# Denser buds via drying/curing?



## tomato worm (Sep 26, 2009)

Im about to harvest again and Im concerned about having loose/airy buds.

I took a small sample of a popcorn bud about 2 weeks ago. Dried it for over a week, and it came out very, very undense and loose. I didnt do anything special, just laid it down on a shelf in the garage (where its generally really hot with no circulation)

Is there anything I can do during the chopping/drying/curing phases to increase the density of buds?

Thanks.


----------



## JASE (Sep 26, 2009)

...........bump............


----------



## imrickjames (Sep 26, 2009)

I usually dry in a dark cool room with circulating air for about a week, then straight to jars for curing. never had airy buds before.


----------



## Brick Top (Sep 26, 2009)

If you have dense dried and cured buds then you dried and cured dense buds. If you have fluffy dried and cured buds then you dried and cured fluffy buds. 
&#12288;
If you want to read about drying and curing .. and more .. follow the link below. 

http://www.a1b2c3.com/drugs/mj009.htm


----------



## tomato worm (Sep 26, 2009)

Brick Top said:


> If you have dense dried and cured buds then you dried and cured dense buds. If you have fluffy dried and cured buds then you dried and cured fluffy buds.
> &#12288;
> If you want to read about drying and curing .. and more .. follow the link below.
> 
> http://www.a1b2c3.com/drugs/mj009.htm


If I put blue paint on a canvas and let it dry it will be a blue picture.

If I put yellow paint on a canvas and let it dry it will be a yellow picture.

If I add some yellow to the blue paint right before it dries I will get a green picture.


----------



## Hoobashank (Sep 26, 2009)

what hes trying to say is that drying/curing will do nothing to make your buds more dense. your buds are what they are and dryind and curing will do nothing to change that. Loose buds are due to not enough lighting, not improper drying LOL.

the only suggestion i could make about making your buds denser is to compress them somehow maybe? That would make them more dense for sure haha.


----------



## tomato worm (Sep 26, 2009)

Hoobashank said:


> what hes trying to say is that drying/curing will do nothing to make your buds more dense. your buds are what they are and dryind and curing will do nothing to change that. Loose buds are due to not enough lighting, not improper drying LOL.
> 
> the only suggestion i could make about making your buds denser is to compress them somehow maybe? That would make them more dense for sure haha.


I know exactly what brick top was trying to say, a simple "no" from him would have sufficed.

I dont think light is an issue considering this is an outdoor grow with 100% full sunlight.

To me its logical to think that "drying" pretty much anything could definitely have an effect on the consistency of it.

What if you dried bud standing straight up, rather than upside down? Would that not make it less compact?


----------



## Brick Top (Sep 26, 2009)

> I know exactly what brick top was trying to say, a simple "no" from him would have sufficed.


&#12288;
&#12288;
&#12288;
I am sorry if my penchant for attempting to make things totally clear by utterly obscuring them with as much unnecessary verbiage as could possibly be used rubbed you the wrong way. 
&#12288;
I certainly would not have attempted to have intentionally rubbed you the wrong way but now that I think about it the odds were likely in favor that I would rub you the wrong way because since there are so many ways one could be rubbed and then there is only one right way I guess the only one that knows for sure how you most like to be rubbed would be you yourself. 
&#12288;
I am of course only talking about what types of emotional reactions might be brought on in regards to how things are said or worded or phrased and of course nothing more than that in any way. 
&#12288;
&#12288;
&#12288;


> What if you dried bud standing straight up, rather than upside down? Would that not make it less compact?


