trying to perfect my drying/curing process. Tips? Tricks?

[superhighme]

So. Ive got some grows under my belt and of course Ive learned from each grow, but I think my drying and curing is still not adequate.

When I harvest the plant. I cut it at the base and trim off most of the leaf matter. I hang it upside down in a dark (not humid) closet and I have used a fan (not pointing at it but in there for circulation. Ive tested different methods, but it seems that if I hang it for more than 3 days... its almost crumbly when touched.

Ill be harvesting in probably 2-3 weeks and Id like to be well prepared. Im wondering if I should not use a fan at all to circulate air. its a small clip fan with not much power at all, so I dont see how they could dry SO FAST! Im paranoid about not drying enough and curing bud thats too wet and Im paranoid about drying too much (which I think is my problem right now) and then having the result I had on the last plant I harvested.

Ive read all the guides via RIU and google and they are pretty much all the same, but some advice from someone who has perfected the methods would be great!

Happy Tokin!

 

[regal8r]

ive read that cutting the branches from the main stem will aid in faster drying, but if youre trying a whole plant in 3 days i wouldnt worry about it lol. i wouldnt worry about drying too much or not enough..you can always add or take away moisture..

my $.02

 

[Da Superman]

Well You could cure them in mason jars will take longer but probably wont dry out as quick

 

[jgrows4u]

ive read that cutting the branches from the main stem will aid in faster drying, but if youre trying a whole plant in 3 days i wouldnt worry about it lol. i wouldnt worry about drying too much or not enough..you can always add or take away moisture..

my $.02

yes I agree whatI do is cut the plant cut the branches trim the leaves hang the buds and wait 2 weeks then if to dry I place in a plastic bag with apple slices or orange peelings if the buds need to be drier keep them hanging

 

[jgrows4u]

Well You could cure them in mason jars will take longer but probably wont dry out as quick

you cure after you dry.

 

[more4u2c]

the idea is to keep the plant alive as long as possible. The longer it stays alive the more the plant breaks down its starches and surgers and makes for a better smoke. if its drying in three days the closet is too hot and humidity too low. you want it to be under 72 degrees with moderate humidity and as you go you slowly raise the temp and lower the humidity. the fan stays in the room keeping the air moving so that mold doesnt start to grow on the plant. and you keep the branches on the main stem you can cut the leafs but keep the branches on the stem. If done correctly the main stem should dry out first. Caused by the plant still being alive its sucking everything out of the main stem thus the stem drys first once that happens then cut them off the stem and hang till the branches are almost to the point of snapping when bent. then its time for the mason jars. put everything in the jar and seal it up for about one or two hours a day open the jar and let it air out shake it around a bit then close it back up repeat this till the buds are at the moisture level you like and then your done. the main idea you need to understand is fast dry harsh hit slowest dry smooth hit. I have been able to make a dry cure time last me a month and although it took lots of patients it was the most smoothest smoke I ever had. the best way you can tell if you did it right is when you lets say smoke a bowl out of a pipe the ash should be all white if your ash is black thats the sugar and starches that are still left in the plant. good luck and just remember take it as slow as possible.

 

[crazy7605150]

nice tip more4u2c.... i kinda have same prob as superhighme does... my nugs dries to a crips in 4 days.. i used one of those portable closets thats a material that air passes thru easly tho... and i did have my ceiling fan on most of the time... and i do live in 80+ weather and i cut of main stem and i think i did almost everything u said not to do... lol.... hmm maybe i should rethink all that next time huh... lol

 

[somebody041]

the idea is to keep the plant alive as long as possible. The longer it stays alive the more the plant breaks down its starches and surgers and makes for a better smoke. if its drying in three days the closet is too hot and humidity too low. you want it to be under 72 degrees with moderate humidity and as you go you slowly raise the temp and lower the humidity. the fan stays in the room keeping the air moving so that mold doesnt start to grow on the plant. and you keep the branches on the main stem you can cut the leafs but keep the branches on the stem. If done correctly the main stem should dry out first. Caused by the plant still being alive its sucking everything out of the main stem thus the stem drys first once that happens then cut them off the stem and hang till the branches are almost to the point of snapping when bent. then its time for the mason jars. put everything in the jar and seal it up for about one or two hours a day open the jar and let it air out shake it around a bit then close it back up repeat this till the buds are at the moisture level you like and then your done. the main idea you need to understand is fast dry harsh hit slowest dry smooth hit. I have been able to make a dry cure time last me a month and although it took lots of patients it was the most smoothest smoke I ever had. the best way you can tell if you did it right is when you lets say smoke a bowl out of a pipe the ash should be all white if your ash is black thats the sugar and starches that are still left in the plant. good luck and just remember take it as slow as possible.

wow, thanks!

