What is the best way to dry and preserve the cure for smooth, sweet buds?

[TheHillbilly]

Awesome thread - I have never used the dry method with the entire plant. I will give it a shot next month when my Nirvana Bubblelicious Auto is ready for harvest. Thanks, all!

 

[Monty Verde]

I have a problem with the drying being to rapidly. After 2-3 days the plant is totally dry even when hanginging the whole plant.
Rh 50%
Last time I hanged a plastic cover over the plants. It woorked a bit better but still very dry after 3 days.

I have no fan blowing around. Only use the fan connected to my carbonfilter. Can it be that this fan is to powerful and exchange the air to often?

Any other suggestion for a longer/slower dry?

 

[Chester001]

I have a problem with the drying being to rapidly. After 2-3 days the plant is totally dry even when hanginging the whole plant.
Rh 50%
Last time I hanged a plastic cover over the plants. It woorked a bit better but still very dry after 3 days.

I have no fan blowing around. Only use the fan connected to my carbonfilter. Can it be that this fan is to powerful and exchange the air to often?

Any other suggestion for a longer/slower dry?

You have too much air moving thru your space … I hang whole plant minus dead fans, in a closet w/ the door open 2" - 3" for 2-3 days until the buds begin to feel dry on the outside. At this point I separate the branches and lay them 1 layer thick closed up in brown grocery bags … I aim for mid 60's rh no sooner than 10 days from harvest.

 

[Monty Verde]

You have too much air moving thru your space … I hang whole plant minus dead fans, in a closet w/ the door open 2" - 3" for 2-3 days until the buds begin to feel dry on the outside. At this point I separate the branches and lay them 1 layer thick closed up in brown grocery bags … I aim for mid 60's rh no sooner than 10 days from harvest.

Turn the exhaust off then Or maybe on a timer? 2 Times a day 30 minutes?

Thanx

 

[Chester001]

Fantasmo Express Harvest Day … 11 Weeks

This plant was harvested 11/3/18 … Mephisto Genetics … very social high w/a great taste

 

[beerdrynkr]

cut and paste amigo. about 4 weeks away and that is my next issue to fix, one thing im doing this time is using mason jars and sealing buds to preserve

 

[Oldgrowth]

It depends on how much you have to cure, and do you have any help. I typically grow 5-10 lbs dry weight and dry and cure it by myself. I strip the large fan leaves then hang branches upside down for about 2 weeks. The leaves that fall during stripping or drying I save for bubble hash presently. The trim (excellent from Wiz, GG4 and Afghan Kush) removed before being jarred for curing may also be used to make some excellent bubble hash. (One could smoke or vape it alternatively, the trichomes are conspicuous.) I use each grow to study alternatives. This year a hanging 8 level circular mesh drying apparatus was used for about 1/2 lb of Afghan Kush nugs of excellent quality from which all the leaves were removed. The cure is going well, but time will tell on the ultimate quality, expected to be also excellent. I cure by taking off the jar top for about 1 hr/day over 6 weeks to 2 months. The final product is smooth and sweet.

 

[GrammaDube]

It depends on how much you have to cure, and do you have any help. I typically grow 5-10 lbs dry weight and dry and cure it by myself. I strip the large fan leaves then hang branches upside down for about 2 weeks. The leaves that fall during stripping or drying I save for bubble hash presently. The trim (excellent from Wiz, GG4 and Afghan Kush) removed before being jarred for curing may also be used to make some excellent bubble hash. (One could smoke or vape it alternatively, the trichomes are conspicuous.) I use each grow to study alternatives. This year a hanging 8 level circular mesh drying apparatus was used for about 1/2 lb of Afghan Kush nugs of excellent quality from which all the leaves were removed. The cure is going well, but time will tell on the ultimate quality, expected to be also excellent. I cure by taking off the jar top for about 1 hr/day over 6 weeks to 2 months. The final product is smooth and sweet.

