I checked and my rice seems to have no balls. I guess I got the female rice, or do I just need better glasses?
Rice Balls to lower RH in jars
- Thread starter InTheShed
- Start date
Hey Weaselcrackcer! Might be just cool out?
Oh crap I hadn’t thought of that. Thanks!
- Thread starter
- #44
Thanks Otter! Credit for the original idea to @Scientific. I just put it in a tutorial format.
LOL!
Another shrinkage reference...
I have always found that Otter is full of good insights.
you put the warm cooked rice in plastic bag and it didnt' melt the bag? Then you immediately put the bag into the fridge for how long?Let me start by talking about the success of @Scientific's oven-dried rice suggestion.
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 50% in about 90 minutes. Yes, 25% moisture reduction in an hour and a half. I had to open the jars to let the buds re-hydrated from the moisture in the air!
So when you do this, make sure you have a hygrometer in the jar and don't walk away for too long
What you need: uncooked white rice (not instant!) and panty hose/knee-highs or something similar.
Here's what I did:
I poured uncooked white rice in the bottom of a mason jar to fill about 3" which was to be divided across three jars of buds (1 rice ball in each jar). I spread the rice on a cookie sheet and put it in the oven at 200° for about 45 minutes. When it was done, I needed it to cool down. However, if you leave it out to cool down it will absorb the moisture from the air and end up at the ambient RH, offering no desiccating properties. So I put it in a ziplock bag, got the air out, sealed it, and put it in the fridge. This kept the rice dry as it cooled.
From there, it went into panty hose balls and into the bottoms of the jars.
Within approximately an hour and a half the RH in the jar had dropped to 50% and the buds felt crunchy again, so I took the rice out and left the lids open for about 20 minutes until the RH had risen to 66%. Then I closed them up and put them back in the dark to sit overnight.
Works like a charm!
So the WARM rice didn't melt the zip lock bag i take it?Let me start by talking about the success of @Scientific's oven-dried rice suggestion.
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 50% in about 90 minutes. Yes, 25% moisture reduction in an hour and a half. I had to open the jars to let the buds re-hydrated from the moisture in the air!
So when you do this, make sure you have a hygrometer in the jar and don't walk away for too long
What you need: uncooked white rice (not instant!) and panty hose/knee-highs or something similar.
Here's what I did:
I poured uncooked white rice in the bottom of a mason jar to fill about 3" which was to be divided across three jars of buds (1 rice ball in each jar). I spread the rice on a cookie sheet and put it in the oven at 200° for about 45 minutes. When it was done, I needed it to cool down. However, if you leave it out to cool down it will absorb the moisture from the air and end up at the ambient RH, offering no desiccating properties. So I put it in a ziplock bag, got the air out, sealed it, and put it in the fridge. This kept the rice dry as it cooled.
From there, it went into panty hose balls and into the bottoms of the jars.
Within approximately an hour and a half the RH in the jar had dropped to 50% and the buds felt crunchy again, so I took the rice out and left the lids open for about 20 minutes until the RH had risen to 66%. Then I closed them up and put them back in the dark to sit overnight.
Works like a charm!
Also can you reuse a rice ball? or woudl you have to re heat after each use?
- Thread starter
- #46
You can use a piece of paper towel between the rice and the bag if you think it might melt it. And you can re-se the rice balls by taking the rice out and warming it up again. The moisture in rice is the same as it is in the air in your house. That's why you need it heat it to dry it out before using.
It can work quickly so keep an eye on it. When you take it out of the jar put it in a plastic bag to keep it from absorbing moisture from the air.
And it goes in the fridge for as long as it takes not to be hot. It should be about the same temp as your buds when you use it.
Thanks, everything is back in jars RH is back to 61 but
Ball size matters? Lol! I made rice balls exactly as you said to except I think they are too small for my 64oz jars, cause it’s been over an hr and still at 73 Rh
- Thread starter
- #48
Bigger jars, bigger balls (or more of them anyway)! You can see the size of my jar in the first post.
Shed, thought i would share this... Its pretty much what you have been telling me all in one article.
