Anecdote time!
The first strain I grew was Jack Herer. I didn't know what to expect and when it came to the harvest/cure I just followed the same ol information that is in that guide and that is usually repeated in these threads. I waited until the stem snapped, I tried both jar and bag sweats to see what I liked. And I tried the vacuum sealing for a while to get the "full cure" going.
What I found is that while there was still moisture left in my jack nugs when I would sweat them, there just wasn't a whole lot. What came of it is that when I grind them I get that nice lemony jack smell, but the nug itself just smells very earthy and almost smell-less. I accepted it as it was, and it never seemed to improve despite my attempts.
I then grew a more indica strain. The nugs this puppy produced were a whole lot denser. When I followed the "guide" in this case, it produces yummy flavor and even though I hate the word, very dank yet enjoyable smell.
The key wasn't the strain directly as it was it's density. If you have thick buds, you will need to let them dry longer. If you have fluffier ones, they will dry long before the stem does.
I have started jar curing the Jack's WAY early in terms of the guide, but with proper attention, mold is avoided and enough moisture is left in the buds to do their magic. The result is much better.
So, this will really depend on your buds themselves. If they are fluffy, then you don't need to dry for very long and can start the cure early, and should.
If they are denser, then drying will just dry the outsides quicky, and the insides slowly. It is easy to think they are dry, only to jar them and find condensation on the inside the next day.
My suggestion is to start taking advantage of brown paper bags. Many people use them alone. I am a Jar Cure person, but I use them to slow sweat buds when I know they are not quite ready for the jar, but too dry to just hang.
When you opened the jar the day after canning em, did you run your finger along the inside of the glass and feel for noticable condensation or "slickness"?