Hi Old Growth
I’m an old hippie gal who grew for the 3rd time; outdoors and as they say; 3’s a charm - I grew an Afghan Kush, GH#4, DukeNukem and 2 Rock Stars. Managed to total just over 5 pounds and have been jar curing since mid-October. I’ve slowed down to airing about once a week now. I don’t have an agrometer or bovedas - just watching closely and testing - nice and smooth now. No signs of mould ever (touch wood!)
My question is how long can I keep in the jars in my cool dark closet. Should I slow down the burping? Any advice would be much appreciated.
All are perfect right out of the jar now, but the DukeNukem still seems “spongy” and is best if I break off the buds and let air dry on a try before grinding and smoking. Then it too is perfect and potent. Thanks for your time.

 

[MrSauga]

Hi Old Growth
I’m an old hippie gal who grew for the 3rd time; outdoors and as they say; 3’s a charm - I grew an Afghan Kush, GH#4, DukeNukem and 2 Rock Stars. Managed to total just over 5 pounds and have been jar curing since mid-October. I’ve slowed down to airing about once a week now. I don’t have an agrometer or bovedas - just watching closely and testing - nice and smooth now. No signs of mould ever (touch wood!)
My question is how long can I keep in the jars in my cool dark closet. Should I slow down the burping? Any advice would be much appreciated.
All are perfect right out of the jar now, but the DukeNukem still seems “spongy” and is best if I break off the buds and let air dry on a try before grinding and smoking. Then it too is perfect and potent. Thanks for your time.

Hi Gramma,
I'm sure OldGrowth will chime in so I wont go into answering any of your post...but I did read the amount you were getting at harvest and thought this post may be helpful on how you cure. It should save you a lot of time and works wonderful.
DrZiggy's Low And Slow Drying: Maximizing Your Harvest
It may be on interest to you.

 

[Sun3urst]

I have my first 2 seedlings and came across this post while looking for some grow tips. I am glad I found it. I really needed this information and didnt know it. Thank you

 

[Oldgrowth]

2019 update:

I've modified my drying to use hanging drying racks (for herbs) rather than hang an entire branch that wastes a bit of fine herb as it is hung and transported. Slippery little trichomes may drop any which way. This is contained more by a rack. So, I cut single nugs or just a few from a branch and into the rack we go. The drying takes only a few days this way and the aroma is much reduced. After the 6 - 8 week cure, I trim the sugar leaves using the trim alternatively for canna butter to bake or kief (kief screen) to smoke. The remaining green material goes into the freezer for later bubble hash processing. While I trim the tiny popcorn nugs go into a large paper bag that when dry produce very potent trim.

Please chime in Mr. Sauga on any of my posts, I learn from each and every one.

Peace and Love

 

[chad43764]

Commercial growers take the colas from the plant and manicure them before drying. They usually dry them on a line, upside-down, which is fine.

However, usually airflow is forced, and temps too high, humidity too low. As soon as the buds are considered dry (usually a few days), it is sold. The reason for this behavior is the fact they are, as I said, commercial growers and in a constant hurry to exchange their buds for cash. Every minute counts and they don't want to 'waste' the space or the time needed for drying and curing. This results in harsh, grassy tasting weed that lacks the full-bodied flavor and smooth stone of properly dried and cured bud. To do it right:

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.

All kinds of processes, like the transport of sugars inside the plant still take place, even when you cut it down. These processes will slowly come to an end while the drying progresses, but are the main factor for the end-taste of your smoke. That is the first reason why you don't want to quick-dry your weed. The second reason is the way that a plant dries. Plants are made up of cells and, as we all know, cells contain mainly water. Exposed to air, the (dying) plant's outer cells will dry out first but the above-mentioned processes will still transfer water from the inner cells to the dryer outer cells, thus causing the plant to dry equally all over. By removing the stalk and cutting off the individual colas, you prevent this natural process by taking away the extra moisture that would be drawn from the stem to the leaves and bud. Got it? Good! Moving on...

Make sure you hang the plants so that they do not touch each other (invites mold). With constant temp and humidity, the plants should be ready for manicuring in 3-4 weeks. At this time trim colas from the main stalk, and trim large and medium fan leaves (save them for making hash), leaving most of the smaller leaves sticking out of the bud in tact. Hang them up again and for a day or two, until 'popcorn' dry. The stems should snap when you bend them, and the bud should be dry, but not brittle. Now for the curing...

