# Dense buds while alive, fluffy after harvest



## QueefCollins (Apr 5, 2010)

I recently chopped my two plants after ~10 weeks in flowering. Trichomes are ~99% cloudy because I wanted the psychedelic buzz with little/no heavy stone.

The thread title explains my issue, so my question is: will they harden up once they've settled during drying/curing?

I'm going to hang-dry them for 3-5 days, then put them in a paper bag to dry for another 3-5 days, then into a mason jar to cure for X amount of days.

When I put them in the bag and then into the jar I will turn them daily to ensure even settling. Will this make them re-condense?

Any useful input is appreciated!


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## CLOSETGROWTH (Apr 5, 2010)

bud has 75% water in it before you dry em... after the water has evaporated, the bud will get hard and dense again...

dont forget to cure it afterwards.


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## WeEdDeMoN (Apr 5, 2010)

i hang mine for 5-7 day with a fan and they tighten back up


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## voodoofx (Apr 5, 2010)

If you want a sativa type high that is what you should grow, duh!


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## Ledhed (Apr 5, 2010)

Why hang dry, then bag them? Paper bags themselves absorb a ton of moisture, that is the main reason for using them. It helps to speed up the actual hang drying time for those with little patience, or those in a more humid climate. Just my opinion, but hanging to dry, then bagging them would result in overdrying before the actual cure. Just my opinion here, do what you think is best


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## MayoMaster (Apr 5, 2010)

QueefCollins said:


> I recently chopped my two plants after ~10 weeks in flowering. Trichomes are ~99% cloudy because I wanted the psychedelic buzz with little/no heavy stone.
> 
> The thread title explains my issue, so my question is: will they harden up once they've settled during drying/curing?
> 
> ...


Here's a nice little tip to get denser buds:
When you cut the buds, and you can do this anytime all the way until they are fully dry, put them in a plastic bag and smooth the edges and condense them to the size you would like. Whatever you form them into, then dry, they will stay like that. That's how dealers get that awesome smooth nug look. Or just super long cures.


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## QueefCollins (Apr 5, 2010)

Voodoo, by your logic I could grow indica and harvest it early to make it like sativa, and grow sativa and harvest it late to make it like indica. According to Cannaversity, harvesting when trichomes are all cloudy results in the high being solely attributed to the strain and not to a mixture of cloudy/amber.

Ledhed, I just assumed the paper bag would be a transition from full exposure to air to a closed environment they would get during the mason jar. This is my first grow/harvest so I'm not speaking from personal experience. Would you recommend going straight from hanging into the mason?

Mayo, that would be one possibility. However I do plan to cure for at least 5 weeks while turning the buds daily for even distribution of settling. We'll see!

All I know for sure is that I got uber-lucky with this grow. 2 out of 3 plants (from bagseed) turned out female and made beautiful, smelly buds...._almost _reminiscent of cheesy feet but in a GOOD way. You guys know what I mean. The bag of smoke I got the seeds from was killer so I can only assume it has good genetics, plus mine is sensi so it's already better.


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## DoeEyed (Apr 5, 2010)

Sounds like you grew a Sativa dominant plant. Needed to flower longer, and they require tons of light. I noticed the same thing with my Train Wreck plants. the buds looked huge - and then they dried, down to barely an O off each plant. The density just wasn't there. Nothing you can really do about it, short of giving them more light for a longer period.


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## voodoofx (Apr 5, 2010)

Your english comprehension is not very good. Is it your second language?I wrote that if you want a sativa high you should grow a sativa.


QueefCollins said:


> Voodoo, by your logic I could grow indica and harvest it early to make it like sativa, and grow sativa and harvest it late to make it like indica. According to Cannaversity, harvesting when trichomes are all cloudy results in the high being solely attributed to the strain and not to a mixture of cloudy/amber.
> 
> Ledhed, I just assumed the paper bag would be a transition from full exposure to air to a closed environment they would get during the mason jar. This is my first grow/harvest so I'm not speaking from personal experience. Would you recommend going straight from hanging into the mason?
> 
> ...


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## mookie brown (Apr 5, 2010)

MayoMaster said:


> Here's a nice little tip to get denser buds:
> When you cut the buds, and you can do this anytime all the way until they are fully dry, put them in a plastic bag and smooth the edges and condense them to the size you would like. Whatever you form them into, then dry, they will stay like that. That's how dealers get that awesome smooth nug look. Or just super long cures.


I think this is piss poor advice. If you were to put wet sticky fresh cut buds inside a plastic bag you are going to damage trichs & lose a lot of them by sticking to the bag. Piss poor advice !!