The Cure
Oh yes, the cure. Many times has this been judged the most important part of the growing experience, and with good standing reason. This is the point where all our patience and skill will shine through, or take a dive into the miserable oblivian of smoking mere mediocre herb. Botch things here and it will all be for not. Though a perfect cure can help cover up some small discrepancies during your grow, having the best growing conditions on earth will not earn you a free pass through this hallowed gate my friend.
So, how's your cure? Perfect? Consistantly perfect? Are you a Cure Master? Hmm.. Prove it. What?
Did you know that your cure can be broken down into a mathematical equation? What if I told you that you can attain the perfect cure, the best cure possible, every single harvest? And what if it was as easy as painting by numbers? And what if this could totally affect the way you cure, wether you are a newbie, or an old seasoned head?
The following is not something I discovered myself. I was first introduced to it from a guy named Simon. All though he initially taylored it to cannabis he, of course, didn't really discover it either. We most likey owe that to producers of tobacco. Their techniques are somewhat different but since they are curing a plant intended for smoking..... Well, it's just simply a matter of numbers.. I have, in turn, borrowed this concept and brought it here. I have eliminated what I deemed unneccessary and added some of my own insights/experiences. I have also condensed the original information the best I could (as it was quite haphazardly introduced, and many facts/ideas were addressed in later installments) in my own words (which has, in turn, increased greatly in size), but all credit must be afforded Simon for bringing these techniques, in their raw form, to public scrutiny. This, by no means, suggests that the work (either the original, or here) is complete. There are assuredly many more facts, discoveries and techniques left to be uncovered. That said, let's begin..
Cannabis is an annual weed. It's purpose in life is singular and pure: Continued propagation. The female cannabis plant, through it's propagating qualities is naturally the ultimate focuse of this forum, along with many others just like it. In order for the female cannabis plant to fulfill her destiny, and to fill our jars, like all life on earth she needs water. Her flowering buds are full of it. It is the point of drying them to release this water. The cure, on the other hand, is a bit more complicated. In contrast, the cure is an attempt to delay this release of water over time. It is this juggling act that is in dire need of deciphering and it is this thread that will show exactly how it is done. It is said that the bud of a cannabis plant continues to live for a certain amount of time after it is cut from it's stem ( per Ed Rosenthal), in some cases a couple of days. I personally think this is crazy. This is akin to cutting off a chickens head. A lot of good it did the chicken.. Unless your bud has the ability to sprout instant roots and walk itself to an empty pot it is, for all intensive purposes, d, e, a, d, dead. This, by no means, insinuates that there are not living cells and processes to be found, but without the ability to replenish water, the drying has begun. Even though the bud has begun it's dry cycle, there is still plenty of water in it to allow various cells to continue to function. Since the main stem has been cut they have no choice but to pull water and nutrients (in the form of clorophyl and other complex carbohydrates) from stores in the bud and process them into simple carbohydrates (simple sugars) in order to continue to function normally. The more complex carbohydrates that are broken down and the more simple carbohydrates that are used and the more moisture that is lost, the better your buds will be. Within this process is the secret to the perfect cure..
First we will break it down into phases. This seems easiest as you can refer back to any point of the cure by phase. Try to think of it like landing an airplane...
Phase one: The dry. This is kind of like preparing to land. The first thing you want to do is come to altitude and lower your landing gear. Basically, once you cut your bud, you need to decide what to do with it. Most of us go ahead and trim it now. Once it is trimmed to our liking, the bud is hung to dry.
Phase two: The pre-cure. This is somewhat like landing your airplane. The trick is to set it down on the runway at just the right angle as you begin to reduce your speed. This is where the mathematics come into play. What you are looking for here is the "feel". When your hanging bud begins to "feel" like it is drying out, but the stems are still flexible, it is time to jar. Don't worry, we will revisit this phase in more detail in a bit..
Phase three: The cure. Now your airplane is on the runway. This is where you are focusing on your instruments and applying the brakes. This is the actual part of the cure. It is a benefit to keep your bud in this stage for as long as possible. Actually, this may be a little misleading as some folks may like some cures better than others. In other words, this is the point where smells and flavors can change drastically. Depending on what it is you are after will dictate exactly how long you keep this phase in check. But only you can decide what you like.
Phase four: Storage. Well, the flight is over, time to put the airplane away. We have finally reached a point where the curing process has greatly slowed down and it is safe to store your bud.
Hygrometer is needed.