&#12288;
&#12288;
If it made a difference it should be marginal at most. There might be an ever so slight spreading of the upper edges of the outer new growth of buds &#8230; maybe. 
&#12288;
If you consider that the plants are genetically coded to grow against gravity and as they grow larger each new bit has to be strong enough to not flop but instead grow as upwards as its conditions will allow it is irrational to believe that same amount of strength to hold together would be lost during drying if hung opposite of normal. 
&#12288;
As they dry they will still retain most of the same shape that grew against gravity and as they grow drier there is less pulling down on them to spread them out. It is not as if the drying buds themselves would open up like an aging rose. Possibly where the buds connect to the stem/branch there may be some slight droop/spreading at first but that would not alter actual bud density, just bud location/position in relation to where it would otherwise have been had it been dried the other end down. 
&#12288;
I think if there would be a difference it would be negligible at most.


----------



## RachelRay (Sep 27, 2009)

dont listen to Prick Top. shes a tool ive read her posts. well ive read like the first sentence of most of them because theyre so boring and pointless, and half the time just copy n pasted from another site ha.

after you cut and trim the buds let them hang up or sit out like you did the first time, only do this for a couple days
then trim all the nuggets off all the larger stems so youve got no stems showing for the most part.
when the stems inside the buds still bend, and the buds feel slightly dry but still kind of sticky, put them in a paper bag and GENTLY push them together.
you wana be sure to check them for mold often but they should get more dense if you keep doing it over time. if they start drying too fast, use a plastic bag
they might lose some of thier sparkly crystalyness but they should be more compact. 
density and compactness are different IMO, theres really no way to get airy buds "more dense" but pressing them together a little like this can achieve the effect.


----------



## asdfva (Sep 27, 2009)

TW,

You didn't initially state that you were growing outdoors. 

Full sunlight makes no difference. What parallel you live in
does make a difference; Unless you are on the equator, now
is entirely TOO EARLY to harvest. You will continue to get airy
buds because the plant has not finished it's outdoor cycle. 

Get a farmers almanac and estimate the first frost in your
area, again if you are not on or near the equator, then you 
can expect to harvest within a +/- 3 week period of that
time. I've done to work for you as well... 

Provided you live in the US, go here and click on your state...
Then find the closest city to you, and it will give the first and
last frost dates. Try it out. 

I live on the 37th parallel and my specific frost date is around 10/15/09. 

If you live near the 37th parallel you can expect to wait another
three weeks before harvest. 

You asked a question, got a correct answer, and then dissed the
person for not answering it your way. I am expecting my answer
to not be what you wanted... but lucky for us all, these are the
facts. Outdoor plants are worlds apart from indoor plants. 

Curing and drying will never make early buds look like finished buds. 

Good luck.


----------



## RachelRay (Sep 27, 2009)

asdfva said:


> TW,
> 
> You didn't initially state that you were growing outdoors.
> 
> ...


ha full sunlight makes ALL the difference in outdoor growing. ESPECIALLY in regards to bud density, better light means bigger calyxes, fuller buds, and bigger plants in general.


----------



## Brick Top (Sep 27, 2009)

RachelRay said:


> dont listen to Prick Top. shes a tool ive read her posts. well ive read like the first sentence of most of them because theyre so boring and pointless, and half the time just copy n pasted from another site ha.
> 
> after you cut and trim the buds let them hang up or sit out like you did the first time, only do this for a couple days
> then trim all the nuggets off all the larger stems so youve got no stems showing for the most part.
> ...


The guy is right .. for Gods sake do not listen to any advice I give. Mine might just happen to contain expert advice and heaven only knows you would never want to know that when instead you can take the opinions and misperceptions and half-accuracys and misinformation and myth and urban legend and old hippie folklore from people who in some cases have not grown for as many years as I have grown in decades. 
 
*Marijuana*

*Manicuring, Drying, And Curing Marijuana*



*Right after all* the plants have been harvested, it is time to manicure them. Manicuring is simply cutting off the leaves that were growing from the buds. 

Cut off all the leaves surrounding the bud, so that just the bud remains. 
Work over a glass table or some kind of smooth flat surface. This will make it easy to collect all the material that has been cut away from the buds. It is lower in THC than the buds, but rather than throw it away, you can use it to make hash oil.

