First time curing. Buds are clumping in the jars

[cfarris87]

Hey! First time drying and curing. Great first grow, don't wanna kill it on the home stretch. 3 plants for about 300g.

Pretty sure I got a good dry on them. After checking the date, they've been in jars a little longer than I thought. Going on about 11-14 days for most of them now. Of course I've been stealing a few nugs here and there and I haven't seen a great increase in flavor or smell over the process. Some still have a bit too much hay taste to em. The smell from the jars seems ok, no abrupt ammonia/mold smell to them. Just still a little grassy, a little sweet(?), and a low level of dankness. I'm curing with Boveda packs. I have been burping but not as much as usual since Boveda claims you don't need to. Most jars need a good little shake to separate the buds from one another. Do I need to brown bag them for a day or two or just keep playing the waiting game?

I've read quite a bit on curing but not much is ever said about what to look for during the process other than the obvious ammonia/mold

 

[Justin Goody]

If you see mold it’s way too late. Don’t let it get there. #1 most important thing you haven’t mentioned is what is the current humidity. Did you check it before you jarred the bud? Are you monitoring it now?

Boveda packs (for me) are mostly for bud that’s already nearly cured. I stopped using them because I think they kill the taste of good weed. They don’t absorb moisture fast enough to depend on for early cure, especially if the packs are new.

If you don’t have a cheap hygrometer you need one quick. Definitely don’t wait for moldy smell, cause that’s irreversible

 

[cfarris87]

I believe the mold happened during the dry if I wasn't clear. Got rid of the infected buds. What do you mean check it before I jarred? I had a great dry room. 60-65 with 45-50% humidity. It spiked to 85% one day early in the dry but stable after that for drying. They're in the same room now, same conditions, in the dark.
Edit: I didn't actually mention any mold lol I had a bit on a main cola that I had to dump.

 

[Azimuth]

But how about humidity in the closed jars?

 

[cfarris87]

But how about humidity in the closed jars?

Not running any small hygrometers for the jars. From what I saw it wouldn't be needed with the boveda packs. But if they struggle to keep up in the early curing process, I suppose I'll need to get some

 

[Azimuth]

My process is to hang the stems for the first few days until the outsides of the buds are dry (maybe 70% humidity), then I sweat them in a closable food storage container over the next couple of weeks leaving them open to the room for less time as I go along. Once they get to the low 60's when the container is closed I like to jar them up and burp them periodically.

A small hygrometer that I can enclose with the buds is critical for my process.

 

[BeccaBuds]

Shaking jars of dried weed damages trichomes, which then oxidize and lose potency. I just let them clump until use. I also use small humidor hygrometers in my jars. I like the old style analog type because it doesn't need batteries and I just leave it in the jar for ongoing monitoring.

 

[Braddah Waiheesohai]

Did you dry to the point that the stems snapped crisply? Have you trimmed the bud closely or left sugar leaves?

Sounds like it would be a good idea to put your weed in paper bags, or better yet spread it out in the bottom of a cardboard box/boxes. When the outside of your nugs start to feel a little dry and crispy re-jar them. Once in the jars, burp twice a day for 1 week, once a day for 1 week. Gently break up the clump before you burp to keep them from sticking together. After that check on them once a week. It will take several weeks minimum for the weed to cure, meaning the chlorophyl (cause of the hay smell and harsh taste) has been broken down and the moisture content has evened out through the entire stash.

Grove bags are supposed to self vent or something and don't need venting. Boveda packs will help absorb SOME moisture, and will release moisture back into the jar if the bud overdries, but you will still need to vent the jars to release the gasses that build up and introduce fresh o2 when curing in jars.

 

[Makeminefullgrown]

What many growers refer to as curing is better described as the redistribution of moisture…and the ensuing attempt at the finish dry.
The buds hang until u think they’re dry and are then sealed or jarred. The “burping” is really an inefficient way to slowly finish the drying of the moisture that is redistributed from the center of the buds.
I dry until they’re totally crispy on the outside….average density buds in good conditions (60/60) takes 11-12 days.
Then I’ll seal them either in jars or something larger….but it must be airtight.
I’ll put a hygrometer in and observe, but sometimes it can take 48-72 hrs before the hygrometer is accurate.
But if the hygrometer is reading above 64% I’ll let them stay sealed for 24-36 hrs, then open and spread them out. The moisture in the center of the buds has now redistributed and the buds should feel it.
I’ll leave them out, still aiming for good condition, not too hot and/or dry, for an hour or so. This process may have to be repeated a couple times, particularly if u didn’t dry them long enough.
This is called sweating the buds and it’s crucial……or your buds may feel totally dry, so u jar them and the moisture content is enough to cause mold…..and jamming 2oz of buds into a jar and burping for 10 min may not be enough to keep it from happening.

