drying question

[bigseand]

Hello. I have a drying question. When ever I dry and cure the finished product is usually crispy a little harsh with no real flavor.

I hang them in a dark cool room until the stems snap when bent then I put them in jars for about 3-4 weeks. When they are done they weigh barely anything and like I said are harsh with no real flavor.

I had 2 buds looked very similar and both weighed about ten grams wet I gave one to my friend to dry and I kept one. The one he had when finished weighed a little over 3 grams and looked nice and thick high times quality but still seemed a little wet but smoked great and tasted even better.while mine ended up weighing just under a gram and looked and smoked like crap. Now my friend is being a dick and won't tell me what he did. Does anyone know what I'm doing wrong??

 

[shishkaboy]

dont dry so much b4 u jar. and burp the jars as needed until it reaches the consistancy u want

 

[bigseand]

Thanks! by "burp" do you mean open the jars? I try to open them once a day for like a half to a hour. When do you recommend putting them in the jars?

 

[TruenoAE86coupe]

Try jarring sooner and watch super close the first few days, if they are super wet when you open the jar you may need to put them out on a paper plate for a little while (assuming you live in a dry climate sounds like you do). Just make sure they are not soaking wet and make sure you open the jars just long enough to get the old air out and any further moisture you want out. you really need to feel the buds not just follow a regiment. You felt what his came out like now you have a goal.
On a side note, don't give that dick anything else, make him pay!!!

 

[bigseand]

It seems like everyone around here sells their stuff still somewhat wet. Like the higher the price the wetter it is. I was always under the assumption that the dryer the better.

 

[RohanVD86]

It seems like everyone around here sells their stuff still somewhat wet. Like the higher the price the wetter it is. I was always under the assumption that the dryer the better.

Not really. Nice, fresh, smelly bud is want you want. dry stuff means it's been sitting around a while. especially in bags with a lot of shake.

 

[gobbly]

+1, sounds like you are letting it get too dry before jars. The moisture is what induces the cure, so you want it dry enough to not rot before going into jars, then use burping (or lack thereof) to prolong the continued drying as long as possible. How dry is a matter of taste, but most people want it to be semi spongy when done; if you lightly squeeze it, it shouldn't crumble. Some want it to stay spongy if you squeeze hard, some want it to start to crumble with more pressure, that's where taste usually comes in. The longer the cure, typically the better the flavor and odor.

edit: on the question of price and wetness, keep in mind that a proper cure should not be wet. In fact, wet weed is just making the bud matter you buy cost more since you're paying for moisture. You might get some good wet weed, but if you properly cure it you'll find you lost some weight, and it was much more pleasant to smoke, and might even be more potent.

 

[bigseand]

+1, sounds like you are letting it get too dry before jars. The moisture is what induces the cure, so you want it dry enough to not rot before going into jars, then use burping (or lack thereof) to prolong the continued drying as long as possible. How dry is a matter of taste, but most people want it to be semi spongy when done; if you lightly squeeze it, it shouldn't crumble. Some want it to stay spongy if you squeeze hard, some want it to start to crumble with more pressure, that's where taste usually comes in. The longer the cure, typically the better the flavor and odor.

edit: on the question of price and wetness, keep in mind that a proper cure should not be wet. In fact, wet weed is just making the bud matter you buy cost more since you're paying for moisture. You might get some good wet weed, but if you properly cure it you'll find you lost some weight, and it was much more pleasant to smoke, and might even be more potent.

Great answer. I was looking for it to be semi spongy. When is a good time to cure it if I was looking for it to finish semi spongy? Like what should I look for

 

[racerboy71]

spongy is good.. i don't like that stem snapping rule of thumb personally... i feel like its too long and too dry.. you know how the buds look completely wet after you first cut them and you can tell they are still super wet? well, once that new cut look goes away and they start to actually resemble bud you may smoke, i start to put them into jars.. sometimes, i will just put them into the jars for the first day or two with no lid on the jar.. every several hours, i will dump the buds out and rearrange them and put them back into the jars.. after maybe a day or two of the no lids, depending on how wet it still seems, i will put lids on and begin the burp process..
its kinda hard to explain how to cure and what to look for.. but for you i would maybe cut you dry time in half and see what that does for you..

 

[bigseand]

Sounds good thanks

 

[gobbly]

Great answer. I was looking for it to be semi spongy. When is a good time to cure it if I was looking for it to finish semi spongy? Like what should I look for

what the guy above said

Also you want to keep in mind there is no set answer. The #1 factors influencing it are going to be your ambient humidity and temp, but also airflow, bud density, and other things all play into it. I don't like the stem snap either, it's too dry for me, but I live in a very dry climate, in a humid climate I'm sure I'd want them more dry before jars. Unfortunately, you just have to get an idea of what you are looking for, then learn from each round of curing you do If you know someone in your area you can trust with more experience, ask for some input, they will have a much better handle on your local environment.