When manicuring the buds, use a pair of scissors with small blades (to reach hard to get leaves) that is comfortable on your hands. If you have a small crop, you can handle the plants with you bare hands. With a large crop, wear powder free latex gloves.

*The latex gloves* will collect trichome resin in a similar manner to the way live marijuana plants are rubbed to make hashish. The latex gloves have to be powder free or the powder will get mixed into the resin.

Do not touch anything other than the plants once you have put the gloves on. If you have to do something, remove the gloves you are wearing and put them in a plastic bag, prior to doing whatever it is that has to be done. 
When finished, put on a pair of new gloves. 

Material on the first pair can be collected later. When you are finished manicuring all the plants, remove the gloves and place them in a plastic bag (to catch resin that drops off).

*Put the plastic* bag with the gloves in a freezer for 2-3 hours. The trichome resin can easily be peeled from the frozen latex gloves and consumed the same way you would use hashish.

If absolutely necessary, you can wait to manicure the buds. However, the job will take more time if you wait.

Manicuring right after the plants are harvested will also speed the drying process.

Instead smoking marijuana directly after it is harvested and manicured, it is best to dry and cure it. 

Some new growers might be in such a rush to try the marijuana that they don't want to dry the crop, or they might be tempted to put buds in a microwave oven to dry them out. 


*Drying Marijuana After Harvest*

You probably don't want to smoke marijuana that is harsh and bad tasting. 

If you do not take time to dry the bud, you will not get the best possible smell and taste your crop is capable of producing.

Proper drying and curing will also ensure maximum potency of the marijuana you have grown. 

Marijuana is not potent just after harvest. Some of the THC is in a non-psychoactive acidic form. 

Drying marijuana the right way will convert the non-psychoactive acidic compounds into psychoactive THC. 


The area where the drying is done should be dark. 

Light and high temperatures (higher than about 80 degrees) will cause THC to break down into less desirable chemicals, this will lower the potency of the finished product.

*A good way* to dry the crop is to hang the buds upside-down by the stem, from some string or wire. 

The drying marijuana must have some circulation blowing over it at all times. A gentle breeze that circulates over all the plants is necessary.

A fan or two will circulate air within the drying room. Fans will aid in drying the plants evenly, and reducing the chances of mold. 

If mold starts and is allowed to grow, it might ruin all of your crop. Mold looks like white fuzz and has an odor that is unpleasant. 

You will have to keep the temperature and humidity within a certain range for optimal results. 

Conditions should remain constantly somewhere within the following ranges, temperature should be between 65-75 degrees F, relative humidity should be between 45%-55%.

*At temperatures lower* than 65 degrees, drying time will be lengthened. 

At temperatures higher than 75 degrees, the heat will cause the outer portion of the bud to dry quicker than the inner part, and the taste will suffer. 

At humidity levels lower than 45%, the marijuana will dry too fast and the taste will suffer. 

At humidity levels higher than 55%, the marijuana will take a long time to dry, and it will be prone to mold. 

Keep a hygrometer and a thermometer in the drying area, close to the plants. A hygrometer will allow you to keep an eye on the relative humidity level in the room and a thermometer will display the temperature. 

Some hygrometers




 have built in thermometers so you can measure the temperature and humidity together. 

*Depending on the* time of year and your location, a heater or an air conditioner may be necessary to adjust the temperature. 

To control humidity, a dehumidifier can lower humidity and a humidifier can be used to raise humidity. There are warm mist humidifiers and cool mist humidifiers. 

A warm mist humidifier will raise the temperature while a cool mist humidifier will not affect the temperature. There are also humidifiers that allow you to switch between warm or cool mist. 

If you are going to purchase a humidifier for this purpose, take your climate into consideration and buy an appropriate humidifier. 

Warm mist models will actually heat the water and release warm humidity. Cool mist water isn't cooled, it just means that water is not heated. In most cases a cool mist will work best. To be safe you can get a humidifier that lets you switch between warm and cool mist. 


