QT's Second Grow - 1st Journal

re: QT's Second Grow - 1st Journal

QueenTokelove said:
Its a nice heady high that really puts me in the mood to clean. Has anyone experienced this?
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Move to my place. I have plenty of cleaning to keep you going.
 
Bassman59 said:
Move to my place. I have plenty of cleaning to keep you going.
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If it takes over 8 hrs I expect to be paid! I accept two forms of green!

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re: QT's Second Grow - 1st Journal

Trust me, it will take over 8 hours. And I have green.:bravo:
 
re: QT's Second Grow - 1st Journal

Hi Queen.:Love:

Sounds like a good plan, something tells me you picked a good place to move to, with growing in mind. :high-five:

Yes, I have had plants that make me want to get up and do things. I am pretty much a sloth most of the time, so they annoy me.:smokin2: How dare it makeing me want to clean! :circle-of-love:

Hope everything goes smoothly in the move. Hope the new place has more space. :rasta: OMM
 
OMM, haven't found a place yet. Gonna start looking. The place definitely has to have plenty of space. I am hoping to find a nice 2 bedroom within my budget. Keep ya fingers and toes crossed.

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re: QT's Second Grow - 1st Journal

Sorry, just a 2100sqf home with 4 br's and me taking care of elderly mom. Demanding 2 br's AND Green is just too much. I was going to give you a corner of the garage. My girls get 1 bedroom and maybe two in the future.

ho-hum, I need a new future ex-wife to clean I guess.
 
LOL Bassman. I wasn't asking to move in with you dude. Plus, I am happily taken so no ex here!

Well Miss Budd got the ax about a half hour ago. Wet weight just 39 g, would've been more if I hadn't been sampling her. Guessing dry weight may be between 20-25. We shall see.

The bf made a drying box for me outta the box my hps came in. I am wondering if I should place my small fan next to the box or will placing holes in the box be enough?

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re: QT's Second Grow - 1st Journal

lol, I know QTL. I was just having fun as the banter progressed.
 
re: QT's Second Grow - 1st Journal

The bf made a drying box for me outta the box my hps came in. I am wondering if I should place my small fan next to the box or will placing holes in the box be enough?
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I would place the fan inside the box as you want air circulation. The holes are optional. What is important is to keep the humidity around 50-60%. The temperature should be around 65 - 75 degrees Fahrenheit.

If you don't have a humidity gauge, go by feel. You can open the box once or twice a day to replenish the air inside and to remove the humidity generated by the plants drying.

Although people make a big deal out of drying, it is the curing that will improve the taste and remove the harshness from your buds. The drying is just to get the buds dry enough to place inside "curing" jars. The buds should feel dry to the touch before you put them into the jars to cure. Although the bud will feel dry on the outside, there is lots of moisture inside. The drying process takes from 5 - 8 days.


The glass jar curing method really works well. I used it on my last grow and I'm using it (right now as we speak!) on the crop I just harvested.

The most important thing is to keep an eye out for mold. If you see white fuzz in your drying room or in your curing jars, immediately open and let it dry out. I got a little bit of mold in my last cure because the buds were a little wet and I wasn't opening the jars as often as I should.

Typically, you open the jars twice a day for between 2 - 5 minutes and close them up again. After a week, you only open the jars once a day. The entire process takes about 2 weeks (for just the cure, not the drying).

It's best to go by touch and feel. If the buds feel damp, they definitely need to dry some more.

During the drying and curing, you want to keep light away as it degrades THC.

As I said, if mold occurs, take it out of the jar and let it dry for a while before putting it back it. (I usually just rub the buds to get rid of the mold.)

Once the cure is done, you can leave the buds in the jars until you use them. If they've been stored for a long time and seem too dry, you can rehydrate them by placing an orange peel inside the jar. It only takes a day for the buds to become moist again. And they'll end up smelling like oranges, a bonus!
 
re: QT's Second Grow - 1st Journal

Thanks for the info. I have bookmarked it. I can't put fan in box, not enough room. That's why he did it the way he did. I have cardboard lid with towel over it to maintain darkness. I did move my thermometer. Gonna leave in there so I can Gage where things are.

Cooking dinner but wanted to post pics of Miss Budd.
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Thanks Miss Bud, your namesake did me proud for bagseed. She smokes smooth and is a nice heady high. And this is just from quick drying. What you see in pic I have drying now. I just checked on her about a half hour ago. Buds are starting to dry. Since i have no hygrometer i put my thermometer which reads temp and humidity in the box. Current temp is 73 and RH is at 41. Now i gave to look up whether that is bad or good. Some of the smaller buds feel crisp so i am wondering if i should pick them off and put in my jar. I didn't try to snap stem yet since it has only been 2 days. Opinions? Suggestions?

