DrZiggy's Low And Slow Drying: Maximizing Your Harvest

[johnnyappleseed]

Gotcha. Is it unusual that the temperature readings from both my Govee units are reporting higher than what I set the fridge at? I lowered it to 42 and it's still reading 45 (I believe the fridge was running when this photo was taken. Now they are both at 45° f)

 

[InTheShed]

Gotcha. Is it unusual that the temperature readings from both my Govee units are reporting higher than what I set the fridge at? I lowered it to 42 and it's still reading 45 (I believe the fridge was running when this photo was taken. Now they are both at 45° f)

You could move it to different spots but opening the door raises the temperature!

 

[johnnyappleseed]

You could move it to different spots but opening the door raises the temperature!

Well, there's two hygrometers in there and I haven't opened the door for a few days and they are both reading 45 ° f. I guess maybe I'll just lower the temperature on the unit and trust the hygrometers...

 

[InTheShed]

Well, there's two hygrometers in there and I haven't opened the door for a few days and they are both reading 45 ° f. I guess maybe I'll just lower the temperature on the unit and trust the hygrometers...

Since they match they sound more accurate than the one built into the fridge!

 

[europapa]

I think I'm ready to harvest the first of my two plants in the tent. I have a strange compressor fridge that keeps the humidity at 62% all day, even with only 2-3 bottles in there. This makes me think I could use it for the 60/60 method, but I don't want to take the risk. Instead, I'll try the low and slow method using paper bags for the first time. Do you guys water your plants the day before harvesting when using the low and slow method? I haven't watered mine since Monday, and now I'm unsure whether I should water them or let them go without water before harvesting.

 

[Trala]

I think I'm ready to harvest the first of my two plants in the tent. I have a strange compressor fridge that keeps the humidity at 62% all day, even with only 2-3 bottles in there. This makes me think I could use it for the 60/60 method, but I don't want to take the risk. Instead, I'll try the low and slow method using paper bags for the first time. Do you guys water your plants the day before harvesting when using the low and slow method? I haven't watered mine since Monday, and now I'm unsure whether I should water them or let them go without water before harvesting.

62% humidity in a fridge is super high. My humidity in my fridge is 12%.

Whether you water or not, I don’t think it will affect your fridge dry.

Fridge drying is a game changer for me. My bud is so green and fresh, even after the cure. It keeps its green.

 

[SmokingWings]

I have a strange compressor fridge that keeps the humidity at 62% all day, even with only 2-3 bottles in there.

Sounds like a traditional fridge style that was popular before the frost-free fridges came on the market.

 

[europapa]

Hi friends,

After 8 days of drying, I put two paper bags out and transferred the flowers into a jar with a temperature and humidity monitor. After 2 hours at room temperature, the humidity in the closed jar is at 64%. Stem still wont crack after i try to bend some.

I have a few questions and would appreciate your help:

1. I think I'm now in the safe zone to put the flowers in Grove bags. Am I right or they need to go to The fridge for a day more? Should I wait longer with this test example (if so, how long) to see if the humidity increases?

2. Should I test the rest of the flowers like I did with these first bags, or can I put them directly into the Grove bags?

3. Do you put flowers in Grove bags straight from the fridge, or do they need to settle at room temperature first?

4. What is the best temperature for curing in Grove bags? Should I store the Grove bags in the fridge or leave them in a warmer temperature range?

5. How long should I cure the flowers in Grove bags before transferring them to jars for long-term storage?

6. Do you burp Grove bags during the curing process?

7. After curing in Grove bags, do I need to burp the jars, or can I seal them for long-term storage without burping?

Thanks in advance for your advice!

---

 

[johnnyappleseed]

Hi friends,

After 8 days of drying, I put two paper bags out and transferred the flowers into a jar with a temperature and humidity monitor. After 2 hours at room temperature, the humidity in the closed jar is at 64%. Stem still wont crack after i try to bend some.

8 days is really fast. Something is not right. I find The stem cracking thing to be very inconsistent.

Are the buds trimmed and jar 75% full? Leave them for 24 hours and monitor rh.

I also use 2 hygrometers in each jar since they are often inaccurate.

I put all my bud in mason jars, trimmed with 2 hygrometers for 24 hours and monitor rh. Anything above 65rh i put back in the fridge. 65rh and below I burp until they are at a steady 62rh. Grove bags are made for curing, not drying so make sure they are consistently at 62%rh. You do not need to burp grove bags. They are ideal for long term storage especially if you seal the top. Repeatedly opening grove bags is going to dry ur shit out since they will let moisture out but not IN.

