best temp n humidity for drying / curing ???

Know One

Know One

Well-Known Member
a senile fungus said:
Do you have a source for that info, or just personal opinion?

I would NEVER leave humid buds in a jar and not burp them for a week! Yes, the bovedas work great, but they work slowly, and have a limit to how much moisture they can give out and absorb.

I feel it's best to get your buds near where you want them, then, once the risk of mold has passed, then leave them in the jar with the bovedas.
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Yes, I am the source and I am speaking from experience. With all due respect, the discussion is about curing with Boveda packets, right?
I was talking about just curing with Boveda, not using them to dry your buds.
When I did my experiment with the Boveda packets, I put the bud in a container (after drying) at about 68%rh. I also gently moved container appropriately during process to insure buds had some movement in the container.
As I mentioned, I still prefer the old school curing for smaller amounts just for peace of mind, but I did try the Boveda challenge and found it to work better than expected.
I also tried a large packet (they come for small and larger containers) in a 5 gallon bucket with a twist down lid, left unopened a week. It worked very well for the amount if handling larger quantities.
 
a senile fungus

a senile fungus

Well-Known Member
Know One said:
Yes, I am the source and I am speaking from experience. With all due respect, the discussion is about curing with Boveda packets, right?
I was talking about just curing with Boveda, not using them to dry your buds.
When I did my experiment with the Boveda packets, I put the bud in a container (after drying) at about 68%rh. I also gently moved container appropriately during process to insure buds had some movement in the container.
As I mentioned, I still prefer the old school curing for smaller amounts just for peace of mind, but I did try the Boveda challenge and found it to work better than expected.
I also tried a large packet (they come for small and larger containers) in a 5 gallon bucket with a twist down lid, left unopened a week. It worked very well for the amount if handling larger quantities.
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ah ok! i thought that you were recommending that people just place the wet buds into the jar with boveda pack. i was like noooooooooooo!

and thanks for the info about the 5gal buckets. i just picked up ten of them, with the airtight lids, for ten bucks. i wanted to see how they did for curing and storing...

thanks for remaining civil! lol, sometimes its rare round these parts!
 
Delta1+8

Delta1+8

New Member
Captain Greenbeard said:
Hello guys! First of all I'd like to say that I am setting up my first grow room right now and have been investing quite a lot of money, time and effort into this. I have been doing research for about 2 years leading up to this so besides being a smoker for the past 14 years most of my knowledge concerning cultivation, drying, curing and storing is theoretical.

There is however something that I'd like to clear up that seem to be forgotten very often when people talk about RH (Relative Humidity) and that is the fact that it's relative :wink: i.e. relative to the temperature. So 65% RH in a room that is kept at a temperature of 20°C (68°F) is not the same amount of moisture as 65% RH in a room that is kept at a temperature of 15°C (59°F). The warmer the air is the more moisture it can hold i.e. 100% RH will then be more actual moisture than 100% RH in a room with a lower temperature.

The reason I want to point this out is because there's soooo many websites, blogs and forums out there that talk about what RH you should aim for during curing. Most of them are basically ball park estimates such as "55-65%RH" etc. And while everyone is talking about temperatures in relation to humidity when it comes to growing or drying - no one is talking about temperatures for curing!? Some people will give you ball park estimates about the temps when curing and the same goes for RH but I'd like to find the absolute best RH for curing and then I also need to know the temperature that goes along with that RH.

The first place who have dared to give a precise number is Boveda who sell a product specifically intended for storing cannabis and they say it's 62% RH. However, when asked about the temperature they say that their product works fine within a wide range of temperatures.... Sigh.... So not even the experts that have products intended for storing cigars, cannabis and whatnot - knows what RH is!? How can this be? Is there something I've missed?

