# Speed curing



## Pullin' weeds (Oct 5, 2007)

Hi all,

I think I've developed a new technique to speed dry and cure my herb, with decent quality - not too harsh etc...

I've gone from plant to pipe in as little as 2 hours.

I'd love for a few people to give it try and tell me what they think of their results .

So I put a few buds in the microwave for a few seconds, 10 seconds tops. You'll probably hear a few pops and crackles. Then quick dry them in a food dehydrator or other heat or fan of your choice.


My theory on this is that the brief microwave treatment is just enough to burst the cell walls in the plant, allowing the chlorophyl and other nastys a way to make a speedy exit. But it's not enough to damage the THC to any great extent.

Like I said - give it a try with a couple of buds and let us all know what you think.


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## wafflehouselover (Oct 5, 2007)

What strain are you smoking because it must be some good shit!


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## Pullin' weeds (Oct 5, 2007)

It's grapefruit x hash plant that a friend brought back from BC


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## natmoon (Oct 5, 2007)

Pullin' weeds said:


> Hi all,
> 
> I think I've developed a new technique to speed dry and cure my herb, with decent quality - not too harsh etc...
> 
> ...


Im sure thats a good way to get a "_right now"_ smoke,connoisseurs of pot will never do that though.
Any fast drying method will not be good and imo anyway sweating and curing causes a biosynthetic chemical reaction which as well as improving flavour also improves the strength


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## Pullin' weeds (Oct 5, 2007)

Totally agree that it's not top quality - yet. 

It does benefit greatly from a traditional jar cure, but it gets you to that point much quicker than hanging for a week or 2.

Like I said, It's something new - I've found it as good or better than water curing. Give it a try.


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## natmoon (Oct 5, 2007)

Pullin' weeds said:


> Totally agree that it's not top quality - yet.
> 
> It does benefit greatly from a traditional jar cure, but it gets you to that point much quicker than hanging for a week or 2.
> 
> Like I said, It's something new - I've found it as good or better than water curing. Give it a try.


Sorry to also tell you that its far from new lol


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## Pullin' weeds (Oct 5, 2007)

Live and learn I guess 

I've heard of speed drying in the microwave before, but only nuking it until it's dry - which I would think would totally destroy it.

I think this is more gentle.


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## natmoon (Oct 5, 2007)

Pullin' weeds said:


> Live and learn I guess
> 
> I've heard of speed drying in the microwave before, but only nuking it until it's dry - which I would think would totally destroy it.
> 
> I think this is more gentle.


The best way ive found to fast cure a bud _without losing any potency_ is to put it on top of a disposable dehumidifier and leave it in the warm grow area


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## devilwacause (Oct 6, 2007)

I've found the best way at quickening the curing process was sped up in jars (yet not too quick of cure) by sticking those packets of Silica gel thingys (the "Chicklets" (lol Ron White) in the new electronic box) and stick then at the bottom of the jar with like a 3 liter faygo bottle cap to catch any goop and a screen located between the buds and silica.


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## anhedonia (Oct 8, 2007)

im still on my first grow and am seriously considering an herb dryer wich from what ive read, readys your bud for curing in 2-3 days, eliminating fungus or mold and odors as well, and they cost only 200 dollars.


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## stonegrove (Oct 10, 2007)

tried the microwave yesterday but the bud i used was drying for two days before i microwaved it, the smoke was surprisingly nice, but the smell and taste wasnt strong at all. the high was tho.


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## Pullin' weeds (Oct 10, 2007)

Thank for the report!


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## madcow (Oct 12, 2007)

i have a little black cardboard box i put on top of a warm lamp the bud drys in 15\20 mins to and hour depending on size,break it up to dry it faster,all the crystal is still there and it smokes good!!  lol


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## kochab (Oct 14, 2007)

anhedonia said:


> im still on my first grow and am seriously considering an herb dryer wich from what ive read, readys your bud for curing in 2-3 days, eliminating fungus or mold and odors as well, and they cost only 200 dollars.


save the money........you will be MUCH happier.


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## Tokesalot (Oct 14, 2007)

I remember when i used to get nuggets from friends that were somewhat fresh---harvested maybe 5 days ago, just cut off the big branches.

Wut I did to "speed cure" was i have a huge bright 200w bulb that hangs and lights up my loft, i tied some strings to a little metal plate and hung it about 1/2ft from the bulb and shifted it around every half hour while i made dinner, did chores, etc. killed time. dried in 2 hours and had no problems at all. tasted like good ol fruity, wasn't harsh. rolled a blunt. worked great.

thats my expierience with speed curing.


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## VictorVIcious (Oct 14, 2007)

Jorge talks about that in his book. I made a dryer for 1/2 that amount, put bud in it for 2 days and smoked some. Couldn't believe it would stay lit but it did. The bud dryer is posted in this forum. VV


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## Tokesalot (Oct 14, 2007)

Jorge eh.

