I read the whole thread and find it unexpectedly interesting. I thought it was just going to be a typical showing my frosty buds thread. But as soon as i saw "brown" weed and high drying temperatures I knew the OP was in for a ton of shit.
Quiet an atypical thread.
he's gotten a lot of crap but he's held his own pretty well.
on the other hand, posting it like "oh here's some weed curing" like it's just same old same old you expect to see. He had to expect a lot of shit and people telling him his doing it wrong and yadda yadda.
Instead if he had presented it something like "I know you'll think I'm crazy but this is how.........." or "unconventional way curing weed" people would've been prepared and would have reacted differently.
Putting that aside. I find it very interesting and he as made a case for himself. as for it being called bro science, well actually that is what the conventional way of curing is, there is no scientific basis that I know of, for "hanging it for 3 days at 80 degrees, then putting it in paper sacks for another few days, then jars that get burped.".
who really says that's right? some bro who does it.
I'm not siding with the OP, he maybe wrong......or not. but if you ask him for science, you should provide science yourself.
He is using tobacco as a model to extrapolate from because it is leaf matter and has had a LOT of scientific work and analysis for combustible consumption. . unlike Cannabis buds.
Tobacco and Cannabis are two different plants yes, but they both are plants and they both use photosynthesis and chlorophyll, and the main thing before anything else becomes important is the break down of chlorophyll.
everyone agrees that if chlorophyll isn't broken down the bud will be harsh and that the more amount of chlorophyll gets broken down the better. I am sure we all agree on that.
how can we tell if a leaf has chlorophyll in it? rule of thumb is by it's color. if it's green, the leaf has chlorophyll in it. the more chlorophyll is broken down the less green the leaf becomes.
His buds are not green so it appears that there is no chlorophyll left in them. that's supposed to be a good thing. that point has been mentioned in this thread but it's like been glossed over.
we're not scientists so we have to rely on own common senses until something better comes along.
so we look at the slow age cure method and see green buds and so it is natural to say they still have chlorophyll. and they likely do at least for most people.
but we all know chlorophyll stains like a bitch and so it can be that the plant matter has been stained green now that the chlorophyll is no longer there. it has a green pigment but the chemical chlorophyll has been broken completely down.
when a bud gets that sort of faded drab Army/Olive green, it usually smokes very well.
I'v always wondered why some leaves, like big fan leaves, turn yellow and keep getting lighter in color until they are a crumbly beige and other leaves get just as crumbly but stay green?
And it seems the smaller the leaf the greener it stays.
now as far as I know, "curing" weed beyond breaking down of chlorophyll is about stabilizing it so it can be persevered and stay the same over time.
so if breaking down chlorophyll is what makes a smooth smoke, and the OP's method breaks down chlorophyll without degrading the desired active ingredients, then i don't see how anyone can say it is shit.
If decarboxylation takes place around 240F, more than double the temps we're talking about here, then how much degrading can be going on at 110F degrees?
If the following is happening: chlorophyll is practically completely broken down within days without degrading other essential compounds then what is the problem?
if aging then takes place and if what the aging does is break down sugars and such that makes the smoke better. then it is happening for both methods.
the only difference he is breaking down the chlorophyll first and at once, while the traditional method (when done right) does it slower. the other chemical processes that occur have the same slow time to do it in.
that also means the OP's weed will smoke smooth a lot sooner because at least the chlorophyll is gone right off the bat.
now with all that being said, I personally don't know if the browning does indeed mean chlorophyll is gone, nor do I know if other things aren't being degraded.
What about people that live in Arizona or Nevada, they can't cure weed proper during some times of the year because it gets so hot?
I don't know. but it is interesting.