Anyway, the reason I want to find out what the optimal temperature is for curing is because IF Boveda's number (62%) is correct and their product can hold this RH then it should mean that there's no need to burp the jars at all. The reason anyone burps their jars (as you all probably know) is due to the fact that there's excessive moisture left in the stems and even some in the core of the buds and as the buds are sealed up in air tight containers this moisture works its way out through the buds, making them wet again. So you open the jars to let this excess moisture escape and then seal it up again. But, from many experts I've been in contact with they say that the curing is mainly a process where anaerobic bacteria feeds off of left-over chlorophyll, sugars and starch and as these bacteria are anaerobic it means they need to do their thing in an air free environment (anaerobic means living without air). So in this regard the burping is actually counter productive to what you're trying to achieve, it is however a necessary evil due to the fact that if you didn't burp the jars mold would form on the buds and you lose your harvest. But if Boveda's product could take care of the excess moisture for us it would mean that we don't have to burp the jars and the anaerobic bacteria can do its thing until the curing process is finished. All we need to do is sit back and await the finished product.

But for this to be possible we need to also know the exact temperature that goes along with that 62% that Boveda claims and... Well, they seemed quite stumped when I wrote to them. They have now handed over my questions to their chemists that will get back to me after the holidays.

Anyways, any thoughts on this?
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Hello there good sir! I'm definitely not a newb and I'm not a botanist either but ... I always work in a space where it is completely climate controlled and I've learned over that years that whether veg'n, flowering, drying or curing... it's environment, environment, environment and complete or relative control of all the factors therein. Granted, I know that option may not be available to beginners or peeps just trying to grow some personal meds with not a lot of cash in hand or to spare... but rather than spinning the wheels so to speak... make sure that's your first and largest investment of time, money and the like. Here in the West Coast/So Cal and have done the same in the Bay Area... I have seen Grade A results with 72 degrees and 55% RH... if either fluctuate... make sure to have the other do so accordingly if at all possible (like what you already stated that humidity is relative etc...). Cheers! There's something to learn from everyone and would urge those of us who are more experienced in the arts to not be a d*ckhead to those interested in learning or experimenting. Just sayin'... we all been there. Peace ya'll.
 
Delta1+8

Delta1+8

New Member
Delta1+8 said:
Hello there good sir! I'm definitely not a newb and I'm not a botanist either but ... I always work in a space where it is completely climate controlled and I've learned over that years that whether veg'n, flowering, drying or curing... it's environment, environment, environment and complete or relative control of all the factors therein. Granted, I know that option may not be available to beginners or peeps just trying to grow some personal meds with not a lot of cash in hand or to spare... but rather than spinning the wheels so to speak... make sure that's your first and largest investment of time, money and the like. Here in the West Coast/So Cal and have done the same in the Bay Area... I have seen Grade A results with 72 degrees and 55% RH... if either fluctuate... make sure to have the other do so accordingly if at all possible (like what you already stated that humidity is relative etc...). Cheers! There's something to learn from everyone and would urge those of us who are more experienced in the arts to not be a d*ckhead to those interested in learning or experimenting. Just sayin'... we all been there. Peace ya'll.
Click to expand...
Oh... and once again would like to stress that no matter where you are in altitude, climate etc... ENVIRONMENTAL CONTROL MAKES IT NOT FACTOR INTO THE EQUATION. You may have to drop some dough on dehum, hum, x-ton AC, water chiller or heater etc, etc... but you get my point.
 
Dogenzengi

Dogenzengi

Well-Known Member
DemonTrich said:
you must 1st get the humidity down to about 65% before putting in the packs. then burping 1-2x a day until your gauge reads 55-60%. then seal up, put in dark corner for a couple weeks. then your good to go.
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Staxxx said:
Stickies aren't dogma, stop treating them as such. They provide a solid guideline, and that's about it. Every grower's environment is different. Many variables dictate how and for how long the final product should be dried/cured. Any "sticky" that prescribes rigid numbers fails to take these variables into account.

Also, keep in mind, many personal/hobby growers don't have the luxury of temp/humidity controlled drying rooms etc. So, it is a good idea to leave plants whole (in drier environments) for a nice, slow and even dry.

And please, don't give me the 'trimming dry is a PITA' spiel. It really isn't...
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I agree trimming dry is not a big deal.