 

[Greengoodness]

I don't shake my jars either. I burp jars over a 2wk period. My buds stick together not from being wet but stick together. If that bothers you lay them out gentle hands always and then put them back inside. I lay the jars on there sides like wine

 

[Braddah Waiheesohai]

Curing also entails maintaining a moisture content in the nugs that is enough to keep them bio-active long enough for bacteria to break down the excess sugars and chlorophyl, before dropping the moisture content to a level to stop bio-activity for long term storage.

"For instance, when the water activity (a measure of moisture content) drops below 0.8 (equivalent to 80% relative humidity), the risk of botrytis is significantly reduced, but enzymes responsible for various biochemical processes in the plant remain active. However, at a lower water activity level of 0.6 (see Fig. 3), enzyme activity ceases, which can be advantageous in preserving the quality of the product during storage and preventing undesirable changes."

"During the drying and curing process of the inflorescence, it's important to note that the plant material remains in an active state of respiration. As a result of this respiration, the plant produces ethylene, a plant hormone known for its role in ripening and the degradation of plant matter.

Interestingly, even after the drying phase, when respiration rapidly decreases and eventually stops (indicated by no changes in oxygen and CO2 levels), ethylene production continues during the curing phase (see Fig. 8 & 9).
The curing process is a critical phase in the preparation of cannabis flower, and it primarily focuses on homogenizing the remaining active water within the inflorescence. However, it's important to acknowledge that there are still many aspects of this process that remain not fully understood, including the role of ethylene in the drying and curing process. One notable observation is that cannabis flower that has been purged effectively during the curing process tends to develop a much more desirable aroma. However, there is ongoing research and exploration to determine whether ethylene should be entirely avoided in this process or if there might be an optimum level at which it enhances aroma development."

Quotes are from "Cannabis Drying & Curing: A Scientifical Approach" by Sven Rachinger

 

[SmokingWings]

I'm curing with Boveda packs. I have been burping but not as much as usual since Boveda claims you don't need to.

When I used Boveda packs I did not add them until the end of the curing stage and sometimes it seems that the cure was several weeks to a month. Is it possible that you misundertood what Boveda said about curing. I did not notice any mention on their web site about reducing the amount of 'burb' if their packs were used.

If the buds are sticking together they might not be dry enough. Or they are packed too tightly in the jars. Or they are slowly settling one on top of the other and this can cause them to stick together.

Maybe do what Greengoodness mentions.

My buds stick together not from being wet but stick together. If that bothers you lay them out gentle hands always and then put them back inside.

Yes this. And you are not the only one who has mentioned doing something like this to keep the buds from sticking together but also as a way to have more control on how the dry and cures progresses.

I will often leave a bit of the stem on some of the buds. It helps to keep them separated from each other. This definitely keeps them from sticking together. And sometimes a short piece of a thicker stem with buds still on it helps to act as a moisture control to keep the buds from drying too fast.

Of course I've been stealing a few nugs here and there and I haven't seen a great increase in flavor or smell over the process.

It can take weeks for the flavor or smell to increase. And, I think part of it is how long the plants were in flower before harvesting.

In the same sub-forum this message thread was posted are several 'pinned' threads up at the top on curing at the top. Read through them looking for tips that might help this dry and cure & might give tips for the next one.

 

[cfarris87]

Thanks for all the replies. Little update now, Hygrometers came in so I've got them back in jars. One strain seemed to be doing ok, so I never paper bagged them. They're starting to smell pretty good now. Sitting at 59% after being left alone overnight. The other two that I pulled out to dry a bit more are around 50% now. Seems I may have dried a bit too much now :/ At this point should I reintroduce the Boveda packs to re hydrate a bit? Or are we a little too far gone to actually 'cure' now?

I'm having trouble understanding from some resources that have been shared and I've seen elsewhere about the RH of the buds before jarring them. Ex. "My process is to hang the stems for the first few days until the outsides of the buds are dry (maybe 70% humidity)". Several others note that they wait until the RH of the buds are around xx% before jarring. How do you determine the RH of the buds if they're hanging and not jarred? Are we just referring to the RH of the dry room? Position your hygrometer next to the buds? I can't wrap my head around this lol From all my previous research 70% in your dry room is wayyy too high.

Oh well, I suppose. Not gonna nail everything the first time. Starting on the next batch this week!

 

[Azimuth]

The goal is to get them to dry enough to eliminate a mold threat but then as slowly as possible. Once they get too dry, like your 50% the curing process has stopped and can't be restarted. They'll keep a long time like that though. And, if you're making an extract in oil, you'll want them that dry to process them.

 

[Braddah Waiheesohai]

Shoot for 60 percent humidity and a temp below 70f for your drying room. Terpenes start evaporating at warmer temps. The old dry till the stems give a crisp snap when you bend them is simple and reliable.

If you're at 50% you will want to raise that humidity up a bit, and the curing process has stopped. Put the boveda packs in the jars and leave them closed without burping until the humidity is back up to around 60%.

If the weed is too harsh, you can always make hash!