I would use it if Jorge recommends it =P


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## gst1147 (Oct 14, 2007)

Drying buds with a 200 watt light? Did you shine the light directly on the buds? I was told by an older grower that light degrades thc, thats why I dry and cure it in a dark place.


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## Tokesalot (Oct 15, 2007)

gst1147 said:


> Drying buds with a 200 watt light? Did you shine the light directly on the buds? I was told by an older grower that light degrades thc, thats why I dry and cure it in a dark place.


like i said, i was young when I did it . it was just to quick dry it, it was free bud. and i wanted to get baked before i went snowboarding


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## poplars (Oct 15, 2008)

yeah I tried the flood light trick and it made the buds taste like shit. I'm gonna just wait, old fashioned way.


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## Busmike (Oct 15, 2008)

*The only way you can tell for SURE what your speed drying method is worth is to try it on a few buds off your next harvest. Dry and cure the rest of it the old fashoned way and THEN compare the two.*

*I've done this. Speed curing ALWAYS looses.*

*Try it yourself... you'll see.*


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## drifter1978 (Oct 15, 2008)

slow is best,microwave sucks,you can do it in a bain-marie it is still not the best but it works better than the microwave and takes a hour or so.get a pot of water put it on the stove top and heat and get a plate that covers the whole top of the pot place your wet nuggets on plate and cover with another plate make sure it doesnt touch your nug abit like germinating your seeds but with a pot of hot water underneath and then turn them as needed to dry and be sure to check pot every now and then as you can boil all the water away and fuk your pot.


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## trader54321 (May 7, 2010)

silica is not to be consumed dont use it


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## uncalm (May 8, 2010)

how about putting some bud in a closed pvc tube and pulling a vacuum on it using a vacuum pump? This is used in HVAC to remove moisture from refrigerant systems. Anyone try this or have any theories?


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## Dopeless Hopefiend (May 8, 2010)

Personally, I've always been a big fan of the "Quick Bic" cure for a nug in a bowl.


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## corners (Sep 6, 2010)

drifter1978 said:


> slow is best,microwave sucks,you can do it in a bain-marie it is still not the best but it works better than the microwave and takes a hour or so.get a pot of water put it on the stove top and heat and get a plate that covers the whole top of the pot place your wet nuggets on plate and cover with another plate make sure it doesnt touch your nug abit like germinating your seeds but with a pot of hot water underneath and then turn them as needed to dry and be sure to check pot every now and then as you can boil all the water away and fuk your pot.[/QUOTtE]
> 
> Ahh, that's how you dry ketamine also.


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## rzza (Sep 6, 2010)

drifter1978 said:


> slow is best,microwave sucks,you can do it in a bain-marie it is still not the best but it works better than the microwave and takes a hour or so.get a pot of water put it on the stove top and heat and get a plate that covers the whole top of the pot place your wet nuggets on plate and cover with another plate make sure it doesnt touch your nug abit like germinating your seeds but with a pot of hot water underneath and then turn them as needed to dry and be sure to check pot every now and then as you can boil all the water away and fuk your pot.


damn its fricken working so well! ive done all the speed dry procedures available and they all suck ut this one is working so well. im shocked.


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## Bynk (Sep 7, 2010)

I'm still somewhat new to this, but I think most of you are confusing drying and curing as the same thing

You obviously can dry the herb quickly, but i can't imagine how to speed up the chemical changes involved in the curing process


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## probo24 (Sep 7, 2010)

I would never fast dry or water cure my weed.
That being said, i did submerge the buds from my last plant in water for 3-4 hours 
after i cut them. I had been fighting spider mites up until the day i harvested.
My thinking was, any bug still alive would be killed with a 4 hour water soak.
I did notice when i hung the buds to dry, they took one less day to dry.
I also didn't suffer any weight loss, or that water cured look or smell.
The buds have been curing for two weeks and for all intents look, smell, and feel
as if cut and hung to dry without first being soaked in water.
See for yourself


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## super2200 (Sep 7, 2010)

The best thing to do is grow more shit next time so you dont run out and start plucking shit before its done, lol as mentioned your not speeding up the chemical reactions you are just speed drying its better to just go buy a dam bag and stop running out, if you have to find a way to speed dry your green then your not growing enough.


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## 420God (Sep 7, 2010)

I heard it use to be done by stuffing buds into panty hose then throwing it into a clothes dryer. Almost hurts to say that.


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## probo24 (Sep 8, 2010)

super2200 said:


> The best thing to do is grow more shit next time so you dont run out and start plucking shit before its done, lol as mentioned your not speeding up the chemical reactions you are just speed drying its better to just go buy a dam bag and stop running out, if you have to find a way to speed dry your green then your not growing enough.