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re: QT's Second Grow - 1st Journal

nice job queen! sorry I have not been around a lot my wife takes up a lot of pc time due to school and did I mention I have a two year old lol! but anyway wish I had one of those popcorn buds!
 
Gg it's alright. You have a life beyond these forums.

Smokey thanks dude, that means a great deal coming from you. I agree I have come a long way, it hasn't even been a year yet! My goal was to be able to dial in on what type of grow I like and go from there. During which I upgraded from soil to coco, thanks to Mr. Gator. And upgraded lights from cfls to a hps, though I am still using the cfls. I have BID to thank for that. His praises on what a difference it made in his grow had me sold. So my next chapter will be cloning. Not interested in doing dwc at this point. I'll leave the complex stuff to the experts.

Been checking on the buds in the box. Temperature is at 73 and rh is at 43. Some of the lower buds were feeling crisp and dry. So you know I had to sample. All I can say is OMG what a difference from quick drying! The smell has kicked in which seems lemony to me. The smoke is ultra smooth kinda light. Ash is white. Since smoking a doobie about 20 minutes ago my mouth has gotten very dry..LOL...this is the type of smoke that makes you high without looking high. Heady, you feel it but it doesn't knock you on your ass. I am so loving this.

Me and the bf is split on which plant is better. I like Miss Bud and he likes CannaVanna.

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re: QT's Second Grow - 1st Journal

At harvest-time all you have to do is cut the plant as low as possible and hang the whole thing upside down to dry on a line. The room you use to dry should be the about the same size you grew in (if not the same room). The humidity should remain a constant 50-60%. Too high and buds will mold, too low and they dry too fast and taste bad. Temperature should be around 65-68 degrees, wherever possible. Make sure the room is dark, as light degrades THC.
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This is from High Times Magazine:

After the Harvest
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The final stage of cannabis growing — from cutting and trimming your branches to drying and curing your buds — determines the quality of the pot you produce. These easy-to-follow harvesting instructions will help lock in flavor and potency for the best smoke you've ever grown.


Cutting
Properly processing cannabis at harvest is a craft that must be mastered in order to enhance and preserve the psychoactive properties, taste and appearance of the finished product. Many talented growers neglect to implement some of the following techniques, resulting in buds that fail to reach their maximum potential.


Inadequate or poor handling after harvest is the biggest cause of mediocre or poor-quality cannabis. This problem is compounded by the fact that most growers feel their pot is better than everyone else's. Try telling a grower friend that he or she could do a better job trimming and curing; this will usually result in the end of a friendship. However, a good trim and cure can mean the difference between green-tasting, hard-to-burn nugs and pleasurable, smooth, clean-burning dank buds.


There are two basic methods used by growers to harvest their cannabis: cola harvesting (cutting the buds from the branches individually) and harvesting the entire plant (cutting it off at the main stalk near the bottom). The majority of growers find individual cola harvesting to be superior, for several reasons.


Some cannabis strains exhibit varying finishing times on the same plant. For example, the top colas may ripen while lower branches are still developing. Tops can be removed to expose the lower branches to light, thus allowing the lower buds to ripen further.


Individual harvesting and drying of branches works faster than drying a whole cannabis plant. When a cannabis plant is harvested, the stomata on the surface of the leaves and calyxes will start closing off, allowing only small amounts of water vapor to escape. This forces the excess moisture stored within the stems/stalks to exit through the cuts you've made on them when harvesting. The fewer cuts for water vapor to exit through, the longer the drying time.


Trimming
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For highest-quality results, it's best to trim all excess leaves from the colas/buds upon harvest, while the foliage is still rigid and fully hydrated. It's very important to remove as many leaves protruding from the bud as possible. These leaves still contain chlorophyll, which will adversely affect the taste of your finished product. Some growers prefer to let these leaves curl around the bud for the sake of appearance; however, they're sacrificing the taste and smoothness of the smoke.


Trimming is a tedious job and requires a great deal of patience, self-discipline and the proper supplies. It's important to have a good pair of scissors (a $10 pair of hair-cutting shears will do the job perfectly). It's nice to have a bowl or basket nearby for the shade leaves and a separate container for the sugar leaves (I like to separate them because I later use the sugar leaves for hash- and butter-making). A table, comfortable chairs and good lighting are also important for the trimming process. Try to sit up straight, set goals and take breaks; trimming a full crop can mean several days' worth of work, even for the experienced trimmer.