I just use 64oz mason jars to store my bud. I put a boveda pack in them, especially the daily use jar since that is the most prone to drying out. And I burp the mason jars.

I have a few questions and would appreciate your help:

1. I think I'm now in the safe zone to put the flowers in Grove bags. Am I right or they need to go to The fridge for a day more? Should I wait longer with this test example (if so, how long) to see if the humidity increases?

2. Should I test the rest of the flowers like I did with these first bags, or can I put them directly into the Grove bags?

3. Do you put flowers in Grove bags straight from the fridge, or do they need to settle at room temperature first?

4. What is the best temperature for curing in Grove bags? Should I store the Grove bags in the fridge or leave them in a warmer temperature range?

5. How long should I cure the flowers in Grove bags before transferring them to jars for long-term storage?

6. Do you burp Grove bags during the curing process?

7. After curing in Grove bags, do I need to burp the jars, or can I seal them for long-term storage without burping?

Thanks in advance for your advice!

---

 

[europapa]

Are the buds trimmed and jar 75% full? Leave them for 24 hours and monitor rh.

The buds are not fully trimmed; I put them in bags with the sugar leaves but without the larger, non-sugar leaves. The jar is about 70% full by volume.
The buds I tested weren’t the dense ones; this was the fluffier part of the plant.
I was cautious about adding more and pressing them down because the buds seemed crispy on the outside, and I didn’t want to break them. Four hours after placing them in the jar, the humidity rose to 65%, and the buds aren’t as crispy as they were initially. Even though the buds are not dense, they look great—you can see the trichomes, and the small sugar leaves make me glad I didn’t trim too much.

I put all my bud in mason jars, trimmed with 2 hygrometers for 24 hours and monitor rh. Anything above 65rh i put back in the fridge. 65rh and below I burp until they are at a steady 62rh.

Ok, I will monitor the buds in the jar for 24 hours at room temperature (24°C or 76°F).If the humidity crosses the 65% RH line during this period, should I put them back in the paper bag and in fridge for a day or two, or should I wait the full 24 hours to check the RH and then decide how many more days they need to dry in the fridge?

Grove bags are made for curing, not drying so make sure they are consistently at 62%rh. You do not need to burp grove bags. They are ideal for long term storage especially if you seal the top.

I thought Grove bags were made for curing, not for long-term storage, and that jars are used for that purpose. I would like to cure in Grove bags but store the buds in sealed jars afterward so I can reuse the bags without sealing them permanently. Thank you for the information.

Repeatedly opening grove bags is going to dry ur shit out since they will let moisture out but not IN.

I just use 64oz mason jars to store my bud. I put a boveda pack in them, especially the daily use jar since that is the most prone to drying out. And I burp the mason jars.

I did the same for previous grows, but the drying process was classical air drying. Thank you for some of the answers provided. I will wait until tomorrow... Hopefully, I won't ruin and overdy the rest that is still in the fridge.

 

[johnnyappleseed]

I keep an eye on the RH while the buds are in the jar. Sometimes it takes up to 24 hours for them fully hydrate the jar and show the true RH. It's kind of a balancing act. If it shoots up to 70 within the first hour I know they are too wet so I will put them back in the bag in the fridge. But sometimes the RH is 50. And then over the course of 24 hours it'll rise to 62 and then 65 perhaps. I'm always burping the jar several times a day. The goal is to perform all of the drying inside the fridge. Like I said, 8 days is really fast. I would look into why they are drying this quickly.

If you dry in the fridge and take them out and need to burp them down to 62 for 5 or 6 days than in my opinion your defeating the purpose of the fridge dry because you're losing terps you finish it up with the air dry. This is why some people use the rice method. Search back on this thread a couple pages, look for my posts and you will find a lot of info to research.

I never squish my buds in the mason jars. I just dropped them in and let them fill to about 75%.

From what I have read, The Grove bags are intended to cure your bud without having to burp at all. Some people will even put a boveda pack in the Grove bag. As long as it's 62 RH you can seal up the Grove bag and use for long-term storage. Some people continue to burp their mason jars even while they are in long-term storage, so that's the benefit with the Grove bags. Long-term storage without having to burp. I would definitely seal the top of the Grove bags if using for long-term storage.

The buds look great, nice job! Some people prefer a tighter trim to be honest. There are a lot of sugar leaves left on those buds. Even though there are trichomes on there, they are considered undesirable to smoke.

