Open discussion on a frequently asked problem

I've browsed a lot of threads in the "Harvesting and Curing" section, and one issue that

I have seen brought up a plethora of times, yet not a substantiated answer is freshly harvested bud that has an undesireable smell (hay, wet grass, etc).

So any of the experts out there that might want to shed some light on methods to combat this, prevent it, or is it just a part of the process...I'm

by no means an expert myself, I just gathered the balls to start a thread to finally have a roundtable discussion and try to come to a consensus on this issue.

I'll do the honors and make the first reply and maybe someone can piggy back.

So I have a friend who has some freshly harvested master kush (yesterday) and air drying right now.

After some research my friend removed the fan as to prevent the bud from drying too fast which could be a possible cause of the prolonged

grass smell problem that often arises. My friend just recently checked his buds and they have started to take on the smell, yet the buds are not dry.

Hopefully he can stretch the air drying process for a week before the buds get too dry too quickly.

Well, it's going through a chemical change when it's drying. Smoking wet bud (if you actually could) wouldn't do anything for you. You probably wouldn't even get a buzz. Notice, the more dry it becomes (to a degree) or the longer it is cured, it seems to have a greater effect or seeminly increased potency. So, the funny smell is probably just part of the chemical change process. I've had some that smelled like that, but only for a short period of time. I've also had bud that didn't smell like anything until I put it in jars, and then some that smelled great the whole time.

I'm sure somebody will be along to break it down for you. I'm being lazy at the moment.

doitinthewoods said:

Well, it's going through a chemical change when it's drying. Smoking wet bud (if you actually could) wouldn't do anything for you. You probably wouldn't even get a buzz. Notice, the more dry it becomes (to a degree) or the longer it is cured, it seems to have a greater effect or seeminly increased potency. So, the funny smell is probably just part of the chemical change process. I've had some that smelled like that, but only for a short period of time. I've also had bud that didn't smell like anything until I put it in jars, and then some that smelled great the whole time.

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Indeed. From what I have read, it's the chlorophyl being converted or released, whichever the two.

Nice to see a reply from a vet. Let's see if we can get some more input from some more botanists out there...

Screwed Up Texas said:

I'll do the honors and make the first reply and maybe someone can piggy back.

So I have a friend who has some freshly harvested master kush (yesterday) and air drying right now.

After some research my friend removed the fan as to prevent the bud from drying too fast which could be a possible cause of the prolonged

grass smell problem that often arises. My friend just recently checked his buds and they have started to take on the smell, yet the buds are not dry.

Hopefully he can stretch the air drying process for a week before the buds get too dry too quickly.

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If they dry up too quick, try sealing dem in a baggie or someting for a good few hours, then burp and reseal, repeat this process untill the moisture has spread out evenly, then just remove it from the baggie again...
Its what i done to mine to stop dem going all crispy on me..
I jarred the buds after drying and it took a few weeks unitll they got their smell back again...

grow4joe said:

If they dry up too quick, try sealing dem in a baggie or someting for a good few hours, then burp and reseal, repeat this process untill the moisture has spread out evenly, then just remove it from the baggie again...
Its what i done to mine to stop dem going all crispy on me..
I jarred the buds after drying and it took a few weeks unitll they got their smell back again...

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Oh ok. So is it safe to say that it's more of a matter of waiting for the smell to dissipate, rather than drying relatively too quickly/slowly?

Screwed Up Texas said:

Oh ok. So is it safe to say that it's more of a matter of waiting for the smell to dissipate, rather than drying relatively too quickly/slowly?

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Crispy on the outside, but still kinda spongey. The stem should still bend a good bit. When it's that dry, put it in jars and burp them once a day for a couple of days, and then keep an eye on it incase it might mold.

doitinthewoods said:

Crispy on the outside, but still kinda spongey. The stem should still bend a good bit. When it's that dry, put it in jars and burp them once a day for a couple of days, and then keep an eye on it incase it might mold.

