Interesting. I just watched recently a program by CannaMed? They had a speaker who was speaking to the industry crowd somewhere and it was all about temps/humidity drying and curing, all the different studies. This was for commercial growers I believe. Lots of different thoughts. Thanks!Very true. Regular fridge temp should be set to 37 ish (freezer at 0) which inhibits mold and pests. So if his is in the 40s it’s not working right. Probably will grow mold in that environment, which also seems way too humid.
I do a hybrid fridge drying where I do a pre trim and hang the entire plant for about 3 days and it loses about 60-70% of its moisture weight. No need for fans here, it loses the weight anyway. Then cut into 6 inch sections or less, into the fridge in a paper bag -which is a low humidity environment and 37F if working properly.
I weigh it daily and rotate the bag as it progressively loses less and less weight until the day it only loses 1g. Usually about 7-8 days. Then I take it out, do the full trim and put it back in the fridge for a day.
Then into the house environment in the paper bag for a day. Then into jars to watch and burp and rotate. About 12-14 day process and it’s already part way to cure. Ideally at least a month being burped in glass but it rarely makes it that long lol
This is actually a good method for people with little patience, as I believe the terps are preserved well during that critical cold period and seems to make the weed smokable as early as humanly possible.
Of course it always tastes better around week 6 if you get there..
Fridge Dry Experiment
- Thread starter Indicolas
- Start date
For sure. Freeze Drying is pretty amazing but the machine is expensive..plus I love freeze dried candy, so it’s not in the cards for me.
I have a friend who does it that way exclusively and it’s pretty cool how it preserves terps even more, especially the smell. Not 100% sold on taste yet when the flower has only been off the plant for 1 day it still seems weird lol.
But yeah fridge drying is the only way for me now.
Sealed, with a piece of kitchen towel at first to absorb any excess moisture
Change it daily [and check for mould] until the RH is 60-65%, then just leave it
Sorry about the delay but life has gotten in the way and I have had no chance to reply to your interesting question.
I have experimented with using average brown paper bags and with using white or other colored bags. In the end, the white or colored bags took longer. Most importantly the buds never did seem to be as evenly dried as when I used the same amount of buds, often from the same plant.
I did the same sort of experimentation by putting the bags on a shelf in a closet and by putting the same sorts of bags in a fridge. The fridge was more more consistent than trying to dry in a closet or cabinet.
Several growers have remarked that they do not even give any sort of second thought to the process. They put their buds in the paper bag and then into the fridge. In 15 days they pull the bags out and put the buds into jars. No need to keep checking. The process is a no-brainer once the gardener gets a feel for what is happening.
Then there are cheeses that use molds as part of the flavoring process. Cheese like Blue Cheese and Brie and even Muenster have mold in the inside or on the edge or rind.
Paper bags are a way that allow the slow evaporation of the moisture from the buds. The paper is porous so the moisture takes awhile to get through the gaps in the fiber. With some practice and experience it becomes natural to understand that the drying stage will take from 7 to 15 days for a basic drying without even having to think about it. This sort of slow evaporation through the bad does not happen when using plastic bags. Nor when using a colored paper bag.
I have experimented with using average brown paper bags and with using white or other colored bags. In the end, the white or colored bags took longer. Most importantly the buds never did seem to be as evenly dried as when I used the same amount of buds, often from the same plant.
I did the same sort of experimentation by putting the bags on a shelf in a closet and by putting the same sorts of bags in a fridge. The fridge was more more consistent than trying to dry in a closet or cabinet.
Several growers have remarked that they do not even give any sort of second thought to the process. They put their buds in the paper bag and then into the fridge. In 15 days they pull the bags out and put the buds into jars. No need to keep checking. The process is a no-brainer once the gardener gets a feel for what is happening.
Eventually, at typical fridge temperatures, a mold will start to grow on pieces of cheese. It just is not something that happens quickly. The proper temperatures and moisture levels should be low enough that it takes awhile.
Then there are cheeses that use molds as part of the flavoring process. Cheese like Blue Cheese and Brie and even Muenster have mold in the inside or on the edge or rind.
- Thread starter
- #25
I get the gist on bags thanks. The standard uncolored brown paper bag comes in various thickness as well. The smaller the bag, e.g., sandwich size is very thin compared to a large grocery size bag. Which would be ideal for drying quantities up to an ounce? I assume the thinner bag would dry faster.
Yes, it seems that way.
BAKIND
Well-Known Member
Now, how do you store the flowers in the refrigerator, paper bags?
BAKIND
Well-Known Member
Hi, @SmokingWings. I inserted a temp humidity gage into my refrigerator and the humidity was near 34%. So will this work for me with humidity that low? I understand that the paper bags slow down the process of evaporation, however, isn't this humidty a bit low, or will it work anyhow. I usually like to dry for two weeks.
I hang individual stems inside my set up wine cooler and so far my first bud run tested 12 to 15% moisture levels with a moisture meter. I pulled them down 8 days and put them in Grove bags along with a boveba pack for a slightly larger weight. Allowed some air to stay in the bag, only filled to 3/4 of it's capacity, and sealed the bag not only with the zip loc but second seal. I will report back in 3 or 4 weeks to let you know how how my first test run goes.
I just hung 2/3 of another varient this past Wednesday so will check on them Friday, extending the time and tweaking my fridge settings. So providing a 10 day dray on this run. Again once those test to 12% or close with the moisture meter, they then will go into a Kure Bag for 3 to 4 weeks. Another experiment.
Still have two to go and hopingtthey are at least 2 weeks out.