*Curing Marijuana*

It will take at least a week or two to dry the crop with temperatures between 65-75 degrees F and relative humidity between 45%-55%. 

You will know when the marijuana is dry if the stems snap or break (rather than fold) when they are bent. Try smoking a small bud (1/2 gram or less) in a joint to be sure it is dry enough. 

At this time, small buds will be dry enough to smoke. But larger buds should be cured (slow dried) to ensure that the marijuana is as potent and tasty as possible. 

If necessary, you can set aside buds that are less than 1/2 gram for smoking, while larger buds cure. 

The cure lasts a week or two. The aim of what you are doing is evenly finishing the slow dry process, so that mold will not grow when the buds are stored long term. 

Also, by the end of the cure, any remaining inactive THC will be converted to active THC (that increases potency). 

*To cure the crop*, you will need one or more containers made out of glass or plastic. 

Some people say plastic can impart a taste to the marijuana. Personally, plastic containers that some types of roll your own tobacco are sold in, have no negative effect on the taste. 

Containers that have a rubber seal work best, but any type of container with a tight fitting lid will do. 

One quart canning jars do a very good job if you are curing a few pounds or less. They have a rubber seal and hold 2 or more ounces of marijuana per one quart jar.

When curing quantities in excess of a few pounds, large (over 40 quarts) plastic storage boxes




 are recommended. They are not air tight, but will do the job when smaller air tight containers are not practical.

*Gently place your* marijuana in the containers (cut buds to size if the are too big to fit in the container) and put the top on. 

Store the containers in a dark area where the temperature is between 50-65 degrees and the humidity is between 40%-60%.

You will have to open the containers for a few minutes to allow moisture to escape by fanning with your hand. 

If any moisture builds up on the inside of the cap on your container, wipe it off. Do this preferably 2-6 times daily, at regular 4-12 hour intervals.

You should also re-arrange the buds by giving them a quarter-turn once a day. This will ensure that different parts of the buds are exposed to the air in the container. 

Keep up this routine for 7-10 days. When properly dried, marijuana will burn evenly when smoked in a joint (if stems are removed). 

*The taste will* be as good as it can be, and the THC will have reached a point where it is ready to be ingested or stored. 

You can keep any marijuana that will be consumed within a few months (1 year maximum) in the same containers used for curing, without having to keep opening them to release moisture. 

If the marijuana is to be stored for more than a few months, you can use a vacuum sealer (designed for storing food) to seal the marijuana in an airtight environment. 

If stored in a dark area that is between 40-55 degrees F, the marijuana in vacuum sealed plastic will remain potent for up to 5 years.

Dry marijuana can be stored in a frost-free freezer, but some of the THC on the outer part of the buds may be damaged when frozen. 

A refrigerator is in the right temperature range but they tend to be humid (unless you can control the humidity).

*If stored in* an area of high humidity for months or years, even vacuum sealed marijuana can eventually become as humid as the surrounding air. This will necessitate drying it again before smoking. 

But, unless mold develops, humidity itself will not degrade the THC or make the marijuana any less potent. 
Light will degrade some of the THC, so dark containers can be used for storage. 

If you place the marijuana in a see through container, it will have to be located in a dark area that is not exposed to light or high temperatures. 

Always make sure to properly dry your marijuana prior to storage, if you grow your own or if the stuff you have is very moist. 

And remember that to preserve marijuana potency at a maximum level, keep any exposure to air, heat, and light at a minimum.


----------



## RichED (Sep 27, 2009)

no you should pay attention to the brick one of the most knowledgable here not always sugar coated i always read his post he delivers 

but what type of plant are we talking about i just choped some kali mist my first sativas and buds were very fluffy i was disapointed at first harvest but on drying was still good puffs seems sativas can sometimes be fluffy but still smoke excellent i learned something from that 

sativa bud totally diff from indacas tight hard budding 

fluffy bud dont dry quite as long easy to over dry 

im gardening since this year but learning and reading everythin out there

good luck my brother


----------



## RachelRay (Sep 27, 2009)

ha you seriously cant paraphrase all that crap you just copy n pasted?


