Drying? "Curing"? WTF??

I have a book on cultivating weed and it doesn't quite explain what it means to "cure" it. It even says that for small indoor growers, "curing" may not be necessary, just drying.

It also seems to indicate that people "cure" their weed mostly for the taste. This is a mystery to me, since I've never actually "tasted" weed; just inhaled it for the high. I like a good burning weed, one that can produce a rich thick smoke when I pull on it. Other than that, I can't tell one smoke from the other, besides the difference in its effects of course.

Anyway, what is curing? Why is it worth an additional 4 week wait before you can smoke the weed? Is it different from drying?

Also -- my plan for drying will be to hang buds in my cab while the CFLs are on (for heat) and while the fan is on low sucking the air out (for circulation). Is that a good method?

My plan will be to have that drying process running 24 hours for about a week, then smoke the weed! (no damn curing). Have I got it all wrong? What will I be losing out on with these methods?

Hanging them on hangers is good, you want a dark area to do it in though. The light will degrade the THC as they dry. As for curing, that finishes the drying process by redistributing the remaining water from the inside of the budz. There are several schools of thought for how to do this and for how long. I like the mason jar plan. Take the budz off the stems and put them in the jar loosely. Place the jar(s) in a dark area and let them breathe for about a 1/2 hour every 8 hours or so. This will maximize the taste of the budz.

As a newbie grower it will be most helpful to read, study, plan, and act on your grow. Please check this thread... https://www.rollitup.org/newbie-central/499298-grow-videos.html... tons of great info. Also the stickies on the forum have a wealth of info. Good Luck!

curing is very important. cannabergerol, the precursor of tetrahydrocannabinol will continue to convert to thc as it cures. it will also improve smoothness and flavor as chlorophly escapes during the curing process. light is bad for drying and curing and storing in general as it destroys thc. i'll get you a link to a guide to explain what you need to know. https://www.rollitup.org/harvesting-curing/28072-harvest-time-tutorial.html

Back in the 70's when I had asked the same question, a friend of mine used this analogy knowing that I liked Cigars ... "Would you rather have a Cuban or a White Owl?" It is all in the taste

MaineYankee

maoriJane said:

I have a book on cultivating weed and it doesn't quite explain what it means to "cure" it. It even says that for small indoor growers, "curing" may not be necessary, just drying.

It also seems to indicate that people "cure" their weed mostly for the taste. This is a mystery to me, since I've never actually "tasted" weed; just inhaled it for the high. I like a good burning weed, one that can produce a rich thick smoke when I pull on it. Other than that, I can't tell one smoke from the other, besides the difference in its effects of course

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Different cannabis has different flavors, tastes and aromas to it. Some are fruity, others nutty, some are spicy, some are sweet. If you properly dry and cure the budz, you will be able to distinguish these subtle nuance's. Like wine tasters do.

bkbbudz said:

Hanging them on hangers is good, you want a dark area to do it in though. The light will degrade the THC as they dry. As for curing, that finishes the drying process by redistributing the remaining water from the inside of the budz. There are several schools of thought for how to do this and for how long. I like the mason jar plan. Take the budz off the stems and put them in the jar loosely. Place the jar(s) in a dark area and let them breathe for about a 1/2 hour every 8 hours or so. This will maximize the taste of the budz.

As a newbie grower it will be most helpful to read, study, plan, and act on your grow. Please check this thread... https://www.rollitup.org/newbie-central/499298-grow-videos.html... tons of great info. Also the stickies on the forum have a wealth of info. Good Luck!

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I as a noob found this the easiest. Its called burping and their is no set time on how long it takes. Like bk said you dry your bud till its crisp.to the touch but wet inside. Then cut all buds off.stems put them lightly packed in mason jar and put in cool.dry dark area. Open jar for half hr or less every so often. The point is . Is to pull the inside moisture out making the bud an even consistant sticky ness. Its done when you like the consistency. And for taste it was the sweetest most rich smoke i.have ever smoked. Makes it less.of a lung killer as its not as harsh. Good luck and keep an eye out for mold somtimes when packed to tight in the mason jar mold can spawn. Bit i didnt have any issue. Also spin n rotate the buds while burbing happy growing !!

Definitely dry with lights off... Curing is just like when you get a 50?? or an Oz and the longer you have it in the bag.. It seems to get nicer, smoother and more smokable..
But at the end of the day, if it's dry I just smoke the shit..!!!
I think it's like the wine connesiuers, that say it leaves a fruity after taste on your palate with a heady aroma of citrus tang..??? damn Wine is wine to me..!!! hahahaha I'll stick with beer and dry pot..!!! That's it..!!

I think curing is just as important as the way you grow it.It changes everything.

You don't need to cure but it sure as hell helps, especially when growing "taste specific" strains like lemons and cheeses. When I cure, I put my dried buds into a paper bag for about 1 month and then into a jar.

Latch lid jars work real good

The cap said:

But at the end of the day, if it's dry I just smoke the shit..!!!
I think it's like the wine connesiuers, that say it leaves a fruity after taste on your palate with a heady aroma of citrus tang..??? damn Wine is wine to me..!!! hahahaha I'll stick with beer and dry pot..!!! That's it..!!

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Yeah, I'm like that too. I can't tell the difference between wines, champagnes -- it's all the same to me. I like beer. I reaallly like weed -- but definitely not for the "taste". I can't even imagine what weed tastes like -- it's smoke. How do you taste smoke?? Even back in the day, when I came across a little "chocolate thai", I couldn't taste anything -- it just smelled like chocolate before you smoked it.