 

[Jerry Garcia]

So. Ive got some grows under my belt and of course Ive learned from each grow, but I think my drying and curing is still not adequate.

When I harvest the plant. I cut it at the base and trim off most of the leaf matter. I hang it upside down in a dark (not humid) closet and I have used a fan (not pointing at it but in there for circulation. Ive tested different methods, but it seems that if I hang it for more than 3 days... its almost crumbly when touched.

Ill be harvesting in probably 2-3 weeks and Id like to be well prepared. Im wondering if I should not use a fan at all to circulate air. its a small clip fan with not much power at all, so I dont see how they could dry SO FAST! Im paranoid about not drying enough and curing bud thats too wet and Im paranoid about drying too much (which I think is my problem right now) and then having the result I had on the last plant I harvested.

Ive read all the guides via RIU and google and they are pretty much all the same, but some advice from someone who has perfected the methods would be great!

Happy Tokin!

You're little clip fan should be fine. You just want air moving around/near the buds, so don't point it directly at the buds.

Buds dry at different rates, so treat them as such. Big buds take longer. Smaller buds can be dry in a couple days.

Contrary to more4u2c's post, the stem DOES NOT dry out first. The exterior of the bud does. The whole point of curing is to DRAW THE MOISTURE FROM THE CENTER OF THE BUD TO THE EXTERIOR. After a few days drying the exterior of your bud will feel crispy, but the interior (and STEM) will still be bendy because there is moisture in it. If the stem snaps (I mean really snaps, like almost clean in two...) before you start curing it means the buds have dried out too much. If this happens, just add some fresh stems/leaves to your jars to add a little moisture back into the buds.

Doing a full 30-day cure is VITAL to any crop. It activates dormant THC within the bud and draws out the true taste and flavor of the bud. Once the exterior of the bud is a little crisp and the stem is still bendy, you want to begin curing in air tight glass containers (mason jars are cheap and perfect for this).

Simply place your dried/manicured buds into jars, no more than 3/4 full and tightly seal. If you open the jar too much the buds will dry out, and if you don't open them enough you will get mold (especially the first few days to a week). Don't miss a day! Note: If you have lots of buds in a jar you may want to remove them from the jar during "burping" (when you open them daily) and lay them on a table for a few minutes. This reduces the risk of mold where two buds touch.

You've probably done and read all this before. Slow and steady wins the race. If your buds are drying too quick raise the humidity...try and keep it between 45-55%. Temp should be in the mid to upper 70's (not only 72 degrees as more4u2c indicated...I dried at 80-83 and my buds are fine...but mid 70's is ideal).

Good luck

 

[superhighme]

You're little clip fan should be fine. You just want air moving around/near the buds, so don't point it directly at the buds.

Buds dry at different rates, so treat them as such. Big buds take longer. Smaller buds can be dry in a couple days.

Contrary to more4u2c's post, the stem DOES NOT dry out first. The exterior of the bud does. The whole point of curing is to DRAW THE MOISTURE FROM THE CENTER OF THE BUD TO THE EXTERIOR. After a few days drying the exterior of your bud will feel crispy, but the interior (and STEM) will still be bendy because there is moisture in it. If the stem snaps (I mean really snaps, like almost clean in two...) before you start curing it means the buds have dried out too much. If this happens, just add some fresh stems/leaves to your jars to add a little moisture back into the buds.

Doing a full 30-day cure is VITAL to any crop. It activates dormant THC within the bud and draws out the true taste and flavor of the bud. Once the exterior of the bud is a little crisp and the stem is still bendy, you want to begin curing in air tight glass containers (mason jars are cheap and perfect for this).