----------



## haze2 (Sep 27, 2009)

Yo Brick top doesnt just flap his mouth about this shit, you guys need to have a little more respect for the Man. I used this technique after reading the thread way back and my first harvest came out insanely tasty and stanky. Actually, dont listen to him you wouldnt want insanely good dank nugs. +rep Brick


----------



## tinyTURTLE (Sep 27, 2009)

whats funny is whenever i read a post by bricktop, in my head it's the voice of the guy in the movie, it makes me laugh.


----------



## tomato worm (Sep 28, 2009)

Sorry for not disclosing that this was outdoor. Its a really early strain, been flowering for about 9 weeks. More than 1/2 of the trics are amber. If anything Im a few days late.

I was not trying to "dis" anyone, brick top posts are always worth the read. I was merely poking fun a bit at him for exorbitantly elaborating his exorbitant elaborations.
The last thing I want to do is sound unappreciative for peoples help.

Thank you all for the feedback.


----------



## haze2 (Sep 28, 2009)

Much respect tomato worm!!


----------



## tomato worm (Oct 2, 2009)

Right back at ya haze2.

Okay so I took a latex free glove and gently squeezed each bud a little bit (as they were drying) once each day for the last 4 days. They puffed back out a little each day, but not all the way.

*IT HELPED ALOT!!!*

Volume looks way down but they look like normal nugs now.


----------



## dababydroman (Oct 2, 2009)

airy buds are annoying arent they, u could vacuum seal them and let them cure that way.


----------



## Dr. VonDank (Oct 2, 2009)

You can spend all day polishing a turd but in the end its still a pile of shit... Grow loose and fluffy buds and they will dry loose and fluffy----Grow dense nugs and they will dry dense...


----------



## RichED (Oct 2, 2009)

mostly sativas make fluffy buds


----------



## asdfva (Oct 3, 2009)

RachelRay said:


> ha full sunlight makes ALL the difference in outdoor growing. ESPECIALLY in regards to bud density, better light means bigger calyxes, fuller buds, and bigger plants in general.


^^You reiterate what you've read on here very well. 

But in the real world, full sunlight or not, your outdoor plants 
will not be finished until 3+/- months around your latitude's 
first frost... ending the season. 

You cannot apply the 'days to harvest' rule for outdoor plants. 
That's an indoor association only. 
_*EDIT:* You can apply this rule if you live on or near the equator._


Outdoor harvest times are seasonal. 

Your strain might be outdoors for 60-70 days, the time estimated 
for that strain indoors on a 600w hps, but if it isn't close to first 
frost... your plants will *not be ready* and they *will be 
light and fluffy*.

The only way to circumvent this issue would be to cover your 
outdoor crop, simulate darkness, 12 hours a day to simulate the 
cusp of the season. Only then would your 'days till harvest' 
estimate apply. 

It's not rocket science.

Good luck.


----------



## BigBudBalls (Oct 3, 2009)

tomato worm said:


> If I put blue paint on a canvas and let it dry it will be a blue picture.
> 
> If I put yellow paint on a canvas and let it dry it will be a yellow picture.
> 
> If I add some yellow to the blue paint right before it dries I will get a green picture.



Then just paint dense buds 

Sorry, couldn't resist.

Don't sweat fluffy buds. Some of my best smoke was fluffy.

(ok, its not the best for sale, but we *don't* sell, do we? read the terms of the forum)

Plus airy buds dry more evenly and less likely to mold up.


----------



## tomato worm (Oct 4, 2009)

BigBudBalls said:


> Then just paint dense buds
> 
> Sorry, couldn't resist.
> 
> ...


In essence, you are right. I didnt paint dense buds cause I harvested too early. 

Still very decent smoke tho.

I dont plan to sell, selling/buying weed is the main reason I decided to grow, I hate the whole thing.