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I've also read that leaving the stem during the air drying process will help the bud dry better. Your take on that?

don't hang the whole plant because the buds will dry out differently and you'll have to go back and cut them off. Hang by limbs. So if your plant had a main stalk with 12 limbs coming off with buds, you would have 12 limbs hanging, and the main cola. That way, you can pull down what is done, and leave the rest hanging.

doitinthewoods said:

don't hang the whole plant because the buds will dry out differently and you'll have to go back and cut them off. Hang by limbs. So if your plant had a main stalk with 12 limbs coming off with buds, you would have 12 limbs hanging, and the main cola. That way, you can pull down what is done, and leave the rest hanging.

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Yeah that's what I meant lol. My bad 'bout the confusion. My friend has another plant that's due to harvest in Feb. that was topped

and has 3 main colas. He's going to leave some stem next time and see if there's a significant difference.

Screwed Up Texas said:

Yeah that's what I meant lol. My bad 'bout the confusion. My friend has another plant that's due to harvest in Feb. that was topped

and has 3 main colas. He's going to leave some stem next time and see if there's a significant difference.

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eh, I don't know if it really makes much difference by leaving the stem or taking it off. I think of the stem as a built in hanger. It's just easier to hang it from a stem instead of trying to pull it all off, and dry it on a screen or something.

doitinthewoods said:

eh, I don't know if it really makes much difference by leaving the stem or taking it off. I think of the stem as a built in hanger. It's just easier to hang it from a stem instead of trying to pull it all off, and dry it on a screen or something.

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It's been said buds use some of the moisture left in the stem which results in longer air drying times...same has been said for not manicuring leaves until after the bud air dries.

regulating room temperature and humidity is important if your air is too dry your bud will dry to fast after its dry it becomes much harder for chlorophyll to escape.

svchop889 said:

regulating room temperature and humidity is important if your air is too dry your bud will dry to fast after its dry it becomes much harder for chlorophyll to escape.

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Oh so dryness does play a role in the fucked up smells....that's something new I learned...it's harder for chlorophyl to escape dryer buds.....interesting.

Screwed Up Texas said:

Oh so dryness does play a role in the fucked up smells....that's something new I learned...it's harder for chlorophyll to escape dryer buds.....interesting.

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I don't know it for an absolute fact but I know i read it somewhere on here it does seem to make some sense, if you can regulate the humidity in a room to about 20% and temp of about 70 it should take longer for the buds to dry as the transpiration of moisture from the bud to the air will be slower because the difference in moisture is lesser, this allows more time for the breakdown of THC that is needed for it to become psychoactive and also allowing the evolution of chlorophyll into gas.

svchop889 said:

I don't know it for an absolute fact but I know i read it somewhere on here it does seem to make some sense, if you can regulate the humidity in a room to about 20% and temp of about 70 it should take longer for the buds to dry as the transpiration of moisture from the bud to the air will be slower because the difference in moisture is lesser, this allows more time for the breakdown of THC that is needed for it to become psychoactive and also allowing the evolution of chlorophyll into gas.

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That sounds like a reasonable deduction. The unpleasant smell is most likely caused by the bud drying too fast which prohibits the chlorophyl from escaping.

The next question posed would be: What can you do to bud to prolong the air drying process....

hey bro, for me, i mean in my different harvests, i've noticed that if i leave it to dry where there is no fan moving a good amount of air around, and around 65-70 degrees, it seems to take too long to dry, and starts to take on that grass smell..but normally 4 days or so for my avg size nugs, and 5 days or so for my fat nugs, the 1/2 oz or 1 oz nugs..then i throw them in a jar, and re-evaluate after 12 hours..hope this helps a little..

aagiants1 said:

hey bro, for me, i mean in my different harvests, i've noticed that if i leave it to dry where there is no fan moving a good amount of air around, and around 65-70 degrees, it seems to take too long to dry, and starts to take on that grass smell..but normally 4 days or so for my avg size nugs, and 5 days or so for my fat nugs, the 1/2 oz or 1 oz nugs..then i throw them in a jar, and re-evaluate after 12 hours..hope this helps a little..

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my room is 68-70 degrees with a rh of 28-31 % sorry for not adding that before..

I know what you mean about that grassy smell... my buds smell like that just now and its been drying for 1 week now - im about to put them into jars to start the cure...

does the smell go away once they are cured for 2-3 weeks?

anyone...........