Trim all remaining leaf (save for hashmaking) tight to the buds, and trim smaller buds from larger stems. Store them airtight; air at this point degrades THC. Note- ziplock bags are not airtight! You could use buckets with an airtight lid like used for food and sauces and such, but the best containers are those glass jars with the rubber seal and latch. Just put as much bud in it as possible using light pressure. The point is to fill it as much as possible, so not too much air remains in the container. The less air, the better. To be safe, check them the next day to make sure it's still dry (did not 'sweat'). Any excess moisture at this point will invite mold. If it did sweat and is moist (soft) again, lay the bud out on something other than newspaper and put in a dry place to get the last water out.

Repack and place the container in a cool, dark place, like a refrigerator. Note- fridges have high humidity so they must be absolutely airtight.
The longer it sits (up to around a month, maybe longer in the fridge) the better it gets, both in taste and potency. At around the month mark, you can move it to the freezer to almost stop the aging and curing process. Once you've got some buds stored in the freezer, you have a private stash that will last a long time. If you've got the patience to wait, the smoke will be sweet and smooth. The high will be mellow, and longer lasting. If you grew enough to last you a while, then after a few harvests you will be able to have properly cured buds at your disposal, with no downtime waiting for the next batch to cure!

If you're not in a hurry to sell your crop you owe it to your head to wait the extra time and have great tasting, very potent bud! Curing is the only way to make harvested bud more potent, so try it, you won't be disappointed!

I appreciate the experience you provide. I want to ask u something. Do u think during the drying n curing process those trichromes still undergo change? Like clear to cloudy to amber. Why I ask? Because ur process u explained, which derives it's concepts from traditional methods sounds exactly like a plant undergoing "growing process" to a certain point. There'd have to be a point at which transpiration retires completely therefore the plant would cease to expire.
Here's a thought I'm trying to understand more. During flower we understand the trichromes go through stages of growth. Clear, Milky.... ECT. The processes that cause this are transpiration and photosynthesis, which are both attributed to each other, but still processes the plant undergoes to grow. After u chop it it still goes through photosynthesis and transpiration right? Transpiration is attributed to excreting moisture through the act of photosynthesis. U say complex sugars continue to break down. So, if this is so a plant harvested slightly early would become still strong if cured properly?

 

[SmokingWings]

Chad, letting you know that Moose passed away years ago and most of the others that participated in this thread have moved on from the group.

During flower we understand the trichromes go through stages of growth. Clear, Milky.... ECT. The processes that cause this are transpiration and photosynthesis, which are both attributed to each other, but still processes the plant undergoes to grow.

I understand what you are getting at but cannot agree that they are attributed to each other. Transpiration is the loss of water through the stomata which leads to the plant having to draw up fresh water from the soil. Photosynthesis is the process that uses some of the water and carbon dioxide together to form sucrose (sugar) and oxygen because of the reaction of light.

After u chop it it still goes through photosynthesis and transpiration right?

It will continue to go through photosynthesis only if there is still light and enough water and carbon dioxide left inside the plant material. If the harvested plant material is put in a paper bag or inside a dark tent or dark room then there is not enough light so photosynthesis is not possible. It is a high recommendation that the harvested plant not be put anywhere there is light that can shine on the plant material.

But, the plant can continue to loose water through the stomata and the cuts in the leaves and stems.

Transpiration is attributed to excreting moisture through the act of photosynthesis.

It is a common misconception that photosynthesis uses water and returns it back to the cells in the plant but that is not true. The process uses (or breaks up) 6 molecules of water and 6 molecules of carbon dioxide to form a single molecule of sucrose with 6 oxygen molecules left over. The water used in the photosynthesis process is gone.

U say complex sugars continue to break down. So, if this is so a plant harvested slightly early would become still strong if cured properly?

There is supposed to still be a certain amount of the sucrose being used by the cells but with the continuing loss of water because of evaporation that process will not last long. I feel that it is safe to say that the strength of the THCs will be the same after drying and curing as it was at the minute the buds were harvested.

While the plant is still alive and growing the strength of the trichomes does go through the stages of "clear to cloudy to amber". The important thing to keep in mind is that the strongest levels of THC are supposed to be at the cloudy stage which produces a stronger psycho-active effect. As the plant continues to grow and mature the cloudy trichomes start to age and as they get older they turn amber while degrading. The more amber the more the "couch-lock" high that some people prefer.

