drying / curing in cold

[Chenomac]

. Whati ment to say was that it had only been in an hour befor it smelt the tenp is sitting at 28 7 and 57%HUM With a 4"fan blowing against the side not the bud, i stripped plants yestaday 3 days after 2nd flush watered them again now i leave in tent for a few days to dry out a bit before harvest, is this right

18.7 not 28.7 haha
sorry wake n bake in lockdown is needed haha

 

[Nrk.cdn]

My 1st plant took 20 days to dry in cold 40F (5 C) with 50% RH. Stable in jars at 60ish RH. 2nd plant has been hanging 14 days in same environment. Trimmed and put in big container..checked next day, 90% RH. Out they came and back into paper bags to remove moisture. They will probably take 7 days in paper bags. It has been slow but controlled..

 

[ChrispyCritter]

To add to my comment, once the chlorophyll is trapped its trapped. You cant get it out by putting it into a jar or trying to rehydrate the buds. There are ways of of extracting from the bud and using crc ect to filter out the chloro taste but that's another thread. Furthermore jarring the bud "too soon" with more moisture content than it needs to be sealed will create odd smelling musty/musky buds. Its not really talked about. There is a fine line between being able to jar and still needing another day of drying. If the stems not snapping don't jar it. Maybe a paper bag for a day before the jar. Bovada packs and those micro humidity meters are your friend in times of uncertainty

I'm probably like a lot of small growers who have limited space and resources to dedicate to controlled drying. Climate and weather play a huge role in my drying technique, but I hang, lay flat, use paper bags, and even use this little bc northern lights drying box I've had since I started growing and it works amazingly well too. I grow 4-5 different plants usually and harvest at different times but its still a pain rotating buds through whatever space I have lol. Glad to see another who isn't afraid to use paper bags and bovedas. Question: what is the "crc" you mentioned to filter out chlorophyll taste? Just curious. Thanks.

 

[Nrk.cdn]

I like to use big cardboard boxes as well. Bc northern lights drying box? Never heard of it.

If you have a spare frost free freezer, they work great.

 

[The Manipulator]

60-60

 

[Tht_Blk_Guy27]

Weather in my corner of Oklahoma is 28 degrees rn and I'm currently drying in a broom closet right now so I have no insulation. I might add that I live in a house that isn't completely insulated (hunting cabin converted into house) so I'm wondering if the colder temps would hinder my cure. I'm still keeping 50%Rh but the temps concern me just a little bit

 

[Nrk.cdn]

Cold is not a problem. Add fan to move slow air and start taking leaves off day by day gradually. I have been drying in -2 to -8 (28-18 f) Celsius with no issues.. just takes longer.. after 2 weeks, paper bag it and take it inside if mold is showing. You must check daily as things can change quickly. I harvest a plant at a time. You should look the brown bag after 14-21 days. Use a hydrometer.

Harvested 16oz dry over 3 weeks (2 plants). No mold at all.

Keep trim and do qwiso for hash. Quick wash iso.

Good luck.

 

[Tht_Blk_Guy27]

Cold is not a problem. Add fan to move slow air and start taking leaves off day by day gradually. I have been drying in -2 to -8 (28-18 f) Celsius with no issues.. just takes longer.. after 2 weeks, paper bag it and take it inside if mold is showing. You must check daily as things can change quickly. I harvest a plant at a time. You should look the brown bag after 14-21 days. Use a hydrometer.

Harvested 16oz dry over 3 weeks (2 plants). No mold at all.

Keep trim and do qwiso for hash. Quick wash iso.

Good luck.

thank you for reminding me i ran a box fan in that closet as its the only thing that will fit in the closet besides ..... brooms lol. its been awhile since i had to harvest (last September) so I'm getting back in the grove of things. Overall do you believe curing in cold is more beneficial for you than regular tried and true temps? I feel like with the regular method you losing a lot of terps and you'd think cold seems to preserve but that's not how science works

 

[Nrk.cdn]

thank you for reminding me i ran a box fan in that closet as its the only thing that will fit in the closet besides ..... brooms lol. its been awhile since i had to harvest (last September) so I'm getting back in the grove of things. Overall do you believe curing in cold is more beneficial for you than regular tried and true temps? I feel like with the regular method you losing a lot of terps and you'd think cold seems to preserve but that's not how science works

Cold seems to preserve nicely.

Fridge cardboard box is good too in cold. Place clothes drying rack inside or hang wire. Drying rack is easier to access if you have big box.

Lots of people doing the frost free freezer method with great success. Sublimation.. exhausts humid air ..frost free freezer.