I hang my plants whole, 78 degrees and 55% in a dark room with no air movement.
Depending on the plant They come down in 2-4 days.
I take the plants while the stems are still flexible.
I seperate all the branches trim and stack them in a large brown paper bag.
The bag gets folded closed tightly and clipped closed.
The bag is semi permeable so you can smell the last chlorophyll coming thru the bag, 2 days in the bag and then into Mason jars.
I Burp my jars for an hour a day for a week then Once a week for an hour.
My buds are dry and firm and my smoke is smooth.

Many roads lead to the same place.

Bless,
DZ
 
Scottio

Scottio

Member
If I live in a 85 degree temp area, with no ac in my house, and I'm about to harvest and start drying. What do I do? Do I need to buy an ac >:/
 
Qroniq

Qroniq

Member
Hey guys lots of great info here. Special thanks to Captain Greenbeard for pointing out the obvious, yet all too often overlooked fact that humidity is relative. Delta1+8 I completely agree with everything you stated, well said my friend. it is so easy to misinterpret someones intentions with a post when there is no body language associated with it to guide your reaction. For me that is the worst part of public forums such as these. Anyways I digress.

I've read this entire thread because I need to improve my drying/curing method. I've learned several things here that I will employ next go round in hopes of better results. It did get me to wondering however if there is a way to maybe wick the jars somehow to let the moisture still escape without having to burp them daily for curing. Or possibly even a filter that only lets air pass one way? Just kind of wondering out loud.

Thanks again everyone and hope you all have a great day!!
 
since1991

since1991

Well-Known Member
Fuk some frikin Boveda packets unless your newish at this. I mean..they work and all but once ya get the hang of it..forget that shit. Lets just agree on the basics of drying first off...as that is where curing begins. Ideal conditions for drying buds whether you dry trim or wet trim ( dry trim leaves a better product for cure but is slower) is 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit and relative humidity at 45 to 60 %. You can gather from these numbers that 70 temp and 50 % RH is the sweet spot. For most growers a wet trim will take up to 5 to 10 days for stem snap dry or close and for the dry trim crowd 7 to 14 days at these temps and rh numbers. Like the plants while they are growing...buds like consistentcy while drying as well. An air conditoner and/or dehumidifier is your friend and I use both or just one depending on time of year/season. Point being..a dedicated drying area with these 2 appliances being ideal. Some growers in certain dry parts of the world actually need humidifiers to avoid too quick of a dry time. A gentle circulation fan blowing this good air around but not directly on the buds is standard as well. No direct light but it doesnt have to be pitch black like the dark period of a flower room either. Doesnt hurt if it is. But no direct bright light. Follow what I say and jar or bag them buds up once they are stem snap ready or close to it. Monitor the jars daily and use your better judgement from there for the prime product. You will have to "sweat" the jars daily for the first few days for the last moisture content removal. Use your intuition and common sense. You will get good cured buds if you grow and dry them correctly.
 
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SPLFreak808

SPLFreak808

Well-Known Member
since1991 said:
Fuk some frikin Boveda packets unless your newish at this. I mean..they work and all but once ya get the hang of it..forget that shit. Lets just agree on the basics of drying first off...as that is where curing begins. Ideal conditions for drying buds whether you dry trim or wet trim ( dry trim leaves a better product for cure but is slower) is 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit and relative humidity at 45 to 60 %. You can gather from these numbers that 70 temp and 50 % RH is the sweet spot. For most growers a wet trim will take up to 5 to 10 days for stem snap dry or close and for the dry trim crowd 7 to 14 days at these temps and rh numbers. Like the plants while they are growing...buds like consistentcy while drying as well. An air conditoner and/or dehumidifier is your friend and I use both or just one depending on time of year/season. Point being..a dedicated drying area with these 2 appliances being ideal. Some growers in certain dry parts of the world actually need humidifiers to avoid too quick of a dry time. A gentle circulation fan blowing this good air around but not directly on the buds is standard as well. No direct light but it doesnt have to be pitch black like the dark period of a flower room either. Doesnt hurt if it is. But no direct bright light. Follow what I say and jar or bag them buds up once they are stem snap ready or close to it. Monitor the jars daily and use your better judgement from there for the prime product. You will have to "sweat" the jars daily for the first few days for the last moisture content removal. Use your intuition and common sense. You will get good cured buds if you grow and dry them correctly.
Click to expand...
Yup. I cannot stress the importance of correctly timing the dry period according to the environment.

