you must have made another mistake somewhere along the line bro. light leaks and even nute burn won't cause the final dried/cured product to taste bad. You either didn't flush out your medium good enough or at all. If it didn't even make decent hash... then, well sir, you apparently made a mistake or you just had a very crappy strain with shitty genetics. Or you probably made a mistake and didn't dry/cure them correctly.. or you may have not cured them long enough. Curing takes at least 2 to 3 weeks before most of the chlorophyll gets evaporated. As long as you cure for a good 3 to 4 weeks.. it should taste just fine. If you were to cure it even longer than that.. lets say 5 to 7 weeks.. it would taste even that much better because its had more time for the biological events to take place.. such as the evaporation of any remaining moisture in the product.. which is also whats responsible for clearing out the remaining chlorophyll (chemical that gives the product that green taste and the "fresh hay" smell). Which is why you should always make sure you start curing the product before the middle bud stem in the center of the bud.. snaps when bent. The idea, the best way to make sure your product gets the longest possible cure time.. is to throw the product into your curing jars when the bud-stem (the middle inner-stem of each bud) starts its transition. In other words.. its best to start curing (throw the buds into your jars) once the bud-stems have about 50% moisture content left in them. When they're at this level.. or in the ballpark of 50% moisture level, the stem will have "spring like" properties.. which means when you bend the middle stem of the buds.. they should bounce back, kinda like a spring.. back to their prior position (or close to it). This is the prime time to toss your product into your jars and begin the curing process.
Why?
Well.. this way, the bud will be mostly dry (not completely dry, around 60% to 70% dry) and the inner middle bud-stems of each bud will have most of their moisture left (around 80 to 90% left). This is important because not only does the curing process need ample (but not too much) moisture in order to take place... but the moisture from inside each inner-stem on each bud.. will slowly evaporate, which will also give the bud/product an even cure/dry.. which in return gives the grower a perfectly evenly dried product that will burn perfectly.. or close to it.. but perfection is what we want here.
Also, during the curing process.. while the remaining moisture from the inner stem inside each bud evaporates, it takes any remaining Chlorophyll with it. This is what you want because as I mentioned earlier, Chlorophyll is the chemical responsible for giving the plant its green color.. but not only its green color, but the Chlorophyll is also responsible for giving the product its "fresh hay" or 'cut grass smell'.. as well as the grassy harmful taste. The longer you cure.. the more Chlorophyll will get evaporated.. the more Chlorophyll that gets evaporated.. the better tasting/looking and smelling the final product will be.
Anyhow, sorry for rambling. Just trying to help educate the new people.. hopefully I succeeded in doing just that. If not, oh well..
you can lead a horse to water.. but ya can't make 'em drink. Ya dig? lol.
everyone have a great and fucked up Memorial Day weekend. I know I will!
peace..
