Ganjaluvrs Drying & Curing Broken Down into Understandable English
- Thread starter ganjaluvr
- Start date
caregiver4204life
Member
ive not read the whole thread(interesting but limited time) but i live in michigan and grow in a basement, so i know the concerns of humidity.. my garden is a somewhat different than most but ive found harvesting the whole plant, root and all this time of year seems to slow down the dry alot.. i put the roots in a plastic bag and hang the plant upright.. thats right upright, in a cardboard box thats suspended in my grow tent.. usually by the 3rd day the fan leaves have made their cellular exchanges and are ready to be taken.. my final trim is done in 4 or 5 days.. its typically ready for the jars then.. if not its a few days in a paper bag.. like many here in michigan ive spent 4months tending with excitement only to have an end product that taste like straw... this is a great way to slow down the drying process and may benefit those who try it...
Wow, I wish I had read this sooner. Thought it was as easy as just trimming and hanging the plants. I ended up with 3 amazing short ryder plants that produced almost 200 g of product. But when I hung them to dry I let them get too dry. Also exposed to light (never imgained this was an issue) and then put in jars. Jars burped daily but smell like hay. Smoke is great, high is amazing, but the smell is just not there. I also noticed the buds are big but not tight. When wet they looked amazing, but dry they are thin and very light. The main cola is almost a foot long and thicker than a coke can but only weighed out at less than an ounce after drying. Is this normal or am I goofing something else up? Would improper drying cause lower weight? Odd thing is that even though the weight is not there it seems that the same physical amount is needed to get the effect. Maybe I am not used to such a strong plant when I smoke but I used to roll 1 gram blunts daily. With this new product I use a fraction of that and get spaced out.
PetFlora
Well-Known Member
My cigar store says this digital hygrometer is great, plus has a warranty http://www.cigarplace.biz/index.cfm/a/catalog.prodshow/vid/39563?
209 Cali closet grower
Well-Known Member
After my first run with this ^^they are way better. thanks^^^^ one bud will smell a car up quick! So people beware!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Yup, people make things harder then they really are sometimes... even I myself am guilty of this. It happens! But.. what I have done for everyone.. is broken down the drying and curing process.. to where even the NOOBS can understand how to properly dry.. and cure their pride and loved harvest.
Alright, as for drying... this is probably the easy part compared to the curing process.. but again.. even curing isn't that difficult.
On the day of your harvest... you need to do the following: Hang your buds up.. with some type of string/thread or even fishing line will work. Hang them up.. and ONLY let them dry.. until ONLY the outer sides of the buds feel dry.. AND.. the stem BENDS (might even crack some and thats okay) but doesn't BREAK. (if the stem breaks in two when bent.. you have "over dried" the buds.. or in other words.. you have let out too much if not all of the buds moisture content.. and its pretty much too late now.. it can be fixed.. but its a pain in the ass.. and no matter if it gets fixed or not.. the final product will NOT taste/smell/smoke like it would have if done properly.)
You don't want to wait until the stem breaks. Why? well, because by this time.. you have waited too long.. and the buds water content has dropped way to low in percentage by this time (possible to 0%). When air drying.. you want to wait until the outer part of the bud feels dry.. and the stem bends.. but doesn't break. Then you can start your curing.
Once the outer side of the buds are dry.. and the stems BEND but doesn't BREAK into two pieces.. this is the optimal time to start the "curing process".
Now, let me explain some things to everyone.
you need to be careful with what information you chose to read and follow. Why? Because the internet is filled with all kinds of information.. good and bad.. not only good and bad.. but some of it is correct.. but.. some of it is also incorrect. In fact, 70% of the material you read on the internet about growing cannabis.. is actually incorrect. Why so much incorrect info? Well, its sad to say.. but 70% of the information (articles) you read about growing cannabis.. is incorrect because its mostly written by young immature teenagers that "think" they know it all.. but in fact they don't know what they're talking about. It's true! If you want some correct and GOOD information on growing.. check out hightimes magazine or just simply go and buy yourself a few books on growing... that way you know the information is at least %99 if not %100 correct because its generally written by experts (people that actually KNOW what the hell they're talking about).