I agree, Bovedas = only really good for storage.

Not sure why people try to force the jars at 62% during the first week of cure lol, its still gotta be burped to get the broken down matter out. Ime can even make some strains taste funny because its sucking up the moisture in the jar but leaving all the gas behind.

Too much moisture can actually accumulate in the boveda pack raising its RH which is no good for a timely cure, you could even accidentally reverse it by leaving it outdoors or in a dry area. A big 62% pack weighs 67 grams when working properly.
 
C

Cody Binette

New Member
puffer1958 said:
65 is better. Usually I see 65-75. Humidity is key. Try for 45-55 humidity.
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Thank you. My basement was a little to dry so I couldn't hang dry for as long as I would have liked to. Definitely going to get a small humidifier for my drying area next harvest. Dried fully in 6 days and have been in jars now for 2 weeks. Ended up turning out pretty damn good. Just waiting for the flavors to fully develop now.
 
P

puffer1958

Member
Watch your humidity. As far as your basement being dry, 6 days indicates that it's not too dry. If it were on the low humidity side it would have dried in 3 or less days. The slower the dry time the better without being so humid that it becomes susceptible to mold (60%+) Good luck
 
B

Beachwalker

Well-Known Member
After trying to deal with 14 - 16% humidity this winter (which filled up my hash bin quick with some overdried bud:wall:)

Inkbird dual controller set for 62% controls humidifier (& dehumidifier if needed)

Hang branches for 3 days, trim (smallest buds may be ready to jar?) big buds go into hanging basket up to three more days or till tested ready by putting in sealed jar with small humidity gauge

Grouping same size buds together on drying rack make it easy to take small buds out first, and the big colas come out last

Then into jars (no bodiva packs, I think they change or take flavor in some way) and then the burping begins
 
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V

Vegasgrowing85

New Member
since1991 said:
Fuk some frikin Boveda packets unless your newish at this. I mean..they work and all but once ya get the hang of it..forget that shit. Lets just agree on the basics of drying first off...as that is where curing begins. Ideal conditions for drying buds whether you dry trim or wet trim ( dry trim leaves a better product for cure but is slower) is 65 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit and relative humidity at 45 to 60 %. You can gather from these numbers that 70 temp and 50 % RH is the sweet spot. For most growers a wet trim will take up to 5 to 10 days for stem snap dry or close and for the dry trim crowd 7 to 14 days at these temps and rh numbers. Like the plants while they are growing...buds like consistentcy while drying as well. An air conditoner and/or dehumidifier is your friend and I use both or just one depending on time of year/season. Point being..a dedicated drying area with these 2 appliances being ideal. Some growers in certain dry parts of the world actually need humidifiers to avoid too quick of a dry time. A gentle circulation fan blowing this good air around but not directly on the buds is standard as well. No direct light but it doesnt have to be pitch black like the dark period of a flower room either. Doesnt hurt if it is. But no direct bright light. Follow what I say and jar or bag them buds up once they are stem snap ready or close to it. Monitor the jars daily and use your better judgement from there for the prime product. You will have to "sweat" the jars daily for the first few days for the last moisture content removal. Use your intuition and common sense. You will get good cured buds if you grow and dry them correctly.
Click to expand...
Sorry if this has already been discussed, but question about light on the buds, maybe I’m being too intense about it, but when you’ve had them with no light while drying, I do a dry trim also, should I do this in a darker area, or does it not really matter, I also just got Boveda packs and a wine cooler for my cure. Reading now that it changes the flavor, so I’ll do a few with and few without. Thanks for the help
 
*** River Rat ***

*** River Rat ***

Active Member
...everyone has their own opinion on how to dry and cure....as well as temps for drying and curing.