 

[europapa]

I understand. I will trim more tightly when they are done drying, before putting flowers in grove bags, but I'll save these leaves as trim for bubble hash or edibles. Do you suggest that flowers settle on room temperature for few hours before putting them to grove bags or its better to put them straight from the fridge to grove bags wgem they are done.
Thank you for all the guidelines and help, much appreciated.
Also, I need to mention this for visitors who are educating themselves on this forum as I did before opting for this method. I started putting the buds in the fridge last Saturday morning (Sep 20). They have been in the fridge for more than 9 full days; actually, they are now on the tenth day of fridge drying. I previously mentioned that I dried them for 8 days.

 

[johnnyappleseed]

I understand. I will trim more tightly when they are done drying, before putting flowers in grove bags, but I'll save these leaves as trim for bubble hash or edibles. Do you suggest that flowers settle on room temperature for few hours before putting them to grove bags or its better to put them straight from the fridge to grove bags wgem they are done.
Thank you for all the guidelines and help, much appreciated.
Also, I need to mention this for visitors who are educating themselves on this forum as I did before opting for this method. I started putting the buds in the fridge last Saturday morning (Sep 20). They have been in the fridge for more than 9 full days; actually, they are now on the tenth day of fridge drying. I previously mentioned that I dried them for 8 days.

U need to put the buds into the mason jars with hygrometers and make sure they settle at 62rh consistenly before you put in grove bags.


Mine have been in the fridge for 3 weeks now and they are not dry yet.

 

[Trala]

Hi friends,

After 8 days of drying, I put two paper bags out and transferred the flowers into a jar with a temperature and humidity monitor. After 2 hours at room temperature, the humidity in the closed jar is at 64%. Stem still wont crack after i try to bend some.

I have a few questions and would appreciate your help:

1. I think I'm now in the safe zone to put the flowers in Grove bags. Am I right or they need to go to The fridge for a day more? Should I wait longer with this test example (if so, how long) to see if the humidity increases?

2. Should I test the rest of the flowers like I did with these first bags, or can I put them directly into the Grove bags?

3. Do you put flowers in Grove bags straight from the fridge, or do they need to settle at room temperature first?

4. What is the best temperature for curing in Grove bags? Should I store the Grove bags in the fridge or leave them in a warmer temperature range?

5. How long should I cure the flowers in Grove bags before transferring them to jars for long-term storage?

6. Do you burp Grove bags during the curing process?

7. After curing in Grove bags, do I need to burp the jars, or can I seal them for long-term storage without burping?

Thanks in advance for your advice!

---

I like to get mine to 59% - 62%, then I put it straight into a grove bag for the cure. I’m not sure if 64% is a bit too high mould awakening spore wise. @InTheShed will know.

The idea of fridge drying is no burping. They go from the fridge into the jar or bag, then sit for the cure.

 

[InTheShed]

After 2 hours at room temperature, the humidity in the closed jar is at 64%.

Johnny's got you on this! ↓↓↓

Are the buds trimmed and jar 75% full? Leave them for 24 hours and monitor rh.

Do you suggest that flowers settle on room temperature for few hours before putting them to grove bags or its better to put them straight from the fridge to grove bags wgem they are done.

Like Johnny said, I would definitely let them get to room temp before sealing them so you know what the RH actually is.

I’m not sure if 64% is a bit too high mould awakening spore wise. @InTheShed will know.

I think that 64% is fine for long term storage, but as you get closer to the high 60s you might be getting into unsafe territory. 60-62% would be closer to ideal, and some folks like 58% since they find it burns better in a joint!

The idea of fridge drying is no burping. They go from the fridge into the jar or bag, then sit for the cure.

Ideally yes, if terpene preservation is the goal - as was Sue's intent:

The chief benefit of Low and Slow drying is the ability to retain almost all of the terpenes and flavonoids.

That said, some folks just use this method because they live in an environment where the RH is either too low or too high to safely hang-dry. For those folks, burping at the end can be an effective way to lower the RH into the cure zone.

For terpene retention, it's fridge to jar, with rice balls to get the RH down without burping.

Rice Balls to lower RH in jars

Let me start by talking about the success of @Scientific's oven-dried rice suggestion. :thanks: HOLY MOLY! Toss out your silicone beads and your store-bought desiccants. If you need fast and extreme dehumidifying, GO WITH RICE! The basic info is that rice took the RH in the jar from 75% to...

www.420magazine.com

 

[europapa]

Thank you, guys. I just woke up and the humidity has settled at 70%. I put the flowers back in the fridge in a paper bag. Approximately how many days should I wait and cool them before doing another test?

