Does curing really make a big difference? +++rep

[Dirt Bikin Buds]

I usually dry my stuff and smoke it. It smells like hay the first couple days then when its dry it has little smell at all and smokes great. Does curing just give it smell or does it add to potency too?

Basically what does jar curing do to the bud? When is the best time to put it in the jar?

Thanks +rep to all
DBB

 

[letitgrow77]

Curing is the way to go, my smoke is 100 times better after it sits in jars for a couple of wks. Jar it after its totally dried. Burp it a couple times a day...you won't be disappointed. The hardest part is the wait.

 

[RawBudzski]

Your Bud gets more POTENT as it Dries. the THC becomes more Active in the drying process. so in a sense yes. but still PPL cure for the Aroma, Taste and such. if its your Personals go ahead but if you wanna impress friends with your Own smoke, Cure it

 

[darkdestruction420]

Curing is a must imo, its the difference between bad tasting unsmooth less potent bud and killer shit that gets you ripped as fuck.

 

[Oldreefer]

I always cure mine. If you want to actually determine the difference your self.....after drying, smoke a bowl, throw rest of it in a jar to cure.....opening every 12 hours to air out.....try a bowl every 12 hours.....it should get smoother and smoother to smoke and the high will change considerably.
I have friends who smoke it as they dry it but due to my advice, have begun including some cure time. My fav bud from last year was cured 6 months.......IMHO...there is no option to curing properly...the best bang for the buck.....

 

[ChubbySoap]

curing is fully 1/2 of the grow bro...

 

[Dirt Bikin Buds]

Sounds like I'm curing my shit! Rep+ thanks!

Is there a recommended time frame?(2 weeks? 6 weeks?) Burp it every 12 hours the whole time or what?

I have some now that is dry on the outside but the stem still bends, this is the best time to cure right?

 

[growman09]

no wait until the stem snaps cause when you close it up in the jar the moisture makes evrything wet again and youll have to worry about mold more

 

[racerboy71]

Sounds like I'm curing my shit! Rep+ thanks!

Is there a recommended time frame?(2 weeks? 6 weeks?) Burp it every 12 hours the whole time or what?

I have some now that is dry on the outside but the stem still bends, this is the best time to cure right?

it depends.. some peps like to say wait till the stem snaps, and others say a lil sooner... i personally like mine a lil before the stems snap, i just open my jars more often and even leave the lids off for the first couple of days.. i find that if i wait till the stems snap, the buds get overly dry..
i also find that three weeks is the minimum amount of time for a nice cure.. any less than that and the flavor and taste just aren't there...

 

[darkdestruction420]

most people prefer the stems to be bendy while the outside of the buds feel fairly crisp, really i think its more of a personal choice. i like it best if they still bend, it seems to work better for me personally.

 

[Fluxcap]

cured weeds
burns smoother
taste better
smells better

I let mine get evenly dry, cure it until its a little to dry then ad a small orange peel to the jar for an hour or two.

Then the buds are evenly soft but not dry and flaky.

 

[Oldreefer]

My techniques are: allow buds to dry to a outside crispy feel....jar'em....open in 12 hrs....if buds are a bit damp again (they should be), I lay'em out on a tray or in a paper bag......depends on amount of moisture showing back up, jar again for 12 hrs...open and check moisture of buds again....continue until the buds are as you want them.......since I only vape, I like my bud to be a bit drier then normal.....

 

[The.Smokerator]

Curing makes your smoke better and more potent...period. But just keepin it real, my last grow wasn't cured and it had SUPER flavor and smoothness. However the ones that did cure, seemed to have WAAAAY more of a "Damn, I'm too high" potency...So I know for a fact it makes your shit more potent...Flavor is usually already there by the time it's dry for me.Oh yeah, Curing makes your shit smell better too.

 

[Auzzie07]

Your Bud gets more POTENT as it Dries. the THC becomes more Active in the drying process. so in a sense yes. but still PPL cure for the Aroma, Taste and such. if its your Personals go ahead but if you wanna impress friends with your Own smoke, Cure it

It does not get more potent, it may increase smoothness, taste, or burn-ability, but as far as more potent, that would imply an increase in trichomes, which is simply not true.

 

[RawBudzski]

THE 1st WEEK OF DRYING. it does get more potent. THC becomes more active as it DRIES. so fresh bud off a plant is not as POTENT as week old drying plant

It does not get more potent, it may increase smoothness, taste, or burn-ability, but as far as more potent, that would imply an increase in trichomes, which is simply not true.

 

[Auzzie07]

THE 1st WEEK OF DRYING. it does get more potent. THC becomes more active as it DRIES. so fresh bud off a plant is not as POTENT as week old drying plant

Find me a scholarly/scientific journal or publishing to back it up.

 

[RawBudzski]

i see what your talking about.. but talking about the Effectiveness of the potency then. its not as effective when moist and the THC has not dried

 

[RawBudzski]

Google it man. I thought it was common sense of growing and harvesting. If you pick a piece of bud off a plant, the THC is not at 100% of its full potential. THC becomes more active when dried. Thats a fact.

 

[darkdestruction420]

It does not get more potent, it may increase smoothness, taste, or burn-ability, but as far as more potent, that would imply an increase in trichomes, which is simply not true.

It does not increase trichomes, thats not what he said.

Cannabinoid Conversion

Naturally,as the metabolic processes continue during curing, the conversion ofcannabergerol to tetrahydrocannabinol will continue and the potency ofthe pot will increase. This is because cannabergerol (CBG) is thenon-psychoactive precursor for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Of course,the exact change in THC content will necessarily be dependant upon theconcentration of CBG in the fresh material at harvest. Of course anyremaining precursors necessary to form additional cannabidiol (CBD) andother cannabinoids will also be consumed and converted.

Beaware though if curing is excessively prolonged (most connoisseurswould agree after 6 months no more benefit could be had from curing),the conversion of THC to non-psychoactive cannabinol (CBN) will occur.The exact rate of decomposition can vary widely depending on handlingand storage conditions, but can be less than 10% to greater than 40%decomposition per year.

 

[Auzzie07]

It does not increase trichomes, thats not what he said.

Cannabinoid Conversion

Naturally,as the metabolic processes continue during curing, the conversion ofcannabergerol to tetrahydrocannabinol will continue and the potency ofthe pot will increase. This is because cannabergerol (CBG) is thenon-psychoactive precursor for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Of course,the exact change in THC content will necessarily be dependant upon theconcentration of CBG in the fresh material at harvest. Of course anyremaining precursors necessary to form additional cannabidiol (CBD) andother cannabinoids will also be consumed and converted.

Beaware though if curing is excessively prolonged (most connoisseurswould agree after 6 months no more benefit could be had from curing),the conversion of THC to non-psychoactive cannabinol (CBN) will occur.The exact rate of decomposition can vary widely depending on handlingand storage conditions, but can be less than 10% to greater than 40%decomposition per year.

Source?

Also, THC is mainly in the form of THC-COOH (tetrahydrocannabinol carboxylic acid) in plants. Now here is where most people confuse things, I think; there are two things that cause THC-COOH to decarboxylate (turning into an active form of THC for your dome): 1.) Time 2.) Heat.

So, does curing activate THC? Yes. But so does heat, therefore burning some dried bud is going to decarboxylate THC-COOH just as time would. Quick decarboxylation, so to speak.

If someone would, as I mentioned before, post a scientific journal/scholarly publishing refuting this, I would gladly accept my fail-card, and take back my claims.