Do I need to burp months into a cure?

singlecoiled

singlecoiled

Well-Known Member
Hi all, I've got a batch of Northern Lights that has been curing for around 6 months at around 60rh in the jars. I've noticed a slight earthy , musty smell when smelling and smoking it but I don't see mold. The buds smell great, with that sweet citrus and pine odor they should have but there is also an earthy smell as well. Is this normal?

I was under the impression that once the RH stabilizes and the buds have cured for a month or so, that they could stay in the jars without worry. I don't smoke a lot, so a big mason jar of flower tops lasts me a long time. Is it ok to leave them jarred up or do they need a little fresh air from time to time for long storage? I don't see myself finishing this jar anytime soon! Meanwhile, I have two more jars stuffed full of Durban Poison 2 months into cure. I've been giving my DP a little air every couple of day just in case.
 
singlecoiled

singlecoiled

Well-Known Member
Thanks, that's what I thought and what I've read as well. Maybe I jarred the northern lights a bit too early after drying, who knows. I wish there was an easy way to check for mold, my loupe shows nothing but tricomes, but mold and tricomes can look a lot a like. Are there any easy ways to test for mold? A black light or some type of drops?

I've read that smoking moldy weed can do very bad things to you if your not careful and I'm a relatively new grower. I'd like to play it safe and run some type of test if possible.
 
Homegrown Hero

Homegrown Hero

Well-Known Member
singlecoiled said:
Thanks, that's what I thought and what I've read as well. Maybe I jarred the northern lights a bit too early after drying, who knows. I wish there was an easy way to check for mold, my loupe shows nothing but tricomes, but mold and tricomes can look a lot a like. Are there any easy ways to test for mold? A black light or some type of drops?

I've read that smoking moldy weed can do very bad things to you if your not careful and I'm a relatively new grower. I'd like to play it safe and run some type of test if possible.
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I think the only way you’ll know if you have mold is lab testing, or obvious signs of mold which seems like you don’t have obvious signs. Sometimes locking the jars up too early can trap weird smells in the jars. If it starts smelling funky, it usually keeps smelling funky unless you catch it in time
 
singlecoiled

singlecoiled

Well-Known Member
Homegrown Hero said:
I think the only way you’ll know if you have mold is lab testing, or obvious signs of mold which seems like you don’t have obvious signs. Sometimes locking the jars up too early can trap weird smells in the jars. If it starts smelling funky, it usually keeps smelling funky unless you catch it in time
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Thanks much, I may be worrying too much but I'd hate to get cut open to remove mold from my chest, that doesn't sound fun (or cheap). This hobby can be a real hassle at times. Spider mites, mold, gnats, root zone PH etc... it doesn't help that there isn't an easy answer to find these things !
 
farmingfisherman

farmingfisherman

Well-Known Member
Pull them out gently and use a big magnifying glass with a good light. I check out my stuff every time I refill my small jar. Doing so you might catch a issue before it results in a meltdown.
 
singlecoiled

singlecoiled

Well-Known Member
farmingfisherman said:
You have pictures of the flower?

Not current photos, but I'll take some later tonight and post them. I've tried looking for mold with a loupe, but don't see anything that looks off. Some of the tops weighed in close to two ounces (wet weight) and I did make a the mistake of leaving the big stem on the big colas while curing. I wound up with 2.5 ounces after drying and removing heavy stems, (one plant)

I use a hydrometer to test RH in the jar and it's been steady at 58-60 or so. I really thought I'd be safe at these humidity levels.
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singlecoiled

singlecoiled

Well-Known Member
farmingfisherman said:
Pull them out gently and use a big magnifying glass with a good light. I check out my stuff every time I refill my small jar. Doing so you might catch a issue before it results in a meltdown.
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I've been meaning to get a good magnifying glass, good tip thanks! For now, I'm using a loupe and what a hassle those things are to use. You have to get it right up to your eye and right up to the bud perfectly which becomes fatiguing. Now I'm off to eBay to see if I can find a nice big magnifying glass, you talked me into it.
 
farmingfisherman

farmingfisherman

Well-Known Member
singlecoiled said:
I've been meaning to get a good magnifying glass, good tip thanks! For now, I'm using a loupe and what a hassle those things are to use. You have to get it right up to your eye and right up to the bud perfectly which becomes fatiguing. Now I'm off to eBay to see if I can find a nice big magnifying glass, you talked me into it.
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Good luck! If you have the funds one like fly tiers use would be great, allows you to work hands free also works great if you are vision impaired like me when trimming.
 
singlecoiled

singlecoiled

Well-Known Member
farmingfisherman said:
Good luck! If you have the funds one like fly tiers use would be great, allows you to work hands free also works great if you are vision impaired like me when trimming.
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Wow, are you psychic? I happen to tie my own flies and actually used fly tying scissors to trim my buds. I also use my fly tying station to hold the buds while trimming as it clamps on to the stem and you can rotate the bud hands free.

I'm also looking for a microscope, I figure that will show mold if I really need to look deep.
 

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farmingfisherman

farmingfisherman

Well-Known Member
singlecoiled said:
Wow, are you psychic? I happen to tie my own flies and actually used fly tying scissors to trim my buds. I also use my fly tying station to hold the buds while trimming as it clamps on to the stem and you can rotate the bud hands free.

I'm also looking for a microscope, I figure that will show mold if I really need to look deep.I
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Congrats on the flower! If I may suggest something though, I'd trim that cola down into smaller buds to allow it to dry properly.
 
singlecoiled

singlecoiled

Well-Known Member
farmingfisherman said:
Congrats on the flower! If I may suggest something though, I'd trim that cola down into smaller buds to allow it to dry properly.
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I'm new to a lot of the grower terms, but removing the buds from the stem is called "bucking" right? I did remove the buds from the large stems a month later into cure. My latest cure, Durban Poison was dried longer and cured without stems. I'm learning! Thanks for the tip though, hopefully my mistake with the Northern Lights won't ruin the weed, it's really good stuff!
 
singlecoiled

singlecoiled

Well-Known Member
farmingfisherman said:
You have pictures of the flower?
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Here are current pictures of flower, I broke one of the buds opens and using a loupe, couldn't find anything that looked like mold.

I use the big gallon glass jar to start cure for a few weeks, then I move to your standard wide Mouth Ball jar for longer storage._DSC4268.JPG_DSC4272.JPG_DSC4273.JPG
 
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farmingfisherman

farmingfisherman

Well-Known Member
singlecoiled

singlecoiled

Well-Known Member
farmingfisherman said:
Nice looking flower! If your grow skills are as good as your photography skills you are going to go far!
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Thanks, I figured it would be hard to show mold from a picture, but I thought it was worth a shot. I'm shooting pics with a Nikon DSLR and an old Macro lens from the 60's. These are just snapshots, no flash or lighting used and the pics are a little over exposed. I appreciate the compliment though !

I'm going to take a chance and smoke this even though it has a slight musty/earthy Odor. I may be over thinking things as I always do. Thanks all !
 
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