Simply place your dried/manicured buds into jars, no more than 3/4 full and tightly seal. If you open the jar too much the buds will dry out, and if you don't open them enough you will get mold (especially the first few days to a week). Don't miss a day! Note: If you have lots of buds in a jar you may want to remove them from the jar during "burping" (when you open them daily) and lay them on a table for a few minutes. This reduces the risk of mold where two buds touch.

You've probably done and read all this before. Slow and steady wins the race. If your buds are drying too quick raise the humidity...try and keep it between 45-55%. Temp should be in the mid to upper 70's (not only 72 degrees as more4u2c indicated...I dried at 80-83 and my buds are fine...but mid 70's is ideal).

Good luck

Thank you. Yeah. My bud dries fast and its not as if Im intending to rush it. I just have seen people say it takes a while and then I check and after 3 days its dry and close to brittle by then.

I was using the closet in my living room. I dont live in a hot climate ALTHOUGH its summer so right now it is hot, but I dont think that closet has enough humidity. I have two grow spaces that have good humidity, but I dont want light to hit the drying plants obviously and there isn't anywhere dark near the rooms that are dark 24/7. SO I guess Ill have to start figuring out a more humid spot to put them.

Thanks for all the help. Ill let you know how it goes after I harvest. hopefully I get it right this time

+rep

 

[reeferMaster]

thats what ruined your weed then its not suposed to dry out that fast. no fans are nessecery. just maybe an open window if the wethers not humid. put them in a cool room and hang up mini close lines. i hang up the plant first for a week. then i will cut all the branches off and hang them throwing away the stalk and fan leaves/ dead leaves. i save all my shake leaves for keif/hash.let dry for another week untill buds have taken shape. i will then try trimming all the buds thats dryist the fastest as it is loseing all of its natrual moisture. i then jar it and lock it in the safe for a day or 2 maybe longer depending on how dry it is. then i have 2 open the jars and sometime let them sit out 2 so called burping the jar, letting the excess moisture excape repeat this application for all buds as when curing for me i realize that not all buds are the same dry. so by letting it all sit in a jar closed it remoistend all the bud evenly and then by burping excess moisture you can choose how moist and sticky you want your weed 2 be. i enjoy burning moist sticky weed becasue because it saves the aroma and burns alot slower. i get so riped on a half a joint i have 2 save the other half be cuase i cant even see strait. i hope this helps its always worked for me . and if you do jar up weed thats 2 wet dont forget about it or u can ruin the whole jar thankfully ive never done that. good luck i hope u enjoy my experience

 

[bulletproofhoodies]

i have read before that its good to go back and forth from drying to curing a couple of times (or as many times as you want) becuase when the outside of the bud is crisy the core of the bud is still retaining moisture but when you cure the buds it redistributes this moisture all over the buds. take them out of the jars and lay them out on a drying rack or newspaper and wait until the outside of the buds is crispy again then repeat until desired bud consistency

 

[superhighme]

i have read before that its good to go back and forth from drying to curing a couple of times (or as many times as you want) becuase when the outside of the bud is crisy the core of the bud is still retaining moisture but when you cure the buds it redistributes this moisture all over the buds. take them out of the jars and lay them out on a drying rack or newspaper and wait until the outside of the buds is crispy again then repeat until desired bud consistency

I have read that too. Like... curing them and them putting them in a brown sack to dry a bit then back into a jar.

I dunno. Im guessing my dry area is too cool. and needs a little more humidity than what it has because I seriously cant go more than a few days hanging before they are close to dry. but not stem snapping dry. the stems just bend. but the exterior of the plants are crumbly and I know they arent supposed to do that.

 

[reeferMaster]

haha the humidity dosent really matter. you can always remoisten it with bread. paper bags are dumb unless you want 2 dry small amounts fast. you want the bud 2 dry just slow like 2 weeks slow expect it to take 2 weeks 2 dry dont rush it. the room temp should be as cool as possible like 60 degrees.. it sound like you just think thier dry!!! you want the buds to fully form and dense and the stem should be around snapping point before you cure it. you should be able 2 dry it 2 its perfect moisture in the jar so that means it should be just dry enough to fill the jar so that u can open it to let excess moisture... leave most of the leaf material on it so it takes longer 2 dry. the plant acually finishs growing while you dry it hairs are not important like the bud part is so when you pick them just right they should still have some white hairs. by hanging them up side down in the cold dark alows them 2 fully fishish budding and all the rest of the hairs should turn brown. every body has different ways to drying buds bud. but some bud is just better then others, good luck peace.