Phase one. 70% RH: This starts out just like any other time you have done it. Once you have harvested your bud and trimmed it to your liking, hang it in a cool dark place. This is where we will part from tradition. Allow it to hang until the buds begin to feel like they are drying (note the temps and rh as this will rarely be the same during subsequent harvests). They will start to lose their "softness" in favor of a slightly crispy texture. We don't want to allow it to dry until the stems snap. THIS IS WRONG! We want the stems to be flexible. Not totally soft, but not snapping, either. If allowed to dry until the stems snap we risk it drying too much and losing an opportunity to take full advantage of the cure window. You see once the bud reaches the 55% RH range, the cure is dead. No amount of moisture added will revive this. If you are a brown bag dryer you can still use this technique, although I no longer do. I feel it is unneccessary at this point in the drying process. Just make sure you do not over dry. Also, this is a perfect time to calibrate your hygrometers with your new calibrating kit. This phase may take anywhere from 2 to 7 days depending on ambient temp, RH and strain, etc. It is important to be right on top of this phase. Sometimes we will notice thinner stemmed buds getting done quicker. It is ok to take these first and put them in the jar. Just screw the cap on very loosely until the bulk of the bud joins it.
Phase two. 65%+ to 70%RH: This is where the numbers game begins to kick in. Once you have reached the crispy bud/flexible stem stage, it is time to jar it up. Now there are a few options here.. Really you can jar it up just like always. Only, fill your jar 3/4 to 4/5 full so you have room to use your hygrometer. You can leave it on the stem, stem free, whatever. I personally prefer it in it's finished state, no stems. You can leave just a few stems intact for the sake of testing stem flexibility. Also, with more stems comes more moisture. This may fit well with your style, but it also may play havoc if mold is present. Once your bud is in the jar drop in the hygrometer and cap it. Keep an eye on your meter for the next hour or so. What we are shooting for in this phase is 70% RH maximum. If you hit 71% or greater, you will have to take the bud out to dry more. If this seems a little tricky here, it is. The cure, even though we are still in the dry phase, has been happening to a small degree since the moment the bud was cut. Basically now we are juggling time with mold prevention. We want to avoid any instance of mold, but we want to get every second of cure time in that we can. The goal in this phase is to start at a 70% maximum RH and, in a timely and mold free manner, bring the RH down to about 65%. The reason I say "about" is that if there is an issue with mold (i.e. the crop was exposed to heavy mold before and/or during harvest) we may chose to take the RH even lower, like 62%. This won't leave a huge window for curing, but it will keep the bud safe. Ideally, however, 65% will do. Generally you can tell pretty quickly if the bud is still too wet as the hygrometer % will climb pretty quickly (rate: 1% per hour or faster). You will also notice, at this point, that the bud will feel "wetter". That's ok. The reason for this is that while the exposed part of the bud began to dry quicker than the inside during phase one, the inside of the bud and stems retained a good deal of their moisture. Once in the jars (phase two) that moisture can no longer be efficiently evaperated off and moved to a different area, being replaced by dryer air. Once you have determined the RH, which may take up to 24 hours, you can begin burping the jars. This can be done at a rate of one to two hours once or twice a day, depending on initial RH reading. Your room RH, temp, strain, exposure to mold and hygro readings will dictate this for you and wether to go faster or slower. Slower is always better, but precipitating factors, as stated, may trump this.. Also, at the end of this stage is where most commercial bud will hit the open market, if you are lucky. The bud at this stage should have that super sticky icky velvety feel and the 'bag appeal' will be at it's very highest.
Phase three, 60% to 65% RH: Your buds are in the jar and RH is 65% or less. Perfect. The object of the game, as stated before, is to slowly release the moisture from the jar over time. Your buds are now in the cure zone. At this point we are looking for a much slower release than phase two and will shift to a short burp once a week. Your buds will deliver a nice smoke at around 60%, so the speed at which this is done (which translates directly to duration of burpage) is entirely up to you. It is at this stage that small stems should snap in two. It is also in this stage that you will meet true stability, or equalization, in RH. What that means is that the amount of moisture in the stems is no longer disproportionate to the buds, and moisture transfer or persperation (sweat) slows dramatically. This also means it will take much longer to get a true reading from your Hygrometer. A true reading at this point might take up to 36 hours, but that's ok.
