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Reply With QuoteThanks SimonD. Great how to! +REP
A perfect cure every time
This method is particularly effective for folks who are starting out, those looking to maximize quality in a shorter period of time, and folks who's like to produce a connoisseur-quality product each and every time with no guesswork involved.
It's a very simple and effective process:
Cut the product, trim it per your preference, but don't dry it until the stems snap. Take it down while the stems still have some flex, but the product feel dry on the outside. This is a perfect opportunity to drop the dry-feeling flowers onto a screen and collect prime-quality kief that would otherwise get lost in the jar.
Jar the product, along with a Caliber III hygrometer. One can be had on Ebay for ~$20. Having tested a number of hygrometers - digital and analog - this model in particular produced consistent, accurate results. The Hydroset/Xikar hygrometers are also recommend after calibration. Then, watch the readings:
+70% RH - too wet, needs to sit outside the jar to dry for 12-24 hours, depending.
65-70% RH - the product is almost in the cure zone, if you will. It can be slowly brought to optimum RH by opening the lid for 2-4 hours.
60-65% RH - the stems snap, the product feels a bit sticky, and it is curing.
55-60% RH - at this point it can be stored for an extended period (3 months or more) without worrying about mold. The product will continue to cure.
Below 55% RH - the RH is too low for the curing process to take place. The product starts to feel brittle. Once you've hit this point, nothing will make it better. Adding moisture won't restart the curing process; it will just make the product wet. If you measure a RH below 55% don't panic. Read below:
Obviously, the product need time to sweat in the jar. As such, accurate readings won't be seen for ~24 hours, assuming the flowers are in the optimal cure zone. If you're curing the product for long-term storage, give the flowers 4-5 days for an accurate reading. If the product is sill very wet, a +70% RH reading will show within hours. If you see the RH rising ~1% per hour, keep a close eye on the product, as it's likely too moist.
HTH,
Simon
Thanks SimonD. Great how to! +REP
Last edited by rocpilefsj; 03-24-2012 at 09:50 AM.
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The thread is open for discussion. Please feel free to post your questions, hints and personal experiences.
Best,
Simon
been using this method right when i seen it come out...its a beautiful thing! mad props!
~OnE LoVe~ ~OnE hEaRt~ ~Lets get together and we'll feel alright!~
o_O
Works well im lovein it..
The Pit Master
Ive done this for several years this way. I air out the jars so they aren't moist long term, and it smooths out the smoke. But after several months the buds all turn brown. And, I don't have that sweet skunky smell, usually little smell at all. The potency is good, but why can't I keep the nice aroma and greenish color?
i appreciate your thread on this simon. i started doing this method a couple of years ago. the hygrometers help a lot. much better than the old squeeze test.Originally Posted by SimonD
i got in the bad habit of drying them too quick, taking about 3 days. i trimed the colas into bite sized buds and with phoenix being hot and dry, it doesn't take long. then i noticed that although the buds smelled great when crushed, the odor when i cracked the ball jars was minimal.
i'm going back to a nice slow dry this time. i'm just triming the fan leaves and hanging the plant whole. i'm at 53 days in flower now and want to be sure that when i crack open a jar, i get a smile from the smell.
Experience- It didnt work for me and I feel that is to wet to go into jars I tried a few times not just once. Same problem as obijohn.. Terrible dark discoloration, loss of smell, and little bag appeal. I kinda think the rh in my house is to high for this and they NEVER dry. When I open my jars and 65-70% rh goes in there, they just get wetter. I like to get them nice and dry hanging the whole plant, trim, and then cure. The texture (moisture content) and smell go right where I want it during the cure. It also seems to take less time. Anyone having a large harvest would need a rack of rh meters and I just dont see that being practical. BTW thanks guys for opening this thread hopefully simond can now help some people understand this process better. For me and my drying this is where the cure starts and I quote from Simon "60-65% RH - the stems snap, the product feels a bit sticky, and it is curing." Leave them dry until the stem cracks when you bend it. I think the post is a little confusing as it first says start curing before the stem snaps and it is still pliable but then its followed up by curing starts when product is at 60-65% and STEM SNAPS.
Hopefully I didnt offend anyone from this post. Just trying to learn. Also I hope mature people can overlook previous debates and give good solid information with out the ridiculing.
Lol, good luck.
I have a few of those round hygrometers that you can calibrate. There is an easy and cheap way to calibrate them.
Take a small cup/bowl that will fit in a zip lock baggie with your hygrometer. In the cup mix some water and salt until it is a slurry.
Seal the cup and the hygrometer in the bag. Salt water evaporates and will raise the humidity to 75%. Let it sit overnight then dial in the hygrometer to read 75%.
Easy.
Thanks again Simon. I've been doing the perfect cure for a couple years now and it works like a charm.
Although monoecious plants are often referred to as "hermaphrodites," true hermaphrodites (which are less common) bear staminate and pistillate structures on individual flowers, whereas monoecious plants bear male and female flowers at different locations on the same plant.
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