Tips on when to start jar & burp

[Cwmoore577]

Hello all,

Just wrapped up this harvest and got the majority trimmed and put in the drying box I built. I've successfully dried and cured 4 harvests now but I still feel like I need to improve to produce a better quality smoke.

I wanted to get some insight on what you guys look for personally as to when the buds should be taken off the stem and jarred to begin the burping process. I have read articles explaining this and know the basics but input from more experienced people can't hurt. Most recommend to jar once the small stems snap when bent but for me it seems that is usually too late.

Thanks!

 

[InTheShed]

So many growers, so many methods! This is how I do mine:

I take my branches off the drying strings when the stems bend with a slight snap, but not break. I cut the buds off and put them into jars with hydrometers to see where they settle after 24 hours. Smaller stems snap sooner than bigger ones, so that needs to be taken into account.

(For big harvests I use turkey roasting bags...much easier to burp one bag than 3 jars!)

If the buds are in the high 60s RH, they get burped twice a day for a week, then once a day for another week, to get them down to 62% RH.

If they're over 70% RH, they get left out in an open cardboard box lid to dry out a bit further.

After two weeks of burping down to 62%, they get sealed in jars with Boveda 62s for a cure of at least 3 more weeks before anyone gets their hands on them. Usually mine cure for much longer.

So in total, mine are drying/burping for three weeks (to outgas as much chlorophyll as possible) and then sealed/cured for three weeks+.

I hope that's helpful!