So, do you know what your idea of a perfect smoking bud is? If you have followed the phases as you have read them, then this is the stage where you can find out. It may be as specific as a stationary RH value, or even a "window" between different values. Everyone one should know there ideal smoking range. I prefer mine on a slightly dryer cure, say between 55 to 57%.
Phase four - 55%+ to 60%RH: Even though a true cure is far from over, your buds are truly ready to smoke if you wish. They are also ready to face long term storage. As stated before, the cure dies at -55%. It's ok for the cure to be dead if you have reached your desired cure level as later remoisturing can easily bring that bud back into your prefered smoking range. But, you can also continue the cure for long time periods and the trick to this is to stay above the 55% level. Unfortunately even claimed 'air tight' jars will allow bud to continue losing moisture over time. The trick here is to guarantee air tightness. Simon has suggested that he jars in air tight jars and double vacuum bags it as a way to ensure cure integrity. I am less picky. It is a good idea, though not neccessary, to leave a hygro in the jar and check it from time to time. I would start with once a week for the first month then, if everything is stable, once every month after that should suffice.
- Thread starter
- #50
Thanks, then I don't have to read it!
She’d! So my one early harvest plant has now kind of settle down at about 62 after daily burping , sadly though, one of the 4 jars lost its smell! I’m wondering if there’s any way to get it back?
My late harvest is smelling delicious and is at about 68 Rh in Jars
- Thread starter
- #52
How long has it been since harvest? I would guess that the smell will come back after curing unless there's something different about that one jar, which would be pretty strange!
Harvested one plant Oct 2 (early case the trunk split). It dryed in about 4 days in the closet. Been in jars since oct 6th.
Also wondering if the jar curing done properly will increase the potency or just make fir a smoother smoke?
- Thread starter
- #54
Curing creates a moother smoke with better flavor. Nothing will increase potency after harvest.
InTheShed, I will have to keep this and try! ThanksLet me start by talking about the success of @Scientific's oven-dried rice suggestion.
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 50% in about 90 minutes. Yes, 25% moisture reduction in an hour and a half. I had to open the jars to let the buds re-hydrated from the moisture in the air!
So when you do this, make sure you have a hygrometer in the jar and don't walk away for too long
What you need: uncooked white rice (not instant!) and panty hose/knee-highs or something similar.
Here's what I did:
I poured uncooked white rice in the bottom of a mason jar to fill about 3" which was to be divided across three jars of buds (1 rice ball in each jar). I spread the rice on a cookie sheet and put it in the oven at 200° for about 45 minutes. When it was done, I needed it to cool down. However, if you leave it out to cool down it will absorb the moisture from the air and end up at the ambient RH, offering no desiccating properties. So I put it in a ziplock bag, got the air out, sealed it, and put it in the fridge. This kept the rice dry as it cooled.
From there, it went into panty hose balls and into the bottoms of the jars.
Within approximately an hour and a half the RH in the jar had dropped to 50% and the buds felt crunchy again, so I took the rice out and left the lids open for about 20 minutes until the RH had risen to 66%. Then I closed them up and put them back in the dark to sit overnight.
Works like a charm!
- Thread starter
- #56
Glad to help Tonclon!
Hi shed hope your doing good. On this subject I wondered what the ideal range is for temps and humidity when drying at harvest. I struggle with humidity and wanted to know what im heading into lol. Thanks manIt's great for areas like mine that rarely have low enough RH to dry out the harvest! Those folks who live at 50% just don't understand
- Thread starter
- #58
Thanks GreenFingaz! I have found that RH is more important than temperature when hang drying. Relative humidity is relative to temperature, so temperature is baked into that number.
My goal is always to drive out a lot of the moisture in the first 24-36 hours (especially since I wash my harvests), so I keep the airflow high during that period and then slow it down.
At what RH are you trying to dry?
Oh I forgot to mention im in the 48 hour darkness period atm and its high at around 62-65% and got my inline fan running at 8 out-of 10 on the speed the temps are around 21c in there and my oscillating fan going aswell so thers plenty of airlfow.
- Thread starter
- #60
If you dry ar 62-65% RH make sure that you have fans on the flowers themselves. After a day or so you can point the fans at the walls to keep the air moving.