 

[SmokingWings]

I put the flowers back in the fridge in a paper bag. Approximately how many days should I wait and cool them before doing another test?

Really hard to give you an idea of how many days without being there to feel the texture of the buds and even to smell them, at least if I was doing any checking.

As has been mentioned in other msgs it is best to let the buds come up to room temperature for awhile before doing a check. Since you are drying in a paper bag leave them in the bag and place it on a table for two hours or so. Then check using whatever methods you want to use.

I have had buds feel extremely dry and the thin stems give a sharp snap but after warming up I can feel that they have a ways to go so back in the fridge. If using a gadget then I think it best to let them get to room temp before jarring and checking with a hydrometer.

There are some long time growers who use the "fridge dry" and will mention that with some experience they just put the bags in the fridge and do not bother to check for 15 days or sometimes longer. They develop a feel for how moist the buds are at harvest and a feel for how well their fridge reduces humidity so no more need to do a daily check. Even the type of paper used for the paper bag will have an effect on how long the buds take to dry.

 

[europapa]

I did another test run yesterday, and after 24 hours, the humidity in the closed jar reached and stabilized at 60%. I hope I did not overdry the flower.

I think it's time to get all the bags out today. It's been two weeks since I placed the bags in the fridge. Today, I took everything out and placed the paper bags with flowers to settle a bit.

I put some thermometers in the bags while they are on the table. After one hour, the humidity in the paper bags with flowers is 50-55%. I hope it will increase a bit in the upcoming hours and that I did not overdry them.

I plan to trim some flowers more tightly today and put them in Grove bags.

1. Is it okay to do this now, or should I wait longer before putting the flowers in Grove bags?

2. Do Grove bags work without 2-way humidifiers like Boveda or Integra? I thought to use integra only for the jar that i use daily for smoking/vaping.

3. How long should I cure the flowers in Grove bags before trying them (vaping or smoking)? This will also probably be the time when they are ready for long-term storage and vacuum sealing in glass jars if I choose that method.

4. What temperature and humidity conditions are ideal for storing and curing in Grove bags?

5. Now that I have an empty fridge, should I increase the temperature a bit and keep the Grove bags there to cure around 10-15°C (50-60°F)? Or will the fridge overdry them? Does the Grove bags technology prevent overdrying?

Thank you for your advices. You helped a lot, hopefully i will finish the whole process successfully and have the best product i've ever made
Cheers

 

[SmokingWings]

I put some thermometers in the bags while they are on the table. After one hour, the humidity in the paper bags with flowers is 50-55%. I hope it will increase a bit in the upcoming hours and that I did not overdry them.

I would just put them in a jar and put the lid on. More often than not this early in the drying stage there is still moisture trapped deeper in the buds and short pieces of stem which can move to the rest of the bud.

2. Do Grove bags work without 2-way humidifiers like Boveda or Integra? I thought to use integra only for the jar that i use daily for smoking/vaping.

From what I have read on the companies web site, yes the Grove bags will work without any Boveda or similar packs in the bags during storage.

3. How long should I cure the flowers in Grove bags before trying them (vaping or smoking)?

Some have tried samples without waiting for any cure to finish.

4. What temperature and humidity conditions are ideal for storing and curing in Grove bags?
5. Now that I have an empty fridge, should I increase the temperature a bit and keep the Grove bags there to cure around 10-15°C (50-60°F)? Or will the fridge overdry them? Does the Grove bags technology prevent overdrying?

The ideal humidity for Grove bag storage has been mentioned and is on the company web site. Get the buds to the best humidity level and place in the Grove bags. Close the bag and monitor the humidity some more. Once stable at the right level the bags can be sealed and not just closed up. If properly sealed then there should be no more changes in the humidity levels.

 

[johnnyappleseed]

Just remember the Grove bags are intended for curing, not drying. They will let excess humidity out of the bag but NOT in. If your buds are at a steady 62 % RH then you can place in the Grove bag. Just think of a grow bag like a mason jar without the need to burp.

Once you open the Grove bag, assuming your humidity in your room is lower than 62%, which it usually is, the humidity is going to drop inside the Grove bag. Since it will not let moisture back in your bud will dry out after repeated openings.