There seems to be a few general misconceptions with getting good quality that just won't die. So I figured I would give a quick rundown of what actually attributes to good smoke in the end. Of course, I'm speaking from my experience and some of those I've learned from. There's bound to be some disagreements or different approaches to achieving success.
As much as everyone pushes products, there are 4 main things that are responsible for atleast 75%-80% of your end quality.
1. Finishing
2. Harvesting
3. Drying
4. Curing
1. Finishing: Let's start by torching all these nutrient myths, and I'm going to cast a pretty heavy stone first. Your plants don't care if the nutrients are organic or salt. In the end they are all salt. I know some of you want to lynch me right now, but it is 100% true. The only difference is in organic the absobtion of nutrients is dependant on the microbes breaking down the supplied organic matter into salts. Wait it gets better! Organics does not make your smoke better, smooter, or sweeter either. Especially The molasses myth. Your plant cannot absorb carbohydrates! The only reason molasses has any effect is due to it feeding the microbes your plant is relying upon in organic growing. Your plant naturally flushes carbs into the soil when it kicks into flower to increase the amount of microbial activity, this causes a spike in phosphorus. Molasses is just contributing to this effect. Hydro guys notice this carb dump and have to start changing their water frequently once they reach flower due to the plant increasing the water ppm. The reason people think organic smokes better is because there is less nitrogen being shoved down your plant's throat(essentially) because microbes aren't as efficient as you giving them the end product(salt) directly. Nitrogen is your ally in veg but your enemy in mid-late flower. You can achieve the exact same if not better results with salts/synthetics by feeding less nitrogen or letting your plants go deficient at the end of flower. I as well as many others allow the plants to go deficient. The last three weeks I allow the fan leaves to start yellowing. If you time this correctly the leaves around your buds will just start yellowing the week of harvest. You want to start the dry and cure process with as little nitrogen left in the plant as possible. Excess nitrogen is what causes grass smell and harshness. Drying and curing also play a role in harshness, but we'll get to that in a second. The only nutrient I feed all the way to the end is potassium. I stop all other nutrients the second to last week. If someone wants me to go into more detail behind this one let me know. I'll explain the details behind it in more depth. For now I'll spare further lecture on the subject. I could go on forever about the science behind nutrients.
2. Harvesting: This one won't be quite as long. Its all about timing. Most of you by now have read when to harvest and learned there is a range of when people prefer to harvest. The two most common ones I see are people saying 30% amber tricomes, and at the first sign of amber trichomes. Here is one thing we can all agree upon: harvesting too early or too late is detrimental. It will ruin your experience. Too early and it's very racey, underdeveloped, and in some cases yields less. Too late and you are going to have a sleepy effect and in some cases bud that has started drying out, attributing to harshness. Either way, I recommend you harvest no earlier than you notice amber trichomes developing on the bud and 40% amber on the bud at the latest. I harvest just under 30%. This is my opinion, but I'm sure many would agree.
3. Drying: This one is very very very important. Did I mention how important this part is? THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IN THIS THREAD. If you do not dry correctly your entire grow will drastically suffer in quality and in some cases be no better than lawn clippings. I actually didn't achieve an optimal controlled drying process until this last year. I've tired the paper bags, drying racks in closets, you name it I've probably tried it or know first hand someone who uses that method. With exception to dry ice. I will never use dry ice. Drying needs to be a slow controlled process. Why? Nitrogen. You need to dry slow so the nitrogen left in buds has time to seep out and evaporate before all the water has. The slower the better, as long as conditions are stable. Too long with too much humidity can lead to mold and mildew. It is normal to have a hay smell during this process. I use a grow tent with the humidity controller set at 58-60% and try to maintain temps between 65-75. You will need good circulation and something to keep the humidity up depending on how much you have hanging. I use a 4x8 and last year with 5 outdoor plants averaging just over a pound(after dry) each, I filled the entire tent hanging and didnt need to create moisture for the first 2-3 days. After that I used a bucket of water with a fan on it and air pump in it, if it needed more than that I used a spray bottle and sprayed the walls very lightly. Make sure not to spray the buds. After 5-7 days in these conditions they should be ready for cure. The most important thing I can tell you is a little too wet is ok, a little too dry and you just lost quality and your smoke will be harsh. Your stems should break when you bend them but they should not snap. Once again, there is probably someone on here who wants to send a lynch mob to my house, but like I said too wet is better than too dry. My last year grow is a great example. During the time I was transferring my drying product into cure I had to have emergency outpatient surgery and one batch went into cure on time, and one batch went in a day later. The difference between the two batches is huge. The one that went in on time is great, some of smoothest smoke Ive ever had. The second batch's stems just started to snap before they went in. Although that batch Is a little more fragrant, it is definately more harsh. It is amazing how much difference a day made. Check frequently when you know your close to being ready for cure. Timing is crucial. Ill try and edit this later with some pics of my set up so you can see.
4. Curing: I'm not going to go into too much detail on this because there is already a great sicky in the harvesting section and I do a process very similar just on a slightly larger scale. I use black 5 gallon buckets with gamma lids. Im not posting a link, if your too lazy to go there and read it then you are not worth receiving help. What I will say is I use wireless hygrometers in each bucket with a base station in my house so I can monitor the humidity in the buckets. In the first 24 hours your buckets/jars are over 70% your too wet and you need to open them for a while and keep rotating the buds around. After a few hours seal them back up and watch the humidity. Essentially the goal is to slowly bleed out the moisture from 68% down to between 58-62% by burping the containers to release the moisture. Once again(reoccurring phrase), the slower the process the better, but beware of mold. At 62% I stop burping my buckets/jars and go ahead with long term storage. For me they just stay sealed in the buckets. Last years harvest is still fresh to this day and has only improved over time.
In conclusion, you could use minimal nutrients, grow indoor or outdoor, soil or hydro, and still get a great product by simply doing these things right. In contrast, you can spend tons of money on every expensive nutrient line and wind up with absolute garbage by doing them wrong. I hope this helps you guys avoid bs and poor advice. There seems to be no shortage of inexperienced kids giving bad advice on the internet.
