, but I would often forget which side of my bag I was flipping to because for evenness I want to alternate sides.
Writing a simple AM PM on either side of the bag has been a huge help to me. I just thought I’d share in case anyone else might find it helpful.