Drying
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The drying process precedes the final harvesting stage of curing. Drying is simply the act of removing the excess water from the cannabis. Leave the buds on the stems and hang each individual branch on a string or hanger of some sort. It's best to dry the buds in a place that has indirect lighting and adequate air circulation.


A fan is good to have in the room, but don't point it directly at the hanging buds. Allow the buds to dry until they're crisp on the outside and the stems are still pliable. Because the stems contain so much residual moisture, it's best at this time to remove the buds and place them in a large bowl or on a screen or tray. Hanging and drying time will vary due to climate and humidity.


When buds dry slowly, it makes for a smoother cure. If buds are dried too quickly, a harsher smoke could result. With slowly dried buds, the humidity remains closer to the humidity inside the stomata. If cannabis is dried too rapidly, the "green" taste will remain in the finished product.


Drying times are usually from five to 10 days; it varies according to the temperature and type of heat in your home, as well as the ambient humidity, airflow and the density of your buds.


Curing
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Cannabis continues to cure after it's harvested, while it's drying and even after it's put in a jar. Just like a fine wine or gourmet coffee beans, marijuana needs to be cured to achieve the rich, smooth, robust taste that lingers on your palate and in your brain. During the curing period, the cannabinoid acids go through the process of decarboxylation into the psychoactive cannabinoids, and the terpenes will isomerize to create new polyterpenes.


Just as with any other fruit, when cannabis is harvested, the fruit or bud isn't dead; it continues to metabolize. Pick a tomato from your garden while it's still partially green and set it on a windowsill; it'll continue to ripen for days. The same is true of a fresh banana. As the banana ages, the peel will turn a darker yellow, and the fruit inside will become softer and have a sweeter flavor. The more robust flavors and tantalizing fragrances of cannabis begin to appear as the chlorophyll and other pigments break down.


When the small stems that remain under the buds are dry enough to snap, and the buds themselves are dry enough to smoke, it's time to begin the final curing process. Make sure your cannabis is completely dry before putting it in a sealed jar or container. Sealing wet cannabis in a jar or container will result in mold, rendering the weed unsafe to smoke.


Use glass canning jars (i.e., Mason, Ball or Kerr) to cure and store your finished product. Freezer bags can also be used for storing cannabis, but glass is always preferred. Don't store your cannabis in sandwich bags or anything made of a similar plastic; the buds will become too dry and lose potency.


It's important to open the jars occasionally to let in oxygen needed for the curing process, as well as to allow gases built up from the curing process to escape. During the first three days of curing, I open the jars once a day. After that, open your jars twice a week for two weeks, then once more after the first month. At this point, the curing process is basically complete, but the buds will continue to mature and acquire more delicate flavors with time if stored properly.


Store your jarred, cured cannabis in a cool, dark place to help slow the breakdown of the cannabinoids. Although cannabis needs oxygen through the metabolizing/curing stage, at this point oxygen will have an adverse effect on the already-cured cannabis, since it causes the breakdown of THC into CBN.


The implementation of the simple steps listed above will make your dank a legend among your friends. Imagine their surprise when you break out some buds from a three-year-old harvest and they smoke and taste better than ever. There's no limit to the superb qualities of aged cannabis when it's properly dried, well cured and suitably stored.
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re: QT's Second Grow - 1st Journal

Thanks for info. Temp is at 73 and rh is at 51.
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Sounds perfect!

I think you said you had holes in the drying box but you couldn't fit a fan inside?

You can place the fan on the outside right next to some holes at the bottom to blow air through the bottom and out the top. This will give a bit more circulation.

If not, the holes themselves will provide some air flow and opening the cabinet door twice a day will keep the humidity and temperature down.

Besides the plants giving off moisture, I think they give off some heat due to the slow exothermic reactions going on inside the buds and the outside leaves. (Does anyone know for sure how much heat is generated? Is it enough to raise the temperature in a drying closet or is it too small to be significant?)
 
re: QT's Second Grow - 1st Journal

ggrant said:
Sounds perfect!

I think you said you had holes in the drying box but you couldn't fit a fan inside?

You can place the fan on the outside right next to some holes at the bottom to blow air through the bottom and out the top. This will give a bit more circulation.

If not, the holes themselves will provide some air flow and opening the cabinet door twice a day will keep the humidity and temperature down.

Besides the plants giving off moisture, I think they give off some heat due to the slow exothermic reactions going on inside the buds and the outside leaves. (Does anyone know for sure how much heat is generated? Is it enough to raise the temperature in a drying closet or is it too small to be significant?)
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I don't think it's significant, perhaps depending on the size of the box, but I've never noticed anything temp wise due to exothermic reactions, etc. I've found that it doesn't need to be much at all (air movement), as long as the air is moving some. Great tips and +rep!
 
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