Drying and curing in this summer heat

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irieie

Well-Known Member
Isisyogi said:
When I first set it up I had an exhaust fan which led to the attic carbon scrubber. Holy shit, dried in like 48 hours, crumbly! Next round I all but shut that hole so there is still some suction and then out to the scrubber. Better that time, but still needs the leaves in the jars.

I hate trimming when it's dry. Had to do that with about half on both rounds, it's time consuming and tedious when you have nute burn signs you are trying to trim off.

Last round I hung up my plants on my ceiling fan in front of the TV, and then peeled the big leaves off by hand quite easily. After about an hour they come off even easier, with a crisp snap. So much easier than clipping. I'll be doing it the same next time.

I hate trimming off the leaves that are fat with trichs. It actually pains my heart. I'd love to leave them on because I know they add to they high and protect the swollen bud underneath. Now if only everyone knew that. Since I give my patients it for free, I usually leave those bud leaves on, and some of them have said they don't like the way it looks. I laugh because when you grind it up to vape, it all looks the same. I've had to actually explain and hand them a loop to see the trichs. Funny that even mmj has such an aesthetic appeal. When I trim, I try to leave as much on as possible. I'm hoping that as I go on, I'll get faster at trimming. I find it to be a long process because I'm a perfectionist.
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put your exhaust on a timer instead of lowering the air movement. and dont listen to anything LV says. as far as trimming goes i like to take off as much as i can. People want buds not leaves the leaves do have trichs but they mature sooner than on the calyxes and the concentration is much lower even though it is still there. i think your problem is that your buds are never dense so you dont know what to keep on the bud and what goes to the trim pile. as for the small leaves, they make the best hash. i actually like to take off as much as i can so i can have more material for bho or cannabutter. if you were my caregiver i would be pissed that you were giving me trim and calling it bud which is what you are doing if you dont remove the leaves. it is not just an aesthetic appeal get your buds tested next harvest. get one sample with the leaves on and another trimmed all the way down to the calyxes, the better trimmed weed will grade higher. this is not the seventies anymore. we have bred strains for fat nuggets so we dont have to smoke the leaves anymore.
 
Bird Gymnastics

Bird Gymnastics

New Member
Is it bad that it takes me 12 days to dry? I've found that it doesn't matter if it takes 3 days or 15 days...it really comes down to pulling them down and jarring when they are "ripe." just because someone drys for 10 days doesn't mean they are starting the cure at the right point. Most people wait till the stem snaps but in reality you need to get it the hour before that "snap" actually happens. If the dry is done right, no matter how long, your buds will taste and smell the instant you put them in the jar. Sometimes people put non smelly bud in the jars hoping that a long cure will bring out the aroma. You are wrong. :( either you didn't dry it enough or dried it too much for it to smell of "hay", "grass", or wet bud.
 
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Lucius Vorenus

Well-Known Member
Bird Gymnastics said:
Is it bad that it takes me 12 days to dry? I've found that it doesn't matter if it takes 3 days or 15 days...it really comes down to pulling them down and jarring when they are "ripe." just because someone drys for 10 days doesn't mean they are starting the cure at the right point. Most people wait till the stem snaps but in reality you need to get it the hour before that "snap" actually happens. If the dry is done right, no matter how long, your buds will taste and smell the instant you put them in the jar. Sometimes people put non smelly bud in the jars hoping that a long cure will bring out the aroma. You are wrong. :( either you didn't dry it enough or dried it too much for it to smell of "hay", "grass", or wet bud.
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Did you share your dry method? 12 days is awesome.
 
Bird Gymnastics

Bird Gymnastics

New Member
Thought I did but I was being sarcastic. It usually takes 7 days but I've dried as long as 10 before and I'm sure with some extra big buds I could go even longer...but unfortunately it seems like the better the bud the weaker the yield. Anyways, I use either my 4x2 tent or a 4x4 tent (depending on the harvest size) and dry in there. Temp are 68-72 and RH of 45-55%. Have a fan blowing at the bottom of the tent to keep air circulating and that's about it. I first do a "fast cut" trimming all the water leaves off and some of the bigger sugar leaves. From their they go either onto a drying rack or hung on a cotton string. After about 4-5 days the buds are crispy but not completely dry. From there I knock off the sugar leaves, as they are usually brittle by this point and fall off by touch. After that they sit for another day or two and then it all goes into jars.
 
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irieie

Well-Known Member
Bird Gymnastics said:
Thought I did but I was being sarcastic. It usually takes 7 days but I've dried as long as 10 before and I'm sure with some extra big buds I could go even longer...but unfortunately it seems like the better the bud the weaker the yield. Anyways, I use either my 4x2 tent or a 4x4 tent (depending on the harvest size) and dry in there. Temp are 68-72 and RH of 45-55%. Have a fan blowing at the bottom of the tent to keep air circulating and that's about it. I first do a "fast cut" trimming all the water leaves off and some of the bigger sugar leaves. From their they go either onto a drying rack or hung on a cotton string. After about 4-5 days the buds are crispy but not completely dry. From there I knock off the sugar leaves, as they are usually brittle by this point and fall off by touch. After that they sit for another day or two and then it all goes into jars.
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My process is identical except when I trim off the sugar leaves after 6-7 days I remove the buds from the stem and put in paper bags then after a few day I jar. I find the paper bags really slow down the dry.
 