And when people finally figure this out, they tend to then let their plants grow to full maturity.


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## THT (Sep 8, 2010)

The best method for a quick dry, although none of them are better than a slow dry, is the steam dry method.

I did not invent this method, but I've tried it with success.


Dankmaster's Microwave Steam Method
A vast improvement in quick dry technology. It does a satisfactory job fairly quickly. Trichomes don&#8217;t burst and flavor while not great isn&#8217;t awful anymore -- which is all I can say for any of the previously mentioned methods. What the method does is use steam to dry out the weed.

Necessary items
*Tupperware container with lid.
*Buds fresh off the plant (cut into small pieces, don&#8217;t shred them &#8211; cut into nice little chunks).
*3-paper towels.
*Microwave with power setting options.
*Water.

First, take 1/4 piece of a paper towel and lay it on the bottom of the Tupperware container. Then put your cut up weed on the paper towel. Next, take two paper towels, fold them several times and get them wet. Wring out most of the water. You want the paper towels wet but not dripping. Now, you lay the paper towels over the top of the Tupperware making sure that you completely and evenly cover the top. Then take the lid and squeeze it almost all the way on. When I say almost I mean to get all sides and corners on tight except for one corner to allow the steam to exit. Now your ready to put your steam dryer in the microwave.

Set the microwave power to 40 or 50 %. I recommend 40% -- I tried it on full power the first few times and it didn&#8217;t work nearly as well. Now set it for a minute and let it go. Take it out and let the steam evaporate out and let sit for 15-20 seconds. If the bottom paper towel (the one that the buds are on) is wet change it. If the two paper towels you were using are dry make sure to re-wet and wring out and put back over top and put lid on in same way.

Now microwave at 40-50% for another minute and repeat process for typically 3-5 minutes. This is the best method if you need the herb in less than 20 minutes.


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## rzza (Sep 8, 2010)

super2200 said:


> The best thing to do is grow more shit next time so you dont run out and start plucking shit before its done, lol as mentioned your not speeding up the chemical reactions you are just speed drying its better to just go buy a dam bag and stop running out, if you have to find a way to speed dry your green then your not growing enough.


i agree totally.


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## canefan (Sep 9, 2010)

super2200 said:


> The best thing to do is grow more shit next time so you dont run out and start plucking shit before its done, lol as mentioned your not speeding up the chemical reactions you are just speed drying its better to just go buy a dam bag and stop running out, if you have to find a way to speed dry your green then your not growing enough.


Amen, I have never understood why someone would spend months of time, labor and love growing plants and then just trash their efforts. I just brought out this week a jar from December 26, 2009, first time it has been cracked in about 3 months. The smell is wonderful, the taste is rich and full, the burn is nice and even with little ash. As has been pointed out already the chemical reactions and processes are not complete in a matter of hours, hey the taste isn't complete for months. You might dry a bud in order to smoke it but it is a far cry from its potential quality. If you want the best smoke available take your time from start to finish, plan your grow to include a good cure time. I might take several grows in order to achieve this but in the end you will be greatly rewarded. Happy Growing


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## Massiv3 (Sep 9, 2010)

has anyone tried using dry ice to help pull moisture out?


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## Coreyhulick (Sep 9, 2010)

i was just reading about the dry ice curing and i dont think it will give you good quality smoke


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## corners (Oct 5, 2011)

probo24 said:


> I would never fast dry or water cure my weed.
> That being said, i did submerge the buds from my last plant in water for 3-4 hours
> after i cut them. I had been fighting spider mites up until the day i harvested.
> My thinking was, any bug still alive would be killed with a 4 hour water soak.
> ...


Its hard to drown small bugs like fleas and mites. Most of them have little hairs on their bodys that little bubbles of air stick too when submerged. They can in fact float till this bubble disappears.


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## RollMeOne420 (Oct 5, 2011)

well your method is new, never heard of drying this way but like how everyone else already stated it is good for drying only. It doesnt allow reactions to happen and give it the full strenght that herb was ment to actually have. But yes good for a quick hit but DONT DO THIS TO ALL YOUR HARVEST =)


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## oHsiN666 (Oct 5, 2011)

i used to have a heat lamp. about 75 watts. i place a small nug underneath it and wait about 2 hours. it is way better then the microwave method imo. the oven is better then the microwave.


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## SCT1984 (Oct 6, 2011)

I am new to growing, but I have certainly smoked cured and quick-dried weed. I say quick-dried because I can't say that I believe you can "quick-cure" ANYTHING... think about curing pork as an example, if you speed up the process with higher temps, etc you will just dry it out and the flavour disappears. 