 

[reeferMaster]

cureing them is letting them dry correctly and sealing so it is fresh and is ready for proper smoke or sale

 

[Jerry Garcia]

Thank you. Yeah. My bud dries fast and its not as if Im intending to rush it. I just have seen people say it takes a while and then I check and after 3 days its dry and close to brittle by then.

I was using the closet in my living room. I dont live in a hot climate ALTHOUGH its summer so right now it is hot, but I dont think that closet has enough humidity. I have two grow spaces that have good humidity, but I dont want light to hit the drying plants obviously and there isn't anywhere dark near the rooms that are dark 24/7. SO I guess Ill have to start figuring out a more humid spot to put them.

Thanks for all the help. Ill let you know how it goes after I harvest. hopefully I get it right this time

+rep

Back at ya. Good luck.

 

[superhighme]

haha the humidity dosent really matter. you can always remoisten it with bread. paper bags are dumb unless you want 2 dry small amounts fast. you want the bud 2 dry just slow like 2 weeks slow expect it to take 2 weeks 2 dry dont rush it. the room temp should be as cool as possible like 60 degrees.. it sound like you just think thier dry!!! you want the buds to fully form and dense and the stem should be around snapping point before you cure it. you should be able 2 dry it 2 its perfect moisture in the jar so that means it should be just dry enough to fill the jar so that u can open it to let excess moisture... leave most of the leaf material on it so it takes longer 2 dry. the plant acually finishs growing while you dry it hairs are not important like the bud part is so when you pick them just right they should still have some white hairs. by hanging them up side down in the cold dark alows them 2 fully fishish budding and all the rest of the hairs should turn brown. every body has different ways to drying buds bud. but some bud is just better then others, good luck peace.

I know when to harvest and how to hang them. the problem isnt that. the problem is that...even if I just hang them for 1-2 days...they will be very close to dry. so im trying to figure out ways to slow it down. you're saying it like Im trying to make the process fast which Im not. Im doing things by the book and it just dries fast. thats why Im trying to attempt different ways to dry it.

and its also really hard to read your replies because its like one long run on sentence. but thanks for attempting.

 

[mp377t]

I'm a newb myself but even I was getting a kick out of some of your replies you've gotten. I hope your next drying goes slower for you. Could you put a couple containers of water in the closet to slightly raise the humidity, but not so much as to make the bud moldy/rot? I was going to say a humidifer but im guessing your asking for mold with one of those.

I'm coming up to my first harvest real soon so im getting concerned about this issue myself because I will be drying in a closet. Check out one of my colas I took a picture of a few days ago.

 

[superhighme]

I'm a newb myself but even I was getting a kick out of some of your replies you've gotten. I hope your next drying goes slower for you. Could you put a couple containers of water in the closet to slightly raise the humidity, but not so much as to make the bud moldy/rot? I was going to say a humidifer but im guessing your asking for mold with one of those.

I'm coming up to my first harvest real soon so im getting concerned about this issue myself because I will be drying in a closet. Check out one of my colas I took a picture of a few days ago.

Yeah. I think I'll have to end up putting them in a closet thats NEAR but not in by grow areas because near those areas its a little warmer and more humid. I had it in a closet that isn't near them and I think the air is just too cool or something. However I have dried in other closets and my first grow was actually my BEST grow out of all of them. I dont get that, but whatever. I did something right. Problem is the closet I used back then is not available now.

Ill have to come up with SOMETHING!

 

[reeferMaster]

haha this is funny... like i said the room should be 60 deggrees . if you r going to use that closet you mite as well buy a bud drying machine. my point is you cant let it dry that fast or it wont be as good. air conditioning? celler. cold shed. bud can be dryed basically any where. if it drys 2 fast just stick part of a pice of bread in your jar and take the bread out when it gets dry. and then re seal it with moisture and keep jar closed for a week and then reopen it.=cured weed. how cold is it under your house? make a window screen coverd box with shelves and slide it under the house lol good luck sorry for all the post. ive just had succes in the drying and cureing side of growing as i searched for the correct way 2 do it and followed step by step and it really works good luck.