Hang buds to dry & when they are ready to be jarred just put in jars. They'll take shape in the jars & become dense.

What I do before I jar, is put my buds in a brown paper bag & give it a slight shake for a few minutes. Let the buds tumble in the brown paper bag. You'll be surprised at how they take shape. Only do it after they have dried & are ready to be jarred. It's not necessary but that's what I do !!


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## probo24 (Apr 5, 2010)

mookie brown said:


> I think this is piss poor advice. If you were to put wet sticky fresh cut buds inside a plastic bag you are going to damage trichs & lose a lot of them by sticking to the bag. Piss poor advice !!
> 
> Hang buds to dry & when they are ready to be jarred just put in jars. They'll take shape in the jars & become dense.
> 
> What I do before I jar, is put my buds in a brown paper bag & give it a slight shake for a few minutes. Let the buds tumble in the brown paper bag. You'll be surprised at how they take shape. Only do it after they have dried & are ready to be jarred. It's not necessary but that's what I do !!


Thats what you want to do to keep the trichomes on the buds,
put them in a bag and shake it.
I was with you up until that point. 
That my friend, is more piss poor advice.


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## CyberSecks (Apr 5, 2010)

yup easy fix keep drying and let us know how it ends up


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## mookie brown (Apr 5, 2010)

probo24 said:


> Thats what you want to do to keep the trichomes on the buds,
> put them in a bag and shake it.
> I was with you up until that point.
> That my friend, is more piss poor advice.



So you're saying to cut buds off plant & stick them straight into bags right after you cut them to save trichomes ? Hmmmm


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## migenetics (Apr 5, 2010)

mookie brown said:


> So you're saying to cut buds off plant & stick them straight into bags right after you cut them to save trichomes ? Hmmmm


No I think he's saying that your shaking method is gonna lose you a lot of the trichs just like forming them in a bag. Just grow an indica if you want blocky , dense nuggets.


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## Ledhed (Apr 5, 2010)

I never shake my buds, good way to lose trichs. I only use paper bags if I harvest during the more humid summer months because your typical brown paper shopping bag sucks moisure out quite easily. My personal preferred method is the old tried and true hanging, or on wire racks, for a few days, then directly into glass jars for the actual cure. There are a lot of different methods, and everyone has their own preferences, but to me, a few days of exposure to air, then in jars, works the best. I've never put a fan on my bud after harvesting, don't really get that. Maybe because after months of growing and TLC, I see no need to try to rush the most important part of obtaining quality smoke. I have used paper bags, but again, only in summer when the humidity in my region is extremely high. All this talk of shaking and "shaping" buds, to me, is ridiculous.


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## QueefCollins (Apr 5, 2010)

Voodoo, it is you, my friend, that must not have a strong comprehension of the English language. My sentences are coherent and well-structured, while yours are obviously not since I apparently misunderstood what you said. The reasons I didn't just "grow a sativa to get a sativa high" are many, but it's not worth my time to explain them.

I can't believe some people suggested putting my buds in a bag and shaking it. Saying retarded things will make people think you're retarded!

I came home today and they were crispier than I anticipated, so I put them in the only container with a lid that I have on hand. It's a tupperware box that I lined with aluminum foil. I put it in the fridge to slow the water loss and keep it cool, as it's been in the 80's here recently.


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## Ledhed (Apr 5, 2010)

Get it out of the tupperware, that only creates humidity, ESPECIALLY if you have it in the fridge. Get rid of the foil too, no need and no use for that whatsoever. Surely you have an old mayo or pickle jar, some sort of glass container that can be cleaned good and used. Anything but tupperware. You're almost asking for mold in that, especially in a refrigerator. 
Gotta say something to the person who suggested plastic bags to "shape" buds too. WTF, worst advice ever. NEVER put wet bud into plastic bags. It makes me wonder if people understand the concepts of condensation, moisture loss, and moisture retention. Read more, learn more, and please do not pass on bad advice.


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## Bobby Buffont (Apr 5, 2010)

drying marijuana:: for optimal results, dry buds by hanging upside down temp a steady 65-70 degrees F humidity NO MORE THAN 20% . fan is good to use but DO NOT put on the buds. ONLY AFTER the stem snaps and not bends.. is it ready to be cured. youll feel the bud and think its crisp.. but if the stem bends.. it needs to dry out more. when that occurs you put in airtight jars opening every half hour. for a week. or til chosen internal moisture level has reached your liking the longer you cure the better the bud.. i know a pot snob that wont smoke dope if its not at least 3 months old!!


