Hey Sy, pop your new journal link in your sig.
Fools Rush In: Newbie's Adventures In Suboptimal Conditions
- Thread starter syenite
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Folks read sigs? 
No doubt! It's why the low and slow crowd moved from open glass jars to paper bags.
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- #1,003
syenite
Well-Known Member
Doneski!!
Folks read sigs?
No doubt! It's why the low and slow crowd moved from open glass jars to paper bags.
Lol I do.. sometimes!
Hmmm but this is between an semi-enclosed cardboard container vs. an open plastic container? I would still assume that the latter would be faster. If it were a semi-enclosed plastic container then this would make sense.
I think I know how to make a better comparison with fewer variables. Will do soon!
Cardboard = paper so that enhances the moisture transfer out of the buds.
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- #1,005
syenite
Well-Known Member
I made one pretty major change today in the drying process -
I ended up breaking down the biggest buds.
First, because I'm becoming paranoid about mold. I figure for my first time I want to be quite risk-averse. I can roll the dice a bit more once I feel I have the more conservative approach down.
Second, because I don't want to worry about some buds drying much more slowly than others.
It was very sad to break down my finest trophies. LOL!
I imagine breaking apart big buds into smaller buds is a bit of an art.
Mine look like shit.
I ended up breaking down the biggest buds.
First, because I'm becoming paranoid about mold. I figure for my first time I want to be quite risk-averse. I can roll the dice a bit more once I feel I have the more conservative approach down.
Second, because I don't want to worry about some buds drying much more slowly than others.
It was very sad to break down my finest trophies. LOL!
I imagine breaking apart big buds into smaller buds is a bit of an art.
Mine look like shit.
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- #1,006
syenite
Well-Known Member
Post-post-harvest update
Ok, so.. forget all the numbers I posted earlier.
I'd been chucking buds straight from the fridge into a sealed container with a hygrometer to check the RH, leaving them for an hour max before taking the reading.
I wasn't feeling very confident about this part of the process, so I checked the Low and Slow thread again.
Thanks to Shed, I am going to revise the way I check. Cross-quote:
So I've got some sitting in a container now at room temp. I'll let them sit a few hours before I check the RH again.
In the meantime though, I realise I haven't shared any pics of the flowers since chop! So without further ado, here are the
Money shots!
Larfy nugs and one bigger bud that have been sitting in the open in the fridge
The drying box
Close ups
Taste and effects at this point
The grassy smell has faded to a background note now. The outer surface of the flowers are now crispier to the touch.
My "Dynavap test" today proves the drying progress. I can get to the flower without needing to first "vape off" the excess moisture. Fabulous!
Taste and effect-wise, I can compare it to the last 2 kinds of flower I had.
It is sweet and fruity, where the Northern Lights is sweet but also earthy with some herb/spice.
It is tropical and mango, where the "unknown sativa" was citrus and a bit of pine.
Unlike the unknown sativa, it does not cause my head to wobble and erupt in a clamour of ideas that then go galloping off in many directions at once. (Something I actually miss now!)
It is buoyant and euphoric. Bouncy. Not sharp and hard. My jaw muscles don't tighten after the hit, as it does with the unknown sativa. Neither does it make my limbs and head heavy like the Northern Lights.
I can do stuff on it. But I could also easily do nothing, because I feel at ease. Indolent. But not sedated.
It is a solid buzz, but neither shocking nor properly powerful.
It's a good one so far, fam! Something that I can smoke at any point of the day, I think.
Keen to see how it progresses. Cheers for stopping by!
Ok, so.. forget all the numbers I posted earlier.
I'd been chucking buds straight from the fridge into a sealed container with a hygrometer to check the RH, leaving them for an hour max before taking the reading.
I wasn't feeling very confident about this part of the process, so I checked the Low and Slow thread again.
Thanks to Shed, I am going to revise the way I check. Cross-quote:
So I've got some sitting in a container now at room temp. I'll let them sit a few hours before I check the RH again.
In the meantime though, I realise I haven't shared any pics of the flowers since chop! So without further ado, here are the
Money shots!
Larfy nugs and one bigger bud that have been sitting in the open in the fridge
The drying box
Close ups
Taste and effects at this point
The grassy smell has faded to a background note now. The outer surface of the flowers are now crispier to the touch.
My "Dynavap test" today proves the drying progress. I can get to the flower without needing to first "vape off" the excess moisture. Fabulous!
Taste and effect-wise, I can compare it to the last 2 kinds of flower I had.
It is sweet and fruity, where the Northern Lights is sweet but also earthy with some herb/spice.
It is tropical and mango, where the "unknown sativa" was citrus and a bit of pine.
Unlike the unknown sativa, it does not cause my head to wobble and erupt in a clamour of ideas that then go galloping off in many directions at once. (Something I actually miss now!)
It is buoyant and euphoric. Bouncy. Not sharp and hard. My jaw muscles don't tighten after the hit, as it does with the unknown sativa. Neither does it make my limbs and head heavy like the Northern Lights.