 

[Chenomac]

I just turned my lights off a2 hours ago ant the temp is 3.5 degrees and humidity is 63% . Its outsite in a tent inside an old wooden shed its - 1 outside. Could you pleasr help me am not shore if this is ok

 

[Chenomac]

So it's been 5 days, temp avg is 0-4 Celsius (32-40f) with humidity starting at 75%. I went with mainly dry trim, but slowly trimming each day as i wanted to keep moisture/humidity below 70%. 2nd and 3rd day the humidity spiked due to drying of leaves with 85% humidity. I had oscillating fan on 24hrs. Forgot day 3 to turn fan on in shed, feared 90-100% humidity..nope..60%.. checked for mold.. none.. put fan back on and its steady at 64%. During winter harvest in outdoor rooms, probably better to wet trim if your area is humid like my area. Still have 5-10 days left for bigger bud. I am lucky as the strain has not much leaf mass so i am hoping final trimming will be easy.

How did you get on m8 amhavin same problem my tent is 0.3 degrees humidity is 63% lights been off for 2 hours. I got lights off now for 36 hours. Butidont no if this will mess my bud up

 

[JimmiP]

I have dried my outdoor stuff in the cold almost every year and it works out just fine, if not better. It can take a while longer but that is a good thing in my experience. The finished product tastes great and it has had no negative effects that I have ever encountered.
That being said, you want to avoid letting it freeze. And you should be a little more gentle in how you handle the plants as you break them down. When cold and dry the trichomes are much more brittle and can be broken off by the jostling.
I work over parchment paper when I remove the buds, I am gentle as I can be and there is still a decent amount of trichomes that end up on the paper.
So if it's possible you may want to bring the branches inside and allow them to warm up to room temperature, when you are ready to remove the buds from them. Good luck friend!

 

[JimmiP]

Here's one plant hanging out in the garage in late November. We only heat the garage when we're out there. So it definitely gets cold.
All of my plants from the hoop house were washed and then hung the same way and turned out phenomenally.
I should, in all fairness, admit that sometimes they were moved inside before they were completely dry and finished in the basement because another plant had been harvested and we needed the room. But the majority if not all of the drying, for each plant, was done out in the cold.

 

[Nrk.cdn]

My temps are very similar. Cold but not at the level of frozen bud. I am in a cold shed. If RH goes high ( beginning of dry cycle), add slow moving fan. I just finished trimming bud that hung for 21 days. No mold,tastes great, no smell issues in main house, it works super.

Just keep an eye on it. I dried 16oz this time. Best dry to date. Winter is the sweet spot for drying. My shed, i can see my breath as its cold.

JimmIP, looks great.

 

[JimmiP]

My temps are very similar. Cold but not at the level of frozen bud. I am in a cold shed. If RH goes high ( beginning of dry cycle), add slow moving fan. I just finished trimming bud that hung for 21 days. No mold,tastes great, no smell issues in main house, it works super.

Just keep an eye on it. I dried 16oz this time. Best dry to date. Winter is the sweet spot for drying. My shed, i can see my breath as its cold.

JimmIP, looks great.View attachment 4822999

Thank you! That plant was the biggest one I have had the privilege of growing. Most of the others put out 4-5 lbs with one smaller plant giving up only 1.5 maybe 2.

The one pictured went way beyond what everything else did though. And was dried, broken down and put away, while in the cold with zero issues of mold, mildew or worms. Sooo glad I have clones of her!

 

[Chenomac]

I have dried my outdoor stuff in the cold almost every year and it works out just fine, if not better. It can take a while longer but that is a good thing in my experience. The finished product tastes great and it has had no negative effects that I have ever encountered.
That being said, you want to avoid letting it freeze. And you should be a little more gentle in how you handle the plants as you break them down. When cold and dry the trichomes are much more brittle and can be broken off by the jostling.
I work over parchment paper when I remove the buds, I am gentle as I can be and there is still a decent amount of trichomes that end up on the paper.
So if it's possible you may want to bring the branches inside and allow them to warm up to room temperature, when you are ready to remove the buds from them. Good luck friend!

Thank you very much that helps me out alot top man

 

[JimmiP]

Thank you very much that helps me out alot top man

You are very welcome friend!

 

[Stoned Cold Bulldog]

I think you have to elaborate a little here... if I chucked the worlds best buds on planet Mercury, I’m not gonna end up with good weed... Regardless of quality at harvest, surely some kind of good process when it comes to drying and curing is good either way? You wouldn’t service your Porsche at a back street garage. You’d take it to a certified dealer... To me, it’s the same with bud, stick to a disciplined/controlled process at the end for consistent results, and tweak accordingly.
The shit I said earlier isn’t stuff I have made up, it’s mostly regurgitated from a professor at a college who teaches horticulture and farming. And also happens to be a home pot grower. I’ll happily share his website with anyone who wants it...

i'd like his website please. 60 yrs old and always the student. hell over the years i've leaned about quite a few pot related methods that i have no intention of doing lol. but it's like i would get slivers of useful 411 regardless. when that's not happening i simply leave that thread.

 

[dank'd]

excited to try the mini fridge lotus cure mentioned by Sucassa on page 2(!) will be using oven bags

 

[SensibleSensimilla]

excited to try the mini fridge lotus cure mentioned by Sucassa on page 2(!) will be using oven bags

How did this work out for you? Seems oven bags would trap too much moisture. Better off with brown/craft paper bags or cardboard boxes.