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## DoeEyed (Apr 6, 2010)

Who opens their jars every half hour? I open mine once or twice a day, for about ten minutes.


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## ogkush420 (Apr 6, 2010)

wow guys lol this thread is funny all buds feel hard on the plant (when Mature) the calyx's swell up with resin an water the best most simple advice is of course when u cut it its gonna lose that its no longer alive and the bud is not actually that big its filled with water and if u did it right maybe a little sugar the best way is to hang upside down after u trim of course from 3 to 7 days just depending on how much water it absorbs the stem should make a snap sound when dry not break off just snapp then throw it in a jar for 2 to 4 weeks its all ur prefrence on smell and taste the buds will shrink up and if the strain calls for tight buds they will be tight (if mature before harvest) i more of a fan of light buds call me crazy but if ur growin for personal always has the best high and never i mean never put sticky or wet buds in a plastic bag it will mold,change the color the smell is horrible the stickyness is resin it needs to cure the longer the cure the better high and taste and the slower the dry the better the high remeber that saying my friend


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## probo24 (Apr 6, 2010)

mookie brown said:


> So you're saying to cut buds off plant & stick them straight into bags right after you cut them to save trichomes ? Hmmmm


No, that's not what i'm saying.

What i said was telling someone not to do something
that will damage trichomes, and then to give advice
like put dried buds in a bag and shake it
for a few minutes will do the exact same thing. Aka damage the trichomes.
My advice would be to have plenty of light, and the correct growing conditions,
grow the plants until they're mature.
Harvest, trim, or dry then trim, then cure. Taking care not to handle 
buds too much as to not lose the valuable trichomes.
Buds grow dense when they're grown under the correct
conditions, and allowed to fully mature. Not because you shake them 
in a paperbag.


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## QueefCollins (Apr 7, 2010)

Thanks Ledhed. I asked for helpful advice and that's what I got from you.

The tupperware was only a temporary storage place and by no means will I keep them in there. I took all my glass to the recycling last week (not thinking ahead that I would need it) so I just need to make spaghetti tonight so I can use that glass.


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## PeaceLuvPot (Apr 7, 2010)

QueefCollins said:


> Thanks Ledhed. I asked for helpful advice and that's what I got from you.
> 
> The tupperware was only a temporary storage place and by no means will I keep them in there. I took all my glass to the recycling last week (not thinking ahead that I would need it) so I just need to make spaghetti tonight so I can use that glass.


Thats no good. If you are making spaghetti and not making the sauce, how on earth can we trust you to cure your buds correctly? 

Sorry, I am Italian, had to say it.


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## Mr.EyezLayLow (Apr 7, 2010)

mookie brown said:


> What I do before I jar, is put my buds in a brown paper bag & give it a slight shake for a few minutes. Let the buds tumble in the brown paper bag.
> 
> 
> Thats sounds stupid!!! Woudlnt you be breaking off trichs by doing that?? you just said to that guy how that is piss poor advice and then you go and say that....to me shaking the buds in a bag sounds even more like piss poor advice.


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## QueefCollins (Apr 7, 2010)

Here's a novel idea: 

We all know chlorophyll in tree leaves (oak, maple, etc.) breaks down in the fall due to lower temperatures, which allows the other colored pigments in the leaves to reveal themselves (red, yellow, and orange). If one of the main purposes of the curing stage is to allow for the breakdown of chlorophyll, wouldn't putting the curing buds in the fridge help the chlorophyll break down faster? Me thinks yes.


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## JQuick (Feb 15, 2011)

Ledhed said:


> I never shake my buds, good way to lose trichs. I only use paper bags if I harvest during the more humid summer months because your typical brown paper shopping bag sucks moisure out quite easily. My personal preferred method is the old tried and true hanging, or on wire racks, for a few days, then directly into glass jars for the actual cure. There are a lot of different methods, and everyone has their own preferences, but to me, a few days of exposure to air, then in jars, works the best. I've never put a fan on my bud after harvesting, don't really get that. Maybe because after months of growing and TLC, I see no need to try to rush the most important part of obtaining quality smoke. I have used paper bags, but again, only in summer when the humidity in my region is extremely high. All this talk of shaking and "shaping" buds, to me, is ridiculous.


best avatar on this site ever lol


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## Chillinville GeNeTiX 24 (Sep 9, 2021)