With weed, the "flavor" is way less important than the buzz. As long as it burns well and has potency I'm good.

But now that I did a little googling, I read that curing can make your weed more potent. Is that true? If so, does it make it more the "couch lock" buzz or the head high? (I like the head high.)

Mainly I'm just wondering why curing is worth adding a whole 2 to 4 weeks or more to your wait before you can smoke the weed! If I get a successful grow going, I definitely want it to be as short as possible before I can smoke. Once I have a supply going, then maybe I can be more patient.

maoriJane said:

Yeah, I'm like that too. I can't tell the difference between wines, champagnes -- it's all the same to me. I like beer. I reaallly like weed -- but definitely not for the "taste". I can't even imagine what weed tastes like -- it's smoke. How do you taste smoke?? Even back in the day, when I came across a little "chocolate thai", I couldn't taste anything -- it just smelled like chocolate before you smoked it.

With weed, the "flavor" is way less important than the buzz. As long as it burns well and has potency I'm good.

But now that I did a little googling, I read that curing can make your weed more potent. Is that true? If so, does it make it more the "couch lock" buzz or the head high? (I like the head high.)

Mainly I'm just wondering why curing is worth adding a whole 2 to 4 weeks or more to your wait before you can smoke the weed! If I get a successful grow going, I definitely want it to be as short as possible before I can smoke. Once I have a supply going, then maybe I can be more patient.

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i already told you it does and why, didnt you read my post?

darkdestruction420 said:

i already told you it does and why, didnt you read my post?

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Yeah, I saw that, thanks. What you mean is that curing makes it more potent?

Anyway, I'll probably just eventually get a vape so I can pretty much skip the whole issue.

That makes me sad. Skipping the taste of fine herb is like whacking off in a corner instead of banging your girlfriend. If you can stand shit tons of weed in front of your eyes without picking it then you could have perpetual grow and have stuff curing while others are growing you will have that two week jar. You dig?

ismokealotofpot said:

That makes me sad. Skipping the taste of fine herb is like whacking off in a corner instead of banging your girlfriend. If you can stand shit tons of weed in front of your eyes without picking it then you could have perpetual grow and have stuff curing while others are growing you will have that two week jar. You dig?

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Totally 100% correct I Smoke That is my main goal in my entire operation that I have just started, is to one day have a perpetual grow. Curing is just one added step, that (IMO) just needs to be done to garner all of the hard work that I have done with my "Hobby". Great analogy BTW
MaineYankee

ismokealotofpot said:

That makes me sad. Skipping the taste of fine herb is like whacking off in a corner instead of banging your girlfriend. If you can stand shit tons of weed in front of your eyes without picking it then you could have perpetual grow and have stuff curing while others are growing you will have that two week jar. You dig?

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I have to agree. I know the wait is hard and to be honest, when I pulled that first plant, I had all kinds of good intentions to cure her, but I smoked her up while I was making plans... LOL... But this time, I'm going to do it right because I've worked so hard and waited so long, I want the best experience I can get out of them.

To me, taste is very important in my weed...it is sort of a smell/taste combination...I'm not explaining well. When I smoke, I inhale, hold my hit till the expansion is done (if any) and exhale through my nose. When I do that, I can then taste/smell what the weed has to offer. If you aren't going to do it for the taste, then you may as well grow bag seed. It will get you high. I choose strains based on reported tastes and smells. For me, while I do it for the meds, I love it for the whole body experience.

ismokealotofpot said:

That makes me sad. Skipping the taste of fine herb is like whacking off in a corner instead of banging your girlfriend. If you can stand shit tons of weed in front of your eyes without picking it then you could have perpetual grow and have stuff curing while others are growing you will have that two week jar. You dig?

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That is one of the best analogies i have ever heard. I will have to remember that one for future occasions.

Bluejeans said:

I have to agree. I know the wait is hard and to be honest, when I pulled that first plant, I had all kinds of good intentions to cure her, but I smoked her up while I was making plans... LOL... But this time, I'm going to do it right because I've worked so hard and waited so long, I want the best experience I can get out of them.

To me, taste is very important in my weed...it is sort of a smell/taste combination...I'm not explaining well. When I smoke, I inhale, hold my hit till the expansion is done (if any) and exhale through my nose. When I do that, I can then taste/smell what the weed has to offer. If you aren't going to do it for the taste, then you may as well grow bag seed. It will get you high. I choose strains based on reported tastes and smells. For me, while I do it for the meds, I love it for the whole body experience.

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You explained it very well Sugar If one (IMO) does not take just this added step, you might as well grow bagseed. You also gave the perfect example of taking a hit, resting, and exhale through your nose. That (again IMO) is when you can really sense all that your hard work and effort really hits home. It is the total body experience, and not just the high that you can get anywhere, bagseed included. So why spend buku bucks getting good seed?

Love and Happiness
The MaineYankee

I use a vape and I wouldn't think of not curing. I never even try a harvest until it has cured at least 30 days. It is about more than taste - it gets better.

Look, most of the weed in the market was not cured because it is high volume commercial and it was just dried. It is the home grower who puts lots of time and love into his crop that takes the extra time to get it right and cures well. It strikes me as foolish to spend money and time and effort and then not bother to cure - vape or not.

Its the most important step... Thats why youve never tasted weed because all the commercial shit thats out there has no taste or smell and burns like shit...it wasnt cured. And its no joke about it getting stronger it really does. It wont smell as good of you dont cure it.