The curing process runs on the same principles as your plants light cycles. You cure in cycles.. once the outer edges of the bud is dry.. and the stem bends but doesn't break.. and you have put your buds into your jars and have the lids on.. wait 12 hours until you open the lids of the jars. During this 12 hours.. the moisture from inside the middle of the buds has slowly made its way (evaporated) out of the bud.. but has no way to escape because the lids are still on the jars thus trapping in all that moisture. The evaporating moisture also makes a rise in the humidity inside the jars.. and since its still trapped inside the jars.. it rehydrates the buds to a certain point. Finally, after the first 12 hours of having the lids on.. take the lids off. The buds should feel a little damp again (but not too wet.. if they feel like a fresh harvested bud.. then you need to air dry them for a few more days.. also if they didn't re-hydrate then you've let them air dry too long.) After inspecting the buds to make sure they got a little re-hydrated from being in the jar for 12 hours.. just leave the lid(s) off of your jar(s) for a good 2 to 4 hours to let the fresh moisture on the buds evaporate.. then put the lids back on.. and repeat the cycle. See how its kinda like the light cycle? Like that one would be 12hrs/2hrs or 12hrs/4hrs. See how that works now?
Each time you put the lid on.. the humidity inside the jar(s) will slowly evaporate the moisture from inside the middle of the bud as well as the stem thats inside the middle of the bud... thus raising the humidity level inside the jar like I said before... then each time you take the lid off.. your letting that new evaporated moisture from the middle of the bud.. and the stem thats in the middle of the bud.. evaporate. So, see.. each cycle of lid on/lid off which is one complete cycle.. your taking out the moisture bit by bit.. from inside the middle of the bud (and the stem thats inside the middle of the bud).
Now.. you don't want to just keep on repeating cycles until the buds are 100% dry. You want to leave around 10% to 15% water content inside the middle of the buds.. once they get to around that level of water content.. you can then put them back into their jar(s) and store them without having to worry about "burping" the jars. Also, at this point.. the buds are not only smokable.. but they will smell and taste like they should!
There ya go.. hopefully I have broken this down so that the ones that don't understand.. now understand.(if you still don't get it, you probably never will.. and IMO.. you should change professions... because growing isn't for you)
peace..
written and edited by: ganjaluvr 10/01/2010
SPIRALGENICS
Member
For anyone that likes to cure in Mason Jars, the "Hygrolid" hygrometer is a great product.
www.hygrolid.com
www.hygrolid.com
smellzlikeskunkyum
Well-Known Member
WRONG^^^^
DUDE. when your stems break, thats WHAT U WANT!!!! READ the Feb issue of high times 2013. Danny Danko says right in it to make sure u wait till they break, or it will effect the quality if u jar it too early. thats what ive been telling folks for years. not just noobs get it wrong either. trust me. dont believe me? experiment. just make sure you arent hitting the drying buds with heat or excessive wind/fans. and dont wait untill it crumbles to the touch, just use some common sense about it.
wet/sticky bud is not what u want. in fact the cure can bring out the high a bit more if u picked at the right time and did everything right. if u jar early/wet it does the opposite and makes everything worse.
slow cure doesnt mean wet cure. dry till stems snap in room temp at low-mid humidity, then jar for two weeks. make sure to open jar to air out, 20 mins at a time, for the first few days or more if needed. its that simple on paper. easy to screw up tho, cuz i see lots of badly cured bud.
no light either!!! especially not the light from your grow lights. u can use a green light bulb if u need light in a drying room/area i think.
smellzlikeskunkyum
Well-Known Member
wow, i was gonna bitch about advertising on here like that. but hey. those are kinda cool. god, u sure wouldnt want it at 70% tho! hah! more like 10-15%
smellzlikeskunkyum
Well-Known Member
i was just in 600 bitching about how no one seems to know how to cure properly.
i CERTAINLY agree with waiting until the stems snap, regardless of the OP. its a tight window between tho. a little too dry and your screwed. so i get what the OP meant i suppose. but wait till it snaps damnit!!
way more cases of wet bud than over dry bud in most cases. in fact most over dry bud is mainly due to it being stringy buds anyways or having too much leaf matter left on. im super maticulous about my trimming, and it makes a big difference.