The Photosynthesis formula is:
6CO2 + 6H2O ---> C6H12O6 + 6O2
which reads as:
6 molecules of carbon dioxide and 6 molecules of water are turned into a single molecule of sucrose (sugar) and 6 molecules of oxygen. There is no water left over.

There are processes other than photosynthesis which can combine the oxygen and hydrogen back into water.

 

[Azimuth]

While the plant is still alive and growing the strength of the trichomes does go through the stages of "clear to cloudy to amber". The important thing to keep in mind is that the strongest levels of THC are supposed to be at the cloudy stage which produces a stronger psycho-active effect. As the plant continues to grow and mature the cloudy trichomes start to age and as they get older they turn amber while degrading. The more amber the more the "couch-lock" high that some people prefer.

And, my understanding is the clear trichomes are merely empty structures with minimal cannabinoids, they become cloudy when they fill with cannabinoids, and then turn amber as the cannabinoids degrade. THC degrades into CBN, the sleepy time cannabinoid and that happens over time which is why very old bud is often sleep producing bud.

 

[chad43764]

Chad, letting you know that Moose passed away years ago and most of the others that participated in this thread have moved on from the group.


I understand what you are getting at but cannot agree that they are attributed to each other. Transpiration is the loss of water through the stomata which leads to the plant having to draw up fresh water from the soil. Photosynthesis is the process that uses some of the water and carbon dioxide together to form sucrose (sugar) and oxygen because of the reaction of light.


It will continue to go through photosynthesis only if there is still light and enough water and carbon dioxide left inside the plant material. If the harvested plant material is put in a paper bag or inside a dark tent or dark room then there is not enough light so photosynthesis is not possible. It is a high recommendation that the harvested plant not be put anywhere there is light that can shine on the plant material.

But, the plant can continue to loose water through the stomata and the cuts in the leaves and stems.


It is a common misconception that photosynthesis uses water and returns it back to the cells in the plant but that is not true. The process uses (or breaks up) 6 molecules of water and 6 molecules of carbon dioxide to form a single molecule of sucrose with 6 oxygen molecules left over. The water used in the photosynthesis process is gone.


There is supposed to still be a certain amount of the sucrose being used by the cells but with the continuing loss of water because of evaporation that process will not last long. I feel that it is safe to say that the strength of the THCs will be the same after drying and curing as it was at the minute the buds were harvested.

While the plant is still alive and growing the strength of the trichomes does go through the stages of "clear to cloudy to amber". The important thing to keep in mind is that the strongest levels of THC are supposed to be at the cloudy stage which produces a stronger psycho-active effect. As the plant continues to grow and mature the cloudy trichomes start to age and as they get older they turn amber while degrading. The more amber the more the "couch-lock" high that some people prefer.

The Photosynthesis formula is:
6CO2 + 6H2O ---> C6H12O6 + 6O2
which reads as:
6 molecules of carbon dioxide and 6 molecules of water are turned into a single molecule of sucrose (sugar) and 6 molecules of oxygen. There is no water left over.

There are processes other than photosynthesis which can combine the oxygen and hydrogen back into water.

Thank you. I appreciate you stepping in n clearing up some misconceptions I was having. Thank you again.

 

[chad43764]

And, my understanding is the clear trichomes are merely empty structures with minimal cannabinoids, they become cloudy when they fill with cannabinoids, and then turn amber as the cannabinoids degrade. THC degrades into CBN, the sleepy time cannabinoid and that happens over time which is why very old bud is often sleep producing bud.

Thank you.

 

[Kushcat]

You need a very slow dry
perfect conditions are 68°f @68%rH.
This year I'm going to make a air tight cabinet with a very small exhaust fan
I'll probably use a large cardboard box with the inside covered with viscqueen plastic with spray adhesive

 

[Kushcat]

White runtz

 

[chad43764]

You need a very slow dry
perfect conditions are 68°f @68%rH.
This year I'm going to make a air tight cabinet with a very small exhaust fan
I'll probably use a large cardboard box with the inside covered with viscqueen plastic with spray adhesive

I have a drying rack that hangs from a pipe or whatever. It does pretty good.

 

[Kushcat]

I live in the desert and we have rH usually in the teens. A cut plant here just hanging will dry crisp in a day so you have to keep them separated from the environment