I can do stuff on it. But I could also easily do nothing, because I feel at ease. Indolent. But not sedated.
It is a solid buzz, but neither shocking nor properly powerful.
It's a good one so far, fam! Something that I can smoke at any point of the day, I think.
Keen to see how it progresses. Cheers for stopping by!
It's nice to have a smoke like that in the stash. 
Brilliant smoke report sy! The buds look great. And for some reason I'm craving shish kabob...
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- #1,010
syenite
Well-Known Member
It's nice to have a smoke like that in the stash.
Yes very friendly! I wouldn't mind if it got a bit stronger by the time drying and curing were done though!
Bamboo stakes and skewers are the unsung heroes of my designs
And sometimes I wish I could eat the buds off the branches...
Great smoke report, Sy another great read! Her close up photos look lovely.
Is she ready for the jar yet? My fridge dries usually run 10-14 days.
Grazing off the branches - I et Bubba’s Sis’s tip for a light snack this afternoon. Waste not, want not, eh?
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- #1,012
syenite
Well-Known Member
Thank ya DD! It was fun to write.
I've never tried to describe these things in writing before, and I'm curious to experiment.
I want to avoid the wine label thing of rattling off 30 different "fancy" adjectives, and calling that a good account!
We can do better than that.
Day 9, not there yet!
Today, "open container" buds gave me 85%, while "drying box" buds gave me 90%.
They are definitely feeling drier and smelling better now though!
Fridge RH is anywhere between 30 and 50 and temps around/below 7C, so I'm confident all the conditions are there.
That sounds like a great ritual. How appropriate!
I always eat the tips when topping. Tip top! And often pepperysounds like a great ritual. How appropriate!
Fredwak
Well-Known Member
Great looking nugs Sy! Your smoke report is primo. Those sweet buds laying on those kabob skewers reminded me of Thai stick back, back, back in the day. Great job especially considering how you've overcome space/stealth issues. Stay stoneder.
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- #1,015
syenite
Well-Known Member
I always eat the tips when topping. Tip top! And often peppery
OK! I want in on the coven. Loom is due for a top soon!
Hey Fredwak! Thank you my friend. It was a lot of fun to write! I'm already thinking about how to approach the next one.
Omg, I would love to hear more about your experiences with Thai stick. It will probably only ever be a legend, for me!
Yeah I'm really pleased with how all the designs have worked out, from the boxes and lights to the drying box. I'm stoked. Can't ask for more. The upcoming challenges will include trying out autos and eventually sativas.
Drying update
Ok y'all! It's now day 11 since I harvested.
Yesterday, I saw a radical drop in the RH readings.
The "open container" buds were at 68% (down from 84%), while the "drying box" buds were at 79% (down from 90%). Massive drop from the previous day. Thank you @DonkeyDick for prompting me to check. So I enclosed the "open container" buds and put them in the drawer (i.e. dark and room temp) overnight for curing.
@InTheShed I think why the drying box buds are going slower (than if they were in paper bags) is attributable to the fact that none of the buds are actually in contact with the cardboard itself. So there's no moisture being leached out that way.
Strangely though, when I took the curing buds out of the drawer today, the hygrometer was reading 80%. I'm not sure I understand how/why.
Maybe the 68% I read yesterday wasn't correct? Maybe I hadn't let them sit long enough for the reading to settle?
Or perhaps this is normal, and a burp would bring it all the way back down?
It can take a while for the temperature of the buds to stabilize, and therefore the RH. It takes a lot longer than a lot of folks have the patience for 
.
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- #1,017
syenite
Well-Known Member
It can take a while for the temperature of the buds to stabilize, and therefore the RH. It takes a lot longer than a lot of folks have the patience for
Thanks Shed! I might follow your lead and leave some out overnight to be more confident about the readings.
I find humidity rises over time when I first jar mine too. And that’s without taking them out of the fridge (not set up for low and slow). The first 1-3 days are often ‘jars open’ for long periods. So long as you watch the ambient humidity the moisture content of the buds will come down nicely.Can be a real bugger when the ambient RH is higher than the inside of the closed jars... I’ve often had to run the dehumidifier in my room to make sure it was “all clear” to “burp”
Welcome to my world! That's why it took 2 months for me to get a final weight on my DDAs from August.
I had to wait for the dry Santa Ana winds to blow through.
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- #1,020
syenite
Well-Known Member
Yeaaah now this makes sense! Of course. The humidity would obviously rise and fall in the course of a burping cycle.
Burp -> RH drops -> Time in jar -> RH rises -> Burp -> RH drops etc.
Can be a real bugger when the ambient RH is higher than the inside of the closed jars... I’ve often had to run the dehumidifier in my room to make sure it was “all clear” to “burp”
Welcome to my world! That's why it took 2 months for me to get a final weight on my DDAs from August.
I had to wait for the dry Santa Ana winds to blow through.
Ew. Yeah this could happen sometimes to me too! Will note.
Thank you both!