I'm a wine lover too, but would rather relax with a nicely aged red than to mix grape juice and rubbing alcohol... sure you might get hammered drinking both in quantity, but why waste good grape juice for a much less enjoyable experience?? good things come to those who wait 

On that note though, is it crazy to suggest the microwaving your weed would essential break down / destroy THC molecules just as light does, but at a faster pace? At what temperature does THC start to break down?

EDIT: https://www.rollitup.org/harvesting-curing/76176-thc-breakdown-temp.html found this thread. 

So then what temperature does THC reach while being microwaved?? Wouldn't it release THC into the microwave just as a vapourizer would>?


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## PIPBoy2000 (Oct 6, 2011)

Cool thread link. I've never microwaved weed. I really don't like microwaving food either but I do it sometimes. I'd rather smoke green/hay/chlorophyll buds than stick them in the microwave. Rippers are usually the people interested in quick drying. They have all that fresh cut and need to smoke it now. Real smokers can wait. No offense you quick-dryers that aren't rippers.
Peace.
Oh and if I were to microwave, opening the door, putting your face in it and breathing deep sounds like a good idea.


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## 24/7City (Oct 6, 2011)

that microwave stuff is horrible! But when I I tryd it I thook a different approach . I put the microwave on it lowest level or u cud use defrost .even after 20 mins it is no where near dry but u can tell its slowly drying. U can smell the sweetness from the buds. I used the microwave for about 3-4 hours to start my drying process. Then I hung and dryd them for only 3 days
I cured them for a week and 4days. Sooooo 2week process. Very good smoke. U cud say midz. But I've had better way better from the same weed ( super Cali haze) that was dryd outside for a week and cured for two weeks.


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## 24/7City (Oct 6, 2011)

My opinion nuthen less than 3 weeks. 4 Weeks plus for best results.


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## SimonD (Oct 6, 2011)

Bynk said:


> I'm still somewhat new to this, but I think most of you are confusing drying and curing as the same thing
> 
> You obviously can dry the herb quickly, but i can't imagine how to speed up the chemical changes involved in the curing process


Excellent points.

Drying is one thing, curing is something completely different. This being said, it is possible to bring out product fairly quickly with the illusion of a cure, but several constraints have to be met:

1. The concept is strain-specific. We have to be working with very dense flower mass almost totally devoid of vegetative matter. 

2. A strain with a quickly-developed smell - like Afghan Kush as an example - is a must.

3. The moisture has to distributed evenly throughout the product. This takes a little times, especially when the products is very dense. A hygrometer inside the jar is really the only way to do this and know when it's good to go. 

FWIW, the absolute quickest I've been able to bring something out and have the product seem like it was cured is ~2 weeks after harvest.

Simon


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## Jogro (Oct 6, 2011)

A proper cure requires at least a couple of weeks of slow drying time to get the big molecules and starches in your plant to break down to yield the best flavor and mildest smoke. I really don't think there is any way around this. Increasing the temperature a little bit might make the cure go a little faster, but its still going to take weeks for a thorough cure. 

Its not exactly the same thing, but as an analogy, burley tobacco is typically air-cured in barns for eight weeks to get all the starches and pigments to break down. A flue or fire-cure can also be done, using heat to speed up the process, but these still usually take over a week. 

With week, you can do a water cure, where you basically use multiple changes of water to dissolve out out all water-soluble molecules, but this will still take a week, you'll end up with something that has no taste, and you still have to dry the stuff out at the end. 

If you just want "something" to smoke ASAP, then pretty much ANY fast-drying technique can get you there, so long as you are willing to accept poor flavor and potentially harsh smoke. Ways to do it?

-Food dehydrator. 
-Oven set on low temp. 
-Wrap herb loosely in aluminum foil and place on top of radiator, light bulb, other heat-generating appliance. 
-Sunlight. 
-Microwave, etc. 

Chemical dessicants would probably work, though I can't see a good reason to use them. (Might as well use low heat). I think a better option would be to substitute dry rice grains as a natural dessicant.


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## oHsiN666 (Oct 9, 2011)

i take it nobody has tried my "fast dry" method? just a little lamp, bout a 75w bulb, right now im using a small reptile light. put the bud on a plate, let it sit under the light. have the light bout 1.5inch above the plate. put the herbs on the plate. it wont be fast by any means, but IT WILL give you the closest effect to the high you would achieve if it was dry, not cured. i do this with all the little wispy lower buds. they are mostly just stigmatas and a few leafs, but i cut them off. i also have another GREAT method. i take a 4 quart cooking pot. i place a fork and a metal skewer on the pan. i take a little nug and bend the stem around the fork. the bud floats in the air and the heat form the pan evaporates the moisture in a bud. like i mentioned, i do this with smaller lower wispier buds. it gets me hella blazed. and veteran smoker who is hella picky and has a hard time achieving a good high because i have such a high tolerance. and i get blazed off this methods. oh, and guess what? it dont taste that bad, AT ALL!!


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