SPIRALGENICS
Member
70% Relative Humidity translates to less than 15% Moisture Content in most herbs. RH and MC are two different measurements which are positively correlated. 70% RH is used more directly in reference to the MOLD threshold. Mold generally will not grow in conditions below 70% RH if the temperature is below 70F. I go for 60-65% RH depending on how combustible I want it, dryer for doobs, closer to 70% for vap.
SPIRALGENICS
Member
Maybe the problem with identifying the "way" to cure herbs is that so many herbs are so different. Loose and stringy buds with small thin stems dry more quickly and completely before curing and require much less monitoring. Great big dense colas with thick, beefy stems dry slowly, the outside of the buds become dry and crispy and the stem may still be flexible. Even when the stem on a big chunker is brittle, there is a lot of moisture inside the bud which requires more attention for a longer period of time during "curing". While curing big "dry" (stems snap) buds, I've had the relative humidity in unopened 1/2 gallon mason jars climb over 10% after 10 days, all from moisture trapped inside the colas. I've also had bone dry brittle monster colas with mold down the center on the stem where it could not be seen. The concept is simple, slowly go from wet to dry and stop at the right moment, then store and age to perfection. The first stage of curing is still technically drying, the real curing, IMHO, starts when the drying is done and is more about aging without further changing the Moisture Content, which can be measured using Relative Humidity.
stinkyhippie
New Member
thats awesome!I saw fdd cure buds for a year once....he said the high almost knocked him out.
question though. how much bud per jar for curing? pack as many buds in there as possible or do the buds need to be loose inside the jar? if that makes any sense
cloudnineceo
Member
Fill it up until you feel like the buds are getting compressed or squeezed.
hey everyone got high and been thinking of things i can do to have a great cure. new location so first grow here is done in 2 weeks and its looking great.
so to anyone with any experience or knowledge with anything im asking please throw in your input
Does anyone know if large plastic containers work to cure the bud in? And do they effect the overall smell, taste of the product if used?
i was thinking of buying a humidifier and putting it in my room where i plan to hang dry the bud... i have a dehumidifer in there already keeping it below 50 percent.
the room at times drops to 20 percent so i was thinking the humidifier would maintain the room between 40 and 50 percent while the buds are drying.....
anybody use one ?
When it comes to trimming leaves .. do most of you find a more stinky and better smelly bud if you cut off all trimmings BEFORE drying it?
i have tried both ways and it seems the plants maintain more water when you leave on all trimmings..
any thoughts would be great , just stoned and trying to prepare for my hopefully very large harvest
so to anyone with any experience or knowledge with anything im asking please throw in your input
Does anyone know if large plastic containers work to cure the bud in? And do they effect the overall smell, taste of the product if used?
i was thinking of buying a humidifier and putting it in my room where i plan to hang dry the bud... i have a dehumidifer in there already keeping it below 50 percent.
the room at times drops to 20 percent so i was thinking the humidifier would maintain the room between 40 and 50 percent while the buds are drying.....
anybody use one ?
When it comes to trimming leaves .. do most of you find a more stinky and better smelly bud if you cut off all trimmings BEFORE drying it?
i have tried both ways and it seems the plants maintain more water when you leave on all trimmings..
any thoughts would be great , just stoned and trying to prepare for my hopefully very large harvest
Skunkybud
Well-Known Member
I reported the shit out of him twice this morning on this thread and another and a couple hours later they were gone I think the mods are ontop of shit. They got a lot of forum to look after ya kno. That's why we must be responsible and report these nuisances as soon as we notice it. that's my 3 cents
