Drying & curing first time / need help

MICHI-CAN

Well-Known Member
I don't look forward to burping jars. The dry trim is laborious enough but opening 14 or so jars. Isn't an enjoyable thing.

It is pretty neat hearing a jar go 'pop' after being opened 8 months later. As soon as you pop the top. You take a big whiff. Trying to smell anything funky. Sometimes it'll fool you. Thinking, Whoa'. This stuff has a certain smell. It can be weird. But after airing the jar out. Pulling out a few of the nugs for the evening smoke. The smell mellows out.

The new crop that is still drying is by far the most stinky of all the grows of this plant. This time, I'm keeping the temperature low-low. 65-68°. 53%. Grabbing a couple of nugs and walking through the house. The wife starts to freak out.

"You gotta close the bedroom door!". "I can smell it on the other side of the house". Then I held the two nugs up. " Try this".

Ground one up. Loaded the bong and handed it to her. For 4 day old weed. Her girly hitting of the bong...

She was fucking blazed. One complete bowl, smoked over a half hour...and she was inside the movie she was watching. No drooling but close.
I must laugh. The opening and rotations I do. Glad it is still fun for you as a work load. Honest hard time before you know it. 004.jpg
 

MICHI-CAN

Well-Known Member
What's up with the jar with no rings? Just the lid laying on top. Top left of the pic.

Did you let a Secret slip? Lol
Good eye. I was burping to increase humidity in just that strain and size. Rotation and attention. Bottom right is over a year GG Faux. Strictly personal after the time. LOL.
 

lusidghost

Well-Known Member
I'm not a botanist so it might be a dumb question, but why does my bud, along with it's sugar leaves, stay green when the rest of leaves on the plant turn bright colors, brown or yellow from the chlorophyll being converted? Old buds that I find on the floor are yellowish. It seems to me that curing is mostly preserving the plant in an ideal fresh state. Also I've always noticed that the older the material the more amber my shatter is. My first run is almost always golden, and then it gets a little darker each time after that. Which is usually several weeks apart for a few months. Maybe oxidation is CBDing up your thc a little and causing it to be less harsh?

I'm not saying it doesn't mellow out a bit, but in my opinion the people who are talking mandatory weeks / months are wasting their time. My buds are harsh when the catch nute burn or are leafy. That's what I've noticed more than the length of cure.
 

Beehive

Well-Known Member
The plant is still alive after you cut it. It doesn't die until the internal processes stop. Like water movement, sugar use, and ripening.

For which makes me question the great amber percentage debate. Every website says 10%. But nobody has lab tested samples showing how much more the plant ripens after its cut. Chemical profile compared day by day during drying.

But then again, I don't think too many people care. 10 people can grow the same plant and cure it. And there will be 10 different tasting and smoking bud. Growing style too...
 

MICHI-CAN

Well-Known Member
The plant is still alive after you cut it. It doesn't die until the internal processes stop. Like water movement, sugar use, and ripening.

For which makes me question the great amber percentage debate. Every website says 10%. But nobody has lab tested samples showing how much more the plant ripens after its cut. Chemical profile compared day by day during drying.

But then again, I don't think too many people care. 10 people can grow the same plant and cure it. And there will be 10 different tasting and smoking bud. Growing style too...
I believe it is the time taken to actually dry. As you eluded to. The bud is still alive until there is no longer enough water to maintain life. The bud is getting all available nutes and water for survival. If you stop this process too soon you are left with the off putting flavors. Why is food better the next day thing? Allowed to oxidize and meld through evaporative concentration. Gets deep. If you like and can enjoy. I say Enjoy!.
 

lusidghost

Well-Known Member
The plant is still alive after you cut it. It doesn't die until the internal processes stop. Like water movement, sugar use, and ripening.

For which makes me question the great amber percentage debate. Every website says 10%. But nobody has lab tested samples showing how much more the plant ripens after its cut. Chemical profile compared day by day during drying.

But then again, I don't think too many people care. 10 people can grow the same plant and cure it. And there will be 10 different tasting and smoking bud. Growing style too...
I'm not debating the time drying. I try to go as slow as possible. I like the winter because I can shut the door and the dehumidifier warms up the room just enough to where I don't have to use a heater. Plus the humidity is low, so I can ride that out for a week or two sometimes.

I'm talking post drying though. I think the process is basically over aside from what oxidation is causing.
 

MICHI-CAN

Well-Known Member
I'm not debating the time drying. I try to go as slow as possible. I like the winter because I can shut the door and the dehumidifier warms it the room just enough to where I don't have to use a heater. Plus the humidity is low, so I can ride that out for a week or two sometimes.

I'm talking post drying though. I think the process is basically over aside from what oxidation is causing.
To be honest. It is only over if you over dried and too fast before curing. Hence the long meticulous burping and RH manipulation. Chlorophyll was never converted if fast or over dried.
 

lusidghost

Well-Known Member
I don't know. I dry it, throw it in a can, get my humidity up to 62%, and then pop it. It always stinks up everything and tastes good. That continues to happen until it's gone, which is sometimes 2+ years.
 

Beehive

Well-Known Member
I don't know. I dry it, throw it in a can, get my humidity up to 62%, and then pop it. It always stinks up everything and tastes good. That continues to happen until it's gone, which is sometimes 2+ years.
Dude....

You spend a month smoking the new stuff. You know the flavor difference.

What month produces the best flavor? From one week to 1 year old.
 

MICHI-CAN

Well-Known Member
I don't know. I dry it, throw it in a can, get my humidity up to 62%, and then pop it. It always stinks up everything and tastes good. That continues to happen until it's gone, which is sometimes 2+ years.
My only profit is the praise for my patience and results here. I like craft over commercial. And still learning the craft. Thank you for sharing yours as I have tried mine. Success to all.
 

lusidghost

Well-Known Member
To be honest. It is only over if you over dried and too fast before curing. Hence the long meticulous burping and RH manipulation. Chlorophyll was never converted if fast or over dried.
This is a fair argument. I have overdried and left it hanging too long, and it lost a lot of terps. I'm not sure if that's because it stopped it's processes or just evaporated the compounds though. I've also baked my shatter too hot and lost terps that way too. So I'm leaning more towards the evaporation explanation. I really don't know any facts on any of this. I'm only speaking from my personal experience which had involved a lot of experimentation, which I'm sure we've all done.
 

lusidghost

Well-Known Member
Dude....

You spend a month smoking the new stuff. You know the flavor difference.

What month produces the best flavor? From one week to 1 year old.
Like I said before, I really can't tell. I can tell when it's inproperly stored though. My dad doesn't care and leaves it out, or in a clear jar sitting on a table forever. The taste at least reflects the storage.
 

lusidghost

Well-Known Member
And let me just say that I love the idea of long curing. I want it to get better. That's what I always heard, and I bought into for a long time. I just feel like I'm being honest with myself when I say I can't really tell.
 

Beehive

Well-Known Member
I've smoked my share of Mexican brick weed.

I bet if I slid you a blunt of that garbage....it'd clear up some of the personal stash curing short givings.
 

lusidghost

Well-Known Member
Respect, but have you ever asked yourself if you were smoking crap?
This puts me into a weird position were I either have to brag about how my shit is more John Blaze than that, or say something like "that's a possibility." But no. It's typically pretty good.
 

MICHI-CAN

Well-Known Member
I've smoked my share of Mexican brick weed.

I bet if I slid you a blunt of that garbage....it'd clear up some of the personal stash curing short givings.
I drop 2 beans from the late 80's early 90's every outdoor. That compressed dirt weed is hard to beat when properly cared for. LOL.
 
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