It's amazing that the makers of the site can look through it ,and delete stuff that they dont feel is appropriate.. OK WELL someone needs to tell them that they need to look out for stupidity and deleted all the nonsense.. (LIKE IF U WANT DENSE BUDS PUT THE FRESH WET BUDS IN A BAG AND SHAPE EM TO YOUR LIKING FOR THE(SMOOTH BUD LOOK) LOLOLOL LOL WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON IN THIS WORLD. my goodness but anyways the problem lies with all this bad information. Theres lots of new growers that come to this site for help and what I wrote above is the advice being giving lololol. Like I said, I think rollitup need to scan for stupidity. Peace out and good luck growing!! REMEMBER KIDS. IF U WANT BUDS TO LOOK HOW THERE SUPPOSED TO THEN LET THEM GO THE DESIRED TIME AND YOU WILL HAVE DISPENSARY TYPE NUGGET. PLEASE DO NOT USE YOUR PLANT THAT UH WORKED HARD ON GROWING AND SHAPE THE BUDS IN A BAG OR SHAKE THE BUDS IN BAGS LOL READ A BOOK. DONT TAKE ADVICE FROM NEW GROWERS TRYING TO PROVE THERE MASTER GROWERS TO EVERYONE.. HAPPY GROWING


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## Rurumo (Sep 9, 2021)

Chillinville GeNeTiX 24 said:


> It's amazing that the makers of the site can look through it ,and delete stuff that they dont feel is appropriate.. OK WELL someone needs to tell them that they need to look out for stupidity and deleted all the nonsense.. (LIKE IF U WANT DENSE BUDS PUT THE FRESH WET BUDS IN A BAG AND SHAPE EM TO YOUR LIKING FOR THE(SMOOTH BUD LOOK) LOLOLOL LOL WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON IN THIS WORLD. my goodness but anyways the problem lies with all this bad information. Theres lots of new growers that come to this site for help and what I wrote above is the advice being giving lololol. Like I said, I think rollitup need to scan for stupidity. Peace out and good luck growing!! REMEMBER KIDS. IF U WANT BUDS TO LOOK HOW THERE SUPPOSED TO THEN LET THEM GO THE DESIRED TIME AND YOU WILL HAVE DISPENSARY TYPE NUGGET. PLEASE DO NOT USE YOUR PLANT THAT UH WORKED HARD ON GROWING AND SHAPE THE BUDS IN A BAG OR SHAKE THE BUDS IN BAGS LOL READ A BOOK. DONT TAKE ADVICE FROM NEW GROWERS TRYING TO PROVE THERE MASTER GROWERS TO EVERYONE.. HAPPY GROWING


Or new growers could just check the date of the thread/comments and weed out the decade+ old threads. The general quality of information has risen greatly here since then, but you still see idiots telling people to flush their plants and harvest when they see 5% amber trichomes. It's up to the grower to seek out the correct information by reading as much as possible, and talking to people here who actually post quality grow journals, etc.


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## DrOgkush (Sep 9, 2021)

Iv been noticing the last few people to bring up decade old thread were up to no good.


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## Chillinville GeNeTiX 24 (Sep 9, 2021)

DrOgkush said:


> Iv been noticing the last few people to bring up decade old thread were up to no good.


Old post still a hugh problem.. lol up to no good for bring up an old post?? Not sure I understand that one.. was just commenting on a subject . Old post new post. Dont matter. The info is still what people read and they need to know it's still bad advice even 10 yrs later.. btw I didnt realize the post was that old


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## Budzbuddha (Sep 9, 2021)

Problem is answer is as close as “ search bar “ but most will just create another and another thread on “ flushing “ or “ is it done yet “ ?

No matter the info it still falls in your lap to do it or not.


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## Mtb_daily (Sep 14, 2021)

Ledhed said:


> Why hang dry, then bag them? Paper bags themselves absorb a ton of moisture, that is the main reason for using them. It helps to speed up the actual hang drying time for those with little patience, or those in a more humid climate. Just my opinion, but hanging to dry, then bagging them would result in overdrying before the actual cure. Just my opinion here, do what you think is best


Totally agree. Hang dry in the same environment you cure in. 60ish % humidity at low to mid room temps, in a dark place. Usually 10 to 14 days, sometimes a few more because keeping the humidity under 70 is difficult for the first few days. Even when it's only 25-35% outside (CO in Oct). If you grow a lot, you can dry them close together and intermittently rotate them to get an even dry. Or if you are rich, buy a humidifier and dehumidifier, and a hygrometer switch and dry your bud in a humidor. Check out BuildASoil on YouTube, keywords: dry, cure.


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## Mtb_daily (Sep 15, 2021)

Putting weed in paper bags was what you did back when weed was 5% THC. Times have changed thanks to Jorge Cervantes and now channels like BuildASoil on youtube.


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