curing make better effect?

[conor c]

I’ve fucked around a bit lately with cold drying and curing and in my experience there are a couple of factors at play.

the most important thing is getting my fresh herbs to dry to the correct water content

next needs to be preservation of all the goodies that it contained when it was cut down, the terps that are present when harvested are in much higher volumes at this point, and the entourage effect will be stronger.

in my experience the colder the better, cold slows down terpene volatilisation
But also the less air movement and turbulence around the buds the better, as this strips away vital terps as well

and because it’s cold then it usually takes quite a long time to dry, like a month!

Im sure people will disagree and that’s fine (I’ve got no way of knowing and can’t get tests in U.K.) but in my personal opinion there is no need to cure it any further after this point. Everything good that could happen seems to have happened and it’s at that magic point where it hasn’t started to get any worse. This goes for it’s terps, it’s flavour, smoothness, perceived strength

Yeah i cure colder and longer ideally that isnt hard in winter here thats for sure lol i do think it retains its flavor and smell better in less hot conditions makes sense when you see the boiling point on some monoterpenes and stuff the terps that last the best are sesquiterpenes bud that tastes good for ages probably has a fair amount of that from all i can gather

 

[Blue brother]

Yeah i cure colder and longer ideally that isnt hard in winter here thats for sure lol i do think it retains its flavor and smell better in less hot conditions makes sense when you see the boiling point on some monoterpenes and stuff the terps that last the best are sesquiterpenes bud that tastes good for ages probably has a fair amount of that from all i can gather

Yes our winter weather certainly helps at harvest time! Myrcene in particular is something I’m interested in preserving, apparently that’s responsible for the grapey terps and also provides a strong entourage effect

 

[BongerChonger]

I do agree curing make better taste and smooth,

i think if you cure two weeks to 1 month , it make difference then fresh dryed , but 2 months cure compare to 6 months cure maybe less differance

I will agree with smoother, but not taste, or potency. If anything it loses a tiny amount of flavor after time.
The biggest impact on smoothness and flavor ime is from inadequately dry weed.

The enzyme reaction we want to take place, mostly happens whilst drying.
I would argue that very same enzyme reaction will eventually degrade the quality of your smoko after a period of time. In a funny kind of way, it is essentially rotting your weed.

Curing is a process used to preserve, not improve imo.
If you crack open a year-old jar of smoke and it's still just as good as the day you jarred it, then you cured good.

 

[PopAndSonGrows]

I dry my weed slowly to where it can be jarred and sealed without fear of mold. I smoke it as soon as it is dry and ready to jar. It does not get more potent in the jar. Some say it gets more smooth, better taste, etc... I won't dispute that. The reality is that terpenes degrade. So months old weed is going to contain less terpenes. The smoothness people talk about is due to terpene degradation. Fresh terpenes can have a bite to them. I like it while others don't and prefer a mellower smoke after the terpenes have started to degrade.

Curing weed does not increase THC levels and make the weed more potent.

This. And, the "marriage" of flavors over time results in a potentially smoother experience. Kinda like how soup or spaghetti is better the next day---and lemme tell ya, i was raised on restaurant quality pasta & the "leftover theory" is fact, trust me lol

 

[conor c]

Yes our winter weather certainly helps at harvest time! Myrcene in particular is something I’m interested in preserving, apparently that’s responsible for the grapey terps and also provides a strong entourage effect

It also mildly tickles the opioid receptors from what i hear as well as making the gaba response faster i know its a good analgesic too as well

 

[JCHK]

I will agree with smoother, but not taste, or potency. If anything it loses a tiny amount of flavor after time.
The biggest impact on smoothness and flavor ime is from inadequately dry weed.

The enzyme reaction we want to take place, mostly happens whilst drying.
I would argue that very same enzyme reaction will eventually degrade the quality of your smoko after a period of time. In a funny kind of way, it is essentially rotting your weed.

Curing is a process used to preserve, not improve imo.
If you crack open a year-old jar of smoke and it's still just as good as the day you jarred it, then you cured good.

Curing is a process used to preserve, not improve <<< very good and clear point

 

[PURPLEB3RRYKUSH]

Curing is a process used to preserve, not improve <<< very good and clear point

No curing is a process used to age weed similar to wine it gets better with time

 

[JCHK]

No curing is a process used to age weed similar to wine it gets better with time

better taste? or potency?

 

[Psyphish]

If you're concerned about smoothness and flavours, there's really no beating dry herb vapes.

 

[ismann]

I still have bud that's three years old in jars, away from light and heat. Not much difference than it was at 3 months, but it's a bit browner. Still smokes and tastes good.

 

[JCHK]

I still have bud that's three years old in jars, away from light and heat. Not much difference than it was at 3 months, but it's a bit browner. Still smokes and tastes good.

that is very nice info, possible to share a photo? would like to know how it looks now

 

[ismann]

that is very nice info, possible to share a photo? would like to know how it looks now

It's pretty stony and a natural Ambien, but I tell you it is still fairly psychadelic. I typically combine it with a CBD strain I grew.

 

[PURPLEB3RRYKUSH]

More potent in a way, more sedative.

 

[BongerChonger]

Curing is a process used to preserve, not improve <<< very good and clear point

I'd even suggest curing is exactly the same for some food products. Dry-cured meats, salamis, dry-aged beef, fruits, whatever, all use a process of the combination of enzymes and drying to preserve. (There's always a hanging/drying process + enzyme reaction)