Bird Gymnastics

Bird Gymnastics

New Member
irieie said:
My process is identical except when I trim off the sugar leaves after 6-7 days I remove the buds from the stem and put in paper bags then after a few day I jar. I find the paper bags really slow down the dry.
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Dont give out all the secrets ;) i use turkey bags instead :weed:
 
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Lucius Vorenus

Well-Known Member
irieie said:
My process is identical except when I trim off the sugar leaves after 6-7 days I remove the buds from the stem and put in paper bags then after a few day I jar. I find the paper bags really slow down the dry.
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The little lunch sandwich kind or the kind from the grocery store? A commercial grower I knew used to used cardboard file boxes and keep em in a barn for 3 weeks
 
I

irieie

Well-Known Member
Lucius Vorenus said:
The little lunch sandwich kind or the kind from the grocery store? A commercial grower I knew used to used cardboard file boxes and keep em in a barn for 3 weeks
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Large ones from the grocery store. You only wanna fill the bag about 3 inches then fold the tops down. Shake once in a while. The dry and cure I find to be the most artful step of the growing process. The only.way to get good at it is experience which can be hard because strains and environment tend to vary in drying times.
 
BeaverHuntr

BeaverHuntr

Well-Known Member
Lucius Vorenus said:
The little lunch sandwich kind or the kind from the grocery store? A commercial grower I knew used to used cardboard file boxes and keep em in a barn for 3 weeks
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They are basically the bags you bake a turkey in..I'm sure you have seen them.. They are great for transporting and smell proof.. They are kinda like the bags that come with the volcano vaporizer.
 
BeaverHuntr

BeaverHuntr

Well-Known Member
Bird Gymnastics said:
Dont give out all the secrets ;) i use turkey bags instead :weed:
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Yeah dude I was taught the paper bag method it really slows down the dry.. One time I over dried but used lettuce to get the moisture back up.. Over dried buds are better than moldy buds..I have never had moldy buds yet ( knock on wood) I need to count my drying days they are usually 3-7 days I also need to document shit or at least keep record I never even do a final weight count. I do everything alone so I dont have as much time and my window is "after work" and "in between little league practice"
 
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Lucius Vorenus

Well-Known Member
BeaverHuntr said:
They are basically the bags you bake a turkey in..I'm sure you have seen them.. They are great for transporting and smell proof.. They are kinda like the bags that come with the volcano vaporizer.
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You dry in those after the buds start to get crispy on the line drying?
 
Bird Gymnastics

Bird Gymnastics

New Member
Lucius Vorenus said:
You dry in those after the buds start to get crispy on the line drying?
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Basically once the buds are kinda crispy on the outside you then cut the buds off stem, remove any other sugar leaves, and throw them in the turkey bags. I usually seal them and place them in a dark place...approximately 68-72 degrees and let them sit. Every day or so I check the nugs to see if they are moist or crispy. If moist I untie the bag and air out for about 10 minutes (smoke one bowl) and if crispy, to the point that it is dust, it is time for the cure :) most people think it is over dried, but in reality it is that perfect texture. Nice and dry in the outside, while nice and sticky on the inside.
 
L

Lucius Vorenus

Well-Known Member
Bird Gymnastics said:
Basically once the buds are kinda crispy on the outside you then cut the buds off stem, remove any other sugar leaves, and throw them in the turkey bags. I usually seal them and place them in a dark place...approximately 68-72 degrees and let them sit. Every day or so I check the nugs to see if they are moist or crispy. If moist I untie the bag and air out for about 10 minutes (smoke one bowl) and if crispy, to the point that it is dust, it is time for the cure :) most people think it is over dried, but in reality it is that perfect texture. Nice and dry in the outside, while nice and sticky on the inside.
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Cool. Findind a place 68-72 degrees in my spot is gonna be tough. Only my flower rooms get even close to that at 76. I would have to buy another AC.
 
T

talkwithSAMSON

Member
I'm currently dealing with drying now. My weather where I am is very hot and humid. Winter growing indoor >>>>>>>>> summer growing indoor

As far as trimming, as soon as they are cut from the plant, I set them on newspaper as I turn on netflix and marathon some season, get my bottle of 91 iso and trim away. I find it to be the most tedious process of the grow BUT also, it's very rewarding... LOL at the guy giving out unmanicured bud. I think there is two types of cuts, the 'connoisseur' cut what most are used to and the 'growers cut' which is how he feels like cutting it... I always start out going for the connoisseur cut, but as I progress and tire, it wavers.
 
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