I just hung 2/3 of another varient this past Wednesday so will check on them Friday, extending the time and tweaking my fridge settings. So providing a 10 day dray on this run. Again once those test to 12% or close with the moisture meter, they then will go into a Kure Bag for 3 to 4 weeks. Another experiment.
Still have two to go and hopingtthey are at least 2 weeks out.
You will have to give it a try and see what happens. I dry & cure in the kitchen fridge which has foods in it. I did check the temperature in the fridge several years before I started growing but that was just to get a feeling for the relationship between the numbers on the cold setting. Since I started using the fridge to dry I just went with opening the bag and checking what was happening until I had a feel for it.
Now-a-days I can put the buds in the bag, stick it in the fridge and walk away for a week. Then come back and put the bag on the table, let it come up to room temperatures, check the contents and back in the fridge for a few more days. Sometimes overthinking can really mess up what would otherwise be a good time with the harvest preparations, etc.
BAKIND
Well-Known Member
I will give it a shot with some bud in a paper bag. I have a good harvest coming.
- Thread starter
- #32
I've been experimenting with different thicknesses of paper bags. The thinner sandwich size bags are to thin and definitely speeds up the drying time. Especially if only drying few stems of buds. Different quantities of buds in the bags make a difference also. I got a half oz. of Amh in a small bag and it dried down to 60rh in 7 days. The large grocery bag is much thicker and will be slower so keeping the bag loosely open will allow moisture to escape. But I'm skipping this process because I'm hang drying outside in 70/60 for a few days first. When they are dry to the touch and spongy. Then into the fridge until down to 62 rh no less not to miss cure.
I have to say now, this refridgerator drying method definitely works.
I appreciate everyone's input.
Stay Lit My Friends ...Indi.
BAKIND
Well-Known Member
The problem for me though is, that the RH of my fridge is much lower, it came in at 32% when I put a hygrometer in there for a day.
Not a problem. As long as you are drying and curing in a paper bag it is the humidity in the bag that is doing the job. The buds and stems are giving off moisture which will help to keep the humidity in the bag at a fairly steady but slowly decreasing percentage. I have been using the kitchen fridge which has foods, milk, and occasional beer can and it seems to work great. And I have no device to measure the humidity but the process works.
Most of the stems are cut to 6 to 8 inches and the moisture in them is added to what comes off the buds. Removing most of the buds from the stem might speed up the drying but going to fast ruins the beauty of using the fridge methods.
Recent harvest: washed some buds on Oct 22 and let water dry off overnight. Put the sticks and buds in a paper bag on Oct 23. On Oct 28 I took the bag out and put on the kitchen table for an hour or so to let it get up to room temperature. Checked and everything felt like it was moving along. Bounced the buds around and closed up the bag and put it back in the fridge.
Took it out again yesterday, Nov 4th, let it sit all night, checked buds and they are close to being nicely dried and the cure is well underway. Back into fridge for a day or two and then they will go into the jar.
It is the easy way to go.
BAKIND
Well-Known Member
Thank You for your specific response, I wil be trying this with a small part of my harvest, since where I am growing I have small fridge. Should I get good results, then I will be finding a way to have a larger refrigerator brought in to handle a larger harvest.
UPDATE- Let me just ask one more thing, do you wet trim the buds before putting them in paper bags?
Yes.
- Thread starter
- #37
I have been removing all the node fans but leave the small sugar coated leaves as they are laced with the most mature trychs (amber). It allows drying process at a slower rate and uniform dryness.
So I did a conversion Wine Fridge (compressor style) and only added a small USB fan inside to have some air movement. Average dry time was between 7 & 10 days, depending on how well I maintained the RH. I tried to keep it at 60% but averaged 58% and temperature at 62 degrees. Had to use a sponge with water tray to assist in RH but it worked!
Here is a photo of how I dried inside, individual stems and buds hung on a sock rack and loose buds in a small bag (experiment) and cardboard box (experiment). I will say the paper bag and box dried slightly slower about an extra day longer than the hanging buds. Fridge only holds one decent plant and yielded about 3.5 dry oz.
My final plant was very large (Cookies unknown variant) She yielded nice large buds, and 6.5 dry oz. I had to shut down my tent and dry inside as she wouldn't fit in the Fridgeadry.
Using a portable AC and humidifier I was able to do her at 63 degrees and 61% RH. She took 8-9 days before the moisture meter showed all areas checked were at less than 12% moisture, lowest was 9%. Glad my girls were about 2 weeks apart on their maturity for the use of the Fridgeadry as I call my fridge! All in all everything came out well and I am one happy person! Now everything is in Grove Bags or Kure bags and doing well.
Here is a photo of how I dried inside, individual stems and buds hung on a sock rack and loose buds in a small bag (experiment) and cardboard box (experiment). I will say the paper bag and box dried slightly slower about an extra day longer than the hanging buds. Fridge only holds one decent plant and yielded about 3.5 dry oz.
My final plant was very large (Cookies unknown variant) She yielded nice large buds, and 6.5 dry oz. I had to shut down my tent and dry inside as she wouldn't fit in the Fridgeadry.
Using a portable AC and humidifier I was able to do her at 63 degrees and 61% RH. She took 8-9 days before the moisture meter showed all areas checked were at less than 12% moisture, lowest was 9%. Glad my girls were about 2 weeks apart on their maturity for the use of the Fridgeadry as I call my fridge! All in all everything came out well and I am one happy person! Now everything is in Grove Bags or Kure bags and doing well.
Fridge dried deliciousness
BTF
about 4 oz worth
BTF
about 4 oz worth
How often did you shake your bag during the bag dry? It's a great method and does well.Fridge dried deliciousness
BTF
about 4 oz worth