best way to harvest avoiding the hey straw smell

[starboy420]

Hi all I'm harvesting my first crop tomorrow and have heard a few stories on loosing the potent skunk smell and turning into a fresh cut grass smell so any info on drying my crop properly and to prevent this from happening is much appreciated peace

 

[GreenHighlander]

I remove the large fan leaves a cycle or two before chopping.
I then trim.
Then dry as slow as possible at roughly 65f and 50% humidity. That usually takes 7-10 days on average.
At that point I throw it all in mason jars.
I then keep an eye on how moist it feels and leave the lids off accordingly. In some cases I have had to put the buds back in my drying rack for a few hours.
Then back in jars. burping once or twice a day.
Beyond your growing method and "flushing" I personally find the key is to dry as slow as possible without having any mold or mildew.
Using this method in 4-8 weeks it is top notch in smell and flavor.
Genetics and growing does effect it, but even killer weed can be killed drying it too fast.
Cheers

 

[GreenHighlander]

I can say a month or two cure has made stuff I thought was good turn into stuff that was incredible.

 

[firsttimeARE]

Harvesting when buds are ripe is a huge factor. Drying slow. Waning nitrogen during feedings.

Genetics is a huge factor.

 

[“Cambo”]

Hang the entire plant without any trimming, keep room at 65-70F with humidity around 60-65 for 14-21 days. Then trim and jar

 

[“Cambo”]

I can say a month or two cure has made stuff I thought was good turn into stuff that was incredible.

Very true. I just opened up a jar Ive had closed for 8 months! Super smooth!!

 

[“Cambo”]

The process which @GreenHighlander speaks of will work excellent as well!

 

[“Cambo”]

Harvesting when buds are ripe is a huge factor. Drying slow. Waning nitrogen during feedings.

Genetics is a huge factor.

You could not be more correct!

 

[starboy420]

Thanks all theres some great info there I'm sure my buds are ripe ive got 2 tangerine dream and 8 stardawg its my first time and probably my last so I wouldn't mind some dank buds haha

 

[tazz&indy]

Did you check the colours of trichs to make sure they are ready to harvest ?

 

[starboy420]

Did you check the colours of trichs to make sure they are ready to harvest ?

Yeah ive checked them pal with a 30x 60x magnifier led they look very milky with a few ambers Ive never done this process before but ive heard a few bad stories as you can imagine

 

[Jypsy Dog]

This guys system gives great results.

 

[chemphlegm]

my weed never sees a jar. grow right, feed right, harvest on time, dry slowly.
I use a controlled tent as my drying space, I guess like a giant jar.
good smells and flavor begin on day one of flower. Feeding, mold spores, pests, RH, temps, air quality, water quality, nutrient choices,
watering/feeding habits, harvest time, etc are strong players.

If you lack just one necessary resource when needed your ends will not be as good as they should be. overfed that one time? c02 ppm's? air flow? air scrubbers? soil choice? nutrient source? drying space air quality?

If it takes months of fermenting to make weed better something was wrong in the first place. thc degrades into other compounds during fermentation, and storage. My weed is stellar with a few weeks of drying. If its not gone by 2 months it gets discarded. I always choose fresh over aged, except when fermenting wine.

over fed weed needs to rot out the excess fertilizers/unburned carbs before it tastes right. the more overfed it is the longer it will need to ferment. Balancing feeding habits successfully negates this long term fermentation need. Some folks like their fruits fresh I guess.

 

[GreenHighlander]

If it takes months of fermenting to make weed better something was wrong in the first place. thc degrades into other compounds during fermentation, and storage. My weed is stellar with a few weeks of drying. If its not gone by 2 months it gets discarded. I always choose fresh over aged, except when fermenting wine.

I suggest you learn the right information on how starches and cannibanoids change post harvest. I agree with the first part of your statement but I highly suggest you learn about curing and why it is important.
Cheers

 

[GreenHighlander]

Here is from Marijuana Botany by Robert Clarke

As floral clusters dry, and even after they are sealed and packaged, they continue to cure. Curing removes the unpleasant green taste and allows the resins and cannabinoids to finish ripening. Drying is merely the removal of water from the floral clusters so they will be dry enough to burn. Curing takes this process one step farther to produce tasty and psychoactive marijuana. If drying occurs too rapidly, the green taste will be sealed into the tissues and may remain there indefinitely. A floral cluster is not dead after harvest any more than an apple is. Certain metabolic activities take place for some time, much like the ripening and eventual spoiling of an apple after it is picked. During this period, cannabinoid acids decarboxylate into the psychoactive cannabinoids and terpenes isomerize to create new polyterpenes with tastes and aromas different from fresh floral clusters. It is suspected that cannabinoid biosynthesis may also continue for a short time after harvest. Taste and aroma also improve as chlorophylls and other pigments begin to break down. When floral clusters are dried slowly they are kept at a humidity very near that of the inside of the stomata. Alternatively, sealing and opening bags or jars or clusters is a procedure that keeps the humidity high within the container and allows the periodic venting of gases given off during curing. It also exposes the clusters to fresh air needed for proper curing.

 

[chemphlegm]

If it takes months of fermenting to make weed better something was wrong in the first place. thc degrades into other compounds during fermentation, and storage. My weed is stellar with a few weeks of drying. If its not gone by 2 months it gets discarded. I always choose fresh over aged, except when fermenting wine.

