I didnt even read the other posts yet but this is how I do it.
Step One Flush the Plant
I do this after cutting the plant down. This means that your water leaves have been cut off, it was flushed in the ground or whatever medium you are using, and has been cut into manageable lengths. I put the plants in clean mason jars with water. This helps shock the plants a second time and promote those last minute crystals.
Step Two Preparing the Room for Drying
The next morning I string up hemp line between two walls of a room that I use only for drying. No carpet, just concrete with a dehumidifier, exhaust fan, and lots of hemp line. Use Nails To Hang Your Line! You dont want to come into your drying room and find all your beautiful buds sitting on the floor. Also make sure your whole room is clean. No dust, no dirt, no bugs, no problems. Make sure you dont have spider mites on your plants because now they are all in a closed off room with a feast before them. Empty the dehumidifier daily.
Step Three Hanging With Your Buds
Take your manageable length colas and hang them from the hemp strings. You need to make sure the colas are broken down to manageable sizes so that they will dry more easily, and be easier to handle while trimming.
Step Four Checking On Your Buds
Check buds every twelve hours after the first day. Empty the dehumidifier, and bend the stem to see if it is stiil pliable or if it breaks (Try to break it at the thickest point). If it breaks then that branch is ready for a trim job.
Step Five Break It Down
Take your buds and with spring loaded scissors(believe me your hands will thank you) break down your buds to nug sizes and then trim as close to the bud as possible removing all of the sugar leaf and saving it in a paper bag (unbleached is best) because paper breathes and will get the trim super dry for later use making hash or cannabutter. There are different styles of trimming but I prefer no leaf in my bag. If I trim a pound of dried bud. I shouldnt see more than two- three stems if it is in a gallon bag and Im looking at the side and there should be zero shake. Top Quality Demands Top Prices! Then I place the finished buds on a screen raised up so they can dry over night.
Step Six Jar It Up
Go to the store and buy cases of widemouth mason jars. You can never have too many. Place your buds from the screen gently into the jars an ounce per jar without destroying any trichomes by being too rough. Then after a case is filled put them in a dark cool closet. Preserves flavor and color.
Step Seven Cure
Take out your case of jars daily and rotate them gently in your hands to move the buds around and let them breathe. After youve done this with all of your jars crack open all of your lids so they can get air flow and leave them like this for thirty mins. When the jars are closed moisture is evenly distributed through the buds when you open the jar lids to let them breathe any moisture at the tips will evaporate out. Do this every day for a week for optimal flavor, dryness, and color.
Step Eight Enjoy That Shit!
Smoke it up and enjoy the spoils of your labor!
Hope this helps.
I know I forgot some stuff ask me any questions you may have.
P.S. Make sure your hands are clean at all times handling the weed. Cigarette smoke on a nug does not sit well with some circles.