# roughly how long does drying take?



## ben2k9 (May 11, 2009)




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## Dirtyboy (May 11, 2009)

7 days to 6 days


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## Brick Top (May 11, 2009)

Doesn't anyone use the search function here to see if their question has already been answered about a ZILLION times already?



*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.


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## jjf1978 (May 11, 2009)

Brick Top said:


> Doesn't anyone use the search function here to see if their question has already been answered about a ZILLION times already?


Sure we do at times, it's just easier to post a question because we know some pompous angry guy is gonna complain about how it already exists and possibly how stuipd you are for posting a question like that, but he'll go ahead and post it FOR you to prove he's right. Win win situation, the angry pompous guy feels better about himself because he feels he proved someone else is stupider then him and we get our question answered!


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## nitroman (May 11, 2009)

jjf1978 said:


> Sure we do at times, it's just easier to post a question because we know some pompous angry guy is gonna complain about how it already exists and possibly how stuipd you are for posting a question like that, but he'll go ahead and post it FOR you to prove he's right. Win win situation, the angry pompous guy feels better about himself because he feels he proved someone else is stupider then him and we get our question answered!


lmmfao 1978 now thats my kinda thinking rotflmmfao


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## jjf1978 (May 11, 2009)

nitroman said:


> lmmfao 1978 now thats my kinda thinking rotflmmfao


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## kingc (May 16, 2009)

lol good one


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## duguP (Sep 16, 2009)

whoa whoa...Brick has like 40 years of experience in the field. You should thank him for answering your question, instead of insulting him because he called out your laziness.


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## jjf1978 (Sep 16, 2009)

duguP said:


> whoa whoa...Brick has like 40 years of experience in the field. You should thank him for answering your question, instead of insulting him because he called out your laziness.


Well the way I see it is like this. It's a persons right to be lazy if they want to be and if he can call someone out for being lazy then can I not call him out for being rude?  It's also a persons right to be rude but if you are gonna start calling out peoples flaws, they're gonna call out yours.


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## olishell (Sep 16, 2009)

I think I posted something similar to one of Brick Top's responses.I have to tell you though,he's right.He knows his stuff.I've grown rather fond of him.And he's not rude,just...to the point.


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## Puffster (Sep 17, 2009)

well just because ur knowledgable doesnt give u the right to be rude.brick is definetly one of if not the most knowledgable peeps on riu,however he lacks any manners what-so-ever.personally id like to give him a lil bullet tooth tony!


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## Iamsnap (Jul 14, 2018)

jjf1978 said:


> Sure we do at times, it's just easier to post a question because we know some pompous angry guy is gonna complain about how it already exists and possibly how stuipd you are for posting a question like that, but he'll go ahead and post it FOR you to prove he's right. Win win situation, the angry pompous guy feels better about himself because he feels he proved someone else is stupider then him and we get our question answered!


Man i felt what u wrote..and its like that EVERY time i post a question.. Its like everyone on here is bob marleys 3rd cousin, and "youre an idiot" for asking, "and your plants are shit" , honestly its like pot turned these peoples brains into know it all overdrive


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## Psuedo (Jul 14, 2018)

Iamsnap said:


> Man i felt what u wrote..and its like that EVERY time i post a question.. Its like everyone on here is bob marleys 3rd cousin, and "youre an idiot" for asking, "and your plants are shit" , honestly its like pot turned these peoples brains into know it all overdrive


While I agree with you people are asshats you brought back a topic from 2009 to respond to a guy that hasn't been here since 2014...


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## Iamsnap (Jul 14, 2018)

Psuedo said:


> While I agree with you people are asshats you brought back a topic from 2009 to respond to a guy that hasn't been here since 2014...


Hahaha.. farout people just dont change then lol


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## LinguaPeel (Jul 21, 2018)

I dry every jar of every cut from every garden the same no matter where I'm growing, have been for 20 years. Dont questions my 20 years of hermetically isolated ignorance!

Every "tip" offered on this site should be replaced with "it depends" because it's literally all subjective. Resin heavy weed doesn't dry the same as hydroponic air bud. 2 strains never the same. 2 feeds never the same. 2 composts never the same. Doesnt dry the same in the winter. Doesnt dry same in the swamp as the desert.

2 days vs 3 weeks. Pretty big spread? Anyone giving a set number is imaginary growing,or works for a factory pumping out garbage.


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