I suggest you learn the right information on how starches and cannibanoids change post harvest. I agree with the first part of your statement but I highly suggest you learn about curing and why it is important.
Cheers

I have. I dont even ferment my tobacco. I found I can double weight driving the N to the end of growing, but then I need months of curing to ferment out the unburned carbs. Alternatively feeding as the plant needs I find my tobacco is a perfect inhale when I dont drive the N to the end, needs NO jarring, smoking, heating, or curing, anymore than drying = curing.

try it yourself. stop feeding so heavy to the end)like big baccy does for weight) and you'll see.

If was fermenting my weed for months just to make it taste and burn right...and someone told me to lighten my feed in the end...and then I didnt need to ferment my weed for months to make it tasty, and it worked for me....I be a fool not to heed their thoughts

I farm using Brix readings. Its the very best. It doesnt lie. try this too, you'll totally understand exactly what I'm saying.
when brix is correct apples are at their best and no guess work is needed to assess the level of unburned carbs. Easily adjusted by pro growers, this number can be naturally managed for a perfect harvest sans the sealed up ferment.



I dont add fertilizer to my tomatoes, apples grapes, berries, veggies, herbs as they finish.
but when I do they all taste like a golf course green smells, just like the weed that needs to be fermented first. Time(fermentation) will rid some of this excess ferts, but still not as good as it could be.

that said, we must do what works for us. If your room and habits are identical to mine then makes sense I would need to harvest just like you to get the same results that you get. I bet our rooms, controls, habits, etc are very different?

(triggered lol)

 

[chemphlegm]

Here is from Marijuana Botany by Robert Clarke

As floral clusters dry, and even after they are sealed and packaged, they continue to cure. Curing removes the unpleasant green taste and allows the resins and cannabinoids to finish ripening. Drying is merely the removal of water from the floral clusters so they will be dry enough to burn. Curing takes this process one step farther to produce tasty and psychoactive marijuana. If drying occurs too rapidly, the green taste will be sealed into the tissues and may remain there indefinitely. A floral cluster is not dead after harvest any more than an apple is. Certain metabolic activities take place for some time, much like the ripening and eventual spoiling of an apple after it is picked. During this period, cannabinoid acids decarboxylate into the psychoactive cannabinoids and terpenes isomerize to create new polyterpenes with tastes and aromas different from fresh floral clusters. It is suspected that cannabinoid biosynthesis may also continue for a short time after harvest. Taste and aroma also improve as chlorophylls and other pigments begin to break down. When floral clusters are dried slowly they are kept at a humidity very near that of the inside of the stomata. Alternatively, sealing and opening bags or jars or clusters is a procedure that keeps the humidity high within the container and allows the periodic venting of gases given off during curing. It also exposes the clusters to fresh air needed for proper curing.

lets explore?

notice curing is taking place-before sealing/packaging?
curing happens even when weed isnt sealed and packaged right?

 

[GreenHighlander]

I have. I dont even ferment my tobacco. I found I can double weight driving the N to the end of growing, but then I need months of curing to ferment out the unburned carbs. Alternatively feeding as the plant needs I find my tobacco is a perfect inhale when I dont drive the N to the end, needs NO jarring, smoking, heating, or curing, anymore than drying = curing.

try it yourself. stop feeding so heavy to the end)like big baccy does for weight) and you'll see.

If was fermenting my weed for months just to make it taste and burn right...and someone told me to lighten my feed in the end...and then I didnt need to ferment my weed for months to make it tasty, and it worked for me....I be a fool not to heed their thoughts

I farm using Brix readings. Its the very best. It doesnt lie. try this too, you'll totally understand exactly what I'm saying.
when brix is correct apples are at their best and no guess work is needed to assess the level of unburned carbs. Easily adjusted by pro growers, this number can be naturally managed for a perfect harvest sans the sealed up ferment.



I dont add fertilizer to my tomatoes, apples grapes, berries, veggies, herbs as they finish.
but when I do they all taste like a golf course green smells, just like the weed that needs to be fermented first. Time(fermentation) will rid some of this excess ferts, but still not as good as it could be.

that said, we must do what works for us. If your room and habits are identical to mine then makes sense I would need to harvest just like you to get the same results that you get. I bet our rooms, controls, habits, etc are very different?

(triggered lol)

We are defiantly on the same page with most of what you are saying. It is actually the reason I do not use any bottled nutes. I do not grow for yield, I grow entirely for quality medicine.
The most basic point I was trying to make is properly drying and curing can NOT make shitty chem weed better. But NOT properly drying and curing can ruin well grown genetics. I also stand firm that without a proper drying/curing even the best grown genetics do NOT reach their full potential.
Just like growing it does come down to figuring out what works best for you.
Cheers

 

[chemphlegm]

It is actually the reason I do not use any bottled nutes.
I do not grow for yield,
I grow entirely for quality medicine.
properly drying and curing can NOT make shitty chem weed better.
But NOT properly drying and curing can ruin well grown genetics.
I also stand firm that without a proper drying/curing even the best grown genetics do NOT reach their full potential.

Cheers

100% agree!

i'm thinking my tent is my jar without any risk of anaerobic activity/mold.
if I grew smaller amounts of weed I'd use a smaller jar.

 

[GreenHighlander]

100% agree!

i'm thinking my tent is my jar without any risk of anaerobic activity/mold.
if I grew smaller amounts of weed I'd use a smaller jar.

Ya I am only drying a pound or two at a time. I just use a mesh rack that hangs in my old 4x4 jardin tent before jarring.
Cheers