Seems too dry

[Fancyhuh101]

Hi guys , so im 10 days into drying now 2 full plants . They've been drying at 60/60% the whole time. Moisture meter on the bud is reading about 16 -17% so I'm assuming a few more days to go. Is it normal however that touching and feeling the buds they almost seem brittle and too dry . Is this normal ? Will they change at all after curing ? Thx

 

[weedstoner420]

Hi guys , so im 10 days into drying now 2 full plants . They've been drying at 60/60% the whole time. Moisture meter on the bud is reading about 16 -17% so I'm assuming a few more days to go. Is it normal however that touching and feeling the buds they almost seem brittle and too dry . Is this normal ? Will they change at all after curing ? Thx

They might still be moist on the inside, even if they feel dry on the outside. After you cut the buds off of the branches and put them in a jar, the moisture will more evenly distribute

 

[Fancyhuh101]

So I guess when they cure the outsides will regain moisture and even more scent I assume? Because right now they're so brittle on the outside

 

[Fancyhuh101]

Also does anyone else use a moisture meter ? If so what do you guys look for?

 

[Richard Drysift]

Yes they can seem too dry to the touch yet still be too wet to seal in jars. The easiest way to tell is try bending the stems. If the stem bends over and creases without snapping then it’s too wet. If the stems break when bent over and audibly snap you can seal the bud in jars without worrying too much about mold. Even then I don’t put the lid on tight just yet. Trim the buds and fill the jars only 3/4 full; place the lids upside down leaving a small half moon gap for air.
Leave jars until next day/morning. Take off the lids and put your face deep in the jar and get a good whiff. If it smells like dank ass weed; you are good to seal up the jars tightly. If it smells like hay that is mold & now everything is fucked. Hygrometers can steer you wrong in my experience. Letting it hang long enough is the key. Over drying is almost non existent. A Boveda pack or even just dropping a fresh green leaf in the jar is enough to make the bud supple again and preserve terpenes.

 

[weedstoner420]

When folks say wait until the stems snap rather than bend, they're referring to the tiny stem at the base of each bud that connects it to the branch, right? I feel like if you wait until any of the larger stems snap, it's way too dry...

 

[Fancyhuh101]

Yes they can seem too dry to the touch yet still be too wet to seal in jars. The easiest way to tell is try bending the stems. If the stem bends over and creases without snapping then it’s too wet. If the stems break when bent over and audibly snap you can seal the bud in jars without worrying too much about mold. Even then I don’t put the lid on tight just yet. Trim the buds and fill the jars only 3/4 full; place the lids upside down leaving a small half moon gap for air.
Leave jars until next day/morning. Take off the lids and put your face deep in the jar and get a good whiff. If it smells like dank ass weed; you are good to seal up the jars tightly. If it smells like hay that is mold & now everything is fucked. Hygrometers can steer you wrong in my experience. Letting it hang long enough is the key. Over drying is almost non existent. A Boveda pack or even just dropping a fresh green leaf in the jar is enough to make the bud supple again and preserve terpenes.

Thanks for the insight and info man ! I'm planning to give the Grove Bags a shot for curing. Only hearing great things and just makes it too easy

 

[Fancyhuh101]

When folks say wait until the stems snap rather than bend, they're referring to the tiny stem at the base of each bud that connects it to the branch, right? I feel like if you wait until any of the larger stems snap, it's way too dry...

This is where I believe a moisture meter comes in super hand . Because with it you can check the stem before the bud . It should read 13-14% from what I understand and the bud 12% . But it can be tricky getting a good reading from the bud . The larger the stem , the longer it will take to dry . Moisture meter can help you cure at the right moment.

 

[Richard Drysift]

Thanks for the insight and info man ! I'm planning to give the Grove Bags a shot for curing. Only hearing great things and just makes it too easy

Mason jars got terplock tech too. Bags that seal are not revolutionary but hey it’s your money

 

[Fancyhuh101]

So im on day 12 of drying and the buds don't seem any more dry . How long generally would a whole plant take ? I'll post a picture

 

[Herb & Suds]

What happened to all the fan leaves ?
They help the cure and aid in flavor and aroma when slow dried

 

[Fancyhuh101]

I did trim the majority of leaves off before drying.

 

[Fancyhuh101]

I did trim the majority of leaves off before drying.

But I didn't know that and good to know . I have a skittlez plant done in 2 days , I'll be keeping the leaves on that for sure

 

[Jjgrow420]

Grove bags are super easy they regulate the humidity and exchange gas without having to open them. They aren't your regular Ziploc bags that's for sure
I used to only use jars. I don't use jars at all anymore only grove bags.

 

[Fangthane]

I'm about a month into my first time using Grove bags. So far, so good. Opened a couple up a week or so ago to pull out some nugs to pop into jars. Stuff was still nice and fresh. Here in the desert, even in the large half-gallon jars I was using, shit would still end up drying noticeably within a month.

 

[Fancyhuh101]

Yah I ordered the Grove Bags for the curing . Will the aroma and scent and life come back to the back during curing? Right now the stuff is looking kind of bad

 

[Jjgrow420]

Yah I ordered the Grove Bags for the curing . Will the aroma and scent and life come back to the back during curing? Right now the stuff is looking kind of bad

If you over dry, or dry too fast, you 'burn off' alot of Terps. Drying in proper temp/humidity is the key for preserving as many Terps as possible. Once they evaporate they are gone.

 

[Fangthane]

Once they evaporate they are gone.

When I was reading a bunch of reviews on Boveda packs, I saw some people saying that they managed to turn tasteless, brittle old buds to looking and tasting like new. Seemed like bullshit to me. Happened to have an old bag with a couple ounces of White Widow in it that I hadn't touched in months. Super dry shit. Popped a couple Bovedas in there just for shits and giggles to see what would happen. Within a few days the bud was much fluffier and looked more appealing. But yeah, still tasted like shit.

 

[DeadHeadX]

I rarely go 10 days before testing them in jars and/or Grove Bags. Better to start the cure a bit too moist than too dry, imo. Only one is really correctable.

 

[green_machine_two9er]

When folks say wait until the stems snap rather than bend, they're referring to the tiny stem at the base of each bud that connects it to the branch, right? I feel like if you wait until any of the larger stems snap, it's way too dry...

Not me. I refer to the branch itself. If you get there slow it will enhance the cure imo.

I use a meter for reference and snap for the judge.
Also sometimes a joint test is in order. If it burns normal and you can put it in an ashtray for a minute pick it up and still smoking your in The window.
Edit: 10-12% is a good rule of thumb