Dense buds are good for... bragging rights in a circle of friends, which Im sure most people here can understand/relate to. 



asdfva said:


> ^^You reiterate what you've read on here very well.
> 
> But in the real world, full sunlight or not, your outdoor plants
> will not be finished until 3+/- months around your latitude's
> ...


I think you are totally right asdfva.

I harvested this plant early because of amber trichomes. I checked and triple checked, and more and more of them were turning amber. My gut told me the plant wasnt ready yet but the amber trichs scared me so I chopped.

I think that in this case "early finishing" was a curse rather than a blessing.

Never again will I go primarily by a microscope, especially for outdoor. It cant be the "say all" method for determining readiness, just like anything else. Maybe this strain was just meant to have more amber trichs.

I have other outdoor plants that I know are still not ready. Frost is a LONG way off in my area. (if it even frosts at all lol)

Thank you all for the great feedback.


----------



## darkdestruction420 (Oct 4, 2009)

water curing will do what you want to do.


----------



## dababydroman (Oct 4, 2009)

thats a prime example for the argument on wether to use a microscope or to just cut when it really looks done. next time go with ur gut!


----------



## Brentman420 (Oct 4, 2009)

Ive got the same problem with loose airy buds on my plant..but my frost date was 3 weeks ago and these dont look ready...there outdoor in a half gerenhouse...not fully covered.. gonna try to wait but the weather is scarin me


----------



## dababydroman (Oct 5, 2009)

maybe it jsut goes back to genetics?


----------



## tomato worm (Oct 5, 2009)

dababydroman said:


> thats a prime example for the argument on wether to use a microscope or to just cut when it really looks done. next time go with ur gut!


NO DOUBT. Lesson learned.


Brentman420 said:


> Ive got the same problem with loose airy buds on my plant..but my frost date was 3 weeks ago and these dont look ready...there outdoor in a half gerenhouse...not fully covered.. gonna try to wait but the weather is scarin me


Guess you have to take it one day at a time and cross your fingers. Good luck.


dababydroman said:


> maybe it jsut goes back to genetics?


Yes, Im sure thats part of it as well. This was a freebee dynafem from attitude, prolly not the best genetics in the world.

As long as one learns from a mistake, the less of a mistake it becomes.


----------



## asdfva (Oct 8, 2009)

Brentman420 said:


> Ive got the same problem with loose airy buds on my plant..but my frost date was 3 weeks ago and these dont look ready...there outdoor in a half gerenhouse...not fully covered.. gonna try to wait but the weather is scarin me


Through a tarp over the parts of the green
house that are exposed. This will aid against
the frost during the night.

Did you start these plants outside or inside?

Depending on the strain... if you didn't get 
your plants out in the sun by July... you started
too late. "Knee high by the forth of July," or so 
the saying goes. If you started too late in the
season, you will totally get smaller and possibly 
light and airy buds. 

Outdoor and Indoor growing are not the same. 
Very different growing methods. 

You can mix the two... but you should know how
to grow both ways first. Then it all comes together. 

Good luck.


----------



## Blackvalor (Jul 24, 2014)

cassinfo said:


> ,..,.............WTF is this dumbass rambling on about? Psshh...time to put my back hand to some use!!


----------



## Deusracing (Jul 24, 2014)

BigBudBalls said:


> Then just paint dense buds
> 
> Sorry, couldn't resist.
> 
> ...


White widow my buddy grows is fluffy mine is just plain Beautiful...


----------



## NyQuilkush318 (Aug 13, 2014)

RachelRay said:


> dont listen to Prick Top. shes a tool ive read her posts. well ive read like the first sentence of most of them because theyre so boring and pointless, and half the time just copy n pasted from another site ha.
> 
> after you cut and trim the buds let them hang up or sit out like you did the first time, only do this for a couple days
> then trim all the nuggets off all the larger stems so youve got no stems showing for the most part.
> ...


How long to leve in Brown paper bag


----------