Read a lot about it online and see what works best for you.

Info you should take away is : don't over dry your bud before jarring....you can always remove moisture....can't really replace it.
Around 70° and 50% RH seems to be consistent with many growers.
For curing properly (if you're serious about it) you will need a hygrometer(s) for your jars.
If too wet in jars you will likely get mold if not corrected...
You can't/shouldn't smoke mold, meaning you'll have to throw away your hard work .
Below 55% RH inside your jars...curing will cease and can't restart.

And the REAL reason I'm posting...because it's an old thread and constantly being reread...for all you noobs....DON'T believe all posts.
Someone at the start of this thread suggested putting plants roots in water for 3 days before drying !!!! And people responded with. .."thanks for the info !!"...

Wrong !! Wrong !!....do not do that !! Just old school wives tales !! It really is stupid !! Yeah...I heard the boiling roots story too...
For you noobs..the theory on messing with the roots is to cause the plant stress...when stressed the plants will create more THC as a defense mechanism.
If getting THC into a plant were that EZ all of our hands would be waterlogged !!

Enjoy growing...and listen to your plants !!
Peace.
 
Seymour Green

Seymour Green

Well-Known Member
This might be a dumb question but, if 70* Fahrenheit and 50%rh is the sweet spot for drying, would 78* and 58%rh be almost equivalent because the increased rh balances out the increase in temp or is this bad science? I'm asking because this the best I can achieve in my drying tent right now lol!
 
*** River Rat ***

*** River Rat ***

Active Member
I understand your theory of the temp and RH increase of balancing off ......but it is wrong.
78° will dry out the buds pretty fast....even with extra humidity.
The thing you're trying to do is break down the chlorophyll in the buds and allow chemical reactions to take place an start the cure. All the time trying not to damage those precious trichomes....and preserve terpenes (smell).
Humidity control is to keep mold from forming.
If you get mold...you can't (shouldn't) smoke it. Has to be thrown away.
I'm not sure if you harvesting wet or dry...
My best suggestion is to Google harvesting and drying.....and read different opinions.
You don't want all your efforts of growing top notch weed...and in the end it's an average smoke.
Make it the best flavor...smooth smoking bud you can.
Are you going to cure in jars...paper bags...not cure...sell it.....all things that affect what YOU want.
Do some reading and try to find out what's best for you.
Trial and error...we've all done it.
Also keep notes so you will know what you did right..wrong...and what you should change for next time.
Good luck....and have friends over to enjoy your tasty bud !!
 
Seymour Green

Seymour Green

Well-Known Member
*** River Rat *** said:
I understand your theory of the temp and RH increase of balancing off ......but it is wrong.
78° will dry out the buds pretty fast....even with extra humidity.
The thing you're trying to do is break down the chlorophyll in the buds and allow chemical reactions to take place an start the cure. All the time trying not to damage those precious trichomes....and preserve terpenes (smell).
Humidity control is to keep mold from forming.
If you get mold...you can't (shouldn't) smoke it. Has to be thrown away.
I'm not sure if you harvesting wet or dry...
My best suggestion is to Google harvesting and drying.....and read different opinions.
You don't want all your efforts of growing top notch weed...and in the end it's an average smoke.
Make it the best flavor...smooth smoking bud you can.
Are you going to cure in jars...paper bags...not cure...sell it.....all things that affect what YOU want.
Do some reading and try to find out what's best for you.
Trial and error...we've all done it.
Also keep notes so you will know what you did right..wrong...and what you should change for next time.
Good luck....and have friends over to enjoy your tasty bud !!
Click to expand...
I was afraid of that. Well I converted a small portable closet into a drying room, and with an ac and a dehuey running simultaneously, I've managed to keep the temp at 68° and rh at 53. My question is, will the two days the plant was drying at 58% rh and 78° be detrimental? I don't want the plant to be dried to quick because of the two days it dried at 78°. By the way, I dry trim and hang my plants whole, and the plant in question is five feet and not very leafy if that matters.
 
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