How and When Do You Start Testing Buds at End of Flower?

quietguy420

quietguy420

Well-Known Member
My plants are getting close and I've heard you can test buds before harvesting to get the particular high your looking for "heady"/"stoned". Do you cut off a big nug from t he top? do you take off a little fluffy popcorn bud? Wont cutting it make it herme on me?
 
jondamon

jondamon

Well-Known Member
I personally use a few different methods of checking to see when to harvest my plant.

1. I check the trichs to see how developed they are how many amber how many milky etc.
2. I look for the swell of the buds
3 i look for the hairs to begin receeding back into the bud.

By doing these 3 things you can pick out the optimum time to harvest your plant.

I usually begin flushing when around 10-15% of the trichs have turned amber by doing this i usually have around a 50/50 mix of ambers and milky by harvest time.

I personally like a little couch lock with a good head high.

J
 
jondamon

jondamon

Well-Known Member
The trouble with smoke testing is that by the time it dries naturally it will be time to harvest there are quick drying methods but i dont really like using them.

I personally would try taking a bud from around halfway rather than disturbing the top colas or trying the bottom popcorn.

One way which i have tried to fast dry is taking a small bud and placing it in an envelope and placing that envelope on your ballast for a few hours.

There are other methods to microwave it etc but i wouldnt try this.

I have tried the envelope method. DIdnt do anything for the flavour but the smoke came out ok.

Wasnt a patch on the finished product though after curing.

J
 
quietguy420

quietguy420

Well-Known Member
So i tried the envelope method and it worked great only took 5 hours to get the bud dry then I put in a glass jar for a hour to pull the last moisture out of the mid and redistrib to the bud evenly. Not quite ready, defiantly got me blazed but it was 100% cerebral from the ak i tried, guess ill just have to sit on my hands for another 2 weeks thx again.
 
Brick Top

Brick Top

New Member
No quick drying method will ever be truly representative of what the final results will be because when first harvested some THC is not in a psychoactive form and it becomes psychoactive during the slow-drying and curing process. Only then will someone really know for sure what quality they ended up with.

But if someone has to quick dry for a test bud they never want to use heat. Temperatures over 80 degrees will degrade THC and since a test bud will have some non-psychoactive THC if you lose much more to heat you might find yourself feeling depressed by your test bud.

One way to somewhat speed up drying is to use a blow dryer on low heat (if below 80 degrees) or no heat. The air movement over and through the bud will speed up drying, especially if it is summer and someone has their A/C running and humidity levels are low or winter and their heat system puts out a dry heat and humidity levels are low.

Something to keep in mind is the standard accepted trichome color chart for harvesting is only so accurate and not really accurate in regards to all strains. Most fall into it close enough that normally it can be relied on but in some cases it is just flat out inaccurate.

Another thing to remember is while it is your own herb and you should of course be able to attempt to fine tune your high or stone to try to end up with what YOU like the most, keep in mind that you can only fine tune something. You cannot alter genetics by harvesting earlier or later and in doing so change a clear soaring sativa high into a heavy indica couch-lock body stone and visa versa.
 
quietguy420

quietguy420

Well-Known Member
Brick Top said:
No quick drying method will ever be truly representative of what the final results will be because when first harvested some THC is not in a psychoactive form and it becomes psychoactive during the slow-drying and curing process. Only then will someone really know for sure what quality they ended up with.

But if someone has to quick dry for a test bud they never want to use heat. Temperatures over 80 degrees will degrade THC and since a test bud will have some non-psychoactive THC if you lose much more to heat you might find yourself feeling depressed by your test bud.

One way to somewhat speed up drying is to use a blow dryer on low heat (if below 80 degrees) or no heat. The air movement over and through the bud will speed up drying, especially if it is summer and someone has their A/C running and humidity levels are low or winter and their heat system puts out a dry heat and humidity levels are low.

Something to keep in mind is the standard accepted trichome color chart for harvesting is only so accurate and not really accurate in regards to all strains. Most fall into it close enough that normally it can be relied on but in some cases it is just flat out inaccurate.

Another thing to remember is while it is your own herb and you should of course be able to attempt to fine tune your high or stone to try to end up with what YOU like the most, keep in mind that you can only fine tune something. You cannot alter genetics by harvesting earlier or later and in doing so change a clear soaring sativa high into a heavy indica couch-lock body stone and visa versa.
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Damn lots of good info, I'm doing so many strains at the moment I was just hoping to use the 8 week rule for a sog but now I'm thinking I need to switch to a few strains that have the same flower time. Ah so many little things to learn. Any suggestions on 55-60 day flower strains?
 
N

NoDrama

Well-Known Member
None of the quick dry methods are ever going to even come close to what your bud is going to smoke like after a proper 10-14 day dry and 3 week cure. Check your Trichomes with a handheld microscope, clear and slightly milky trichs give you more of a cerebral buzz, while amber orange trichomes will give more of a body buzz. Try to get a bit of both. My hairs turn 99% orange about 4 weeks before harvest, but thats my particular strain, your results may vary.
 
S

stank5

Member
NoDrama said:
None of the quick dry methods are ever going to even come close to what your bud is going to smoke like after a proper 10-14 day dry and 3 week cure. Check your Trichomes with a handheld microscope, clear and slightly milky trichs give you more of a cerebral buzz, while amber orange trichomes will give more of a body buzz. Try to get a bit of both. My hairs turn 99% orange about 4 weeks before harvest, but thats my particular strain, your results may vary.
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Wow 10-14 day dry? really? you must like dust weed. 3-5 days in dry mode, just to where the stems are about to snap but dont.....then cure
 
SCCA

SCCA

Active Member
this thread is really old. the slower you can dry your buds the better. 3-5 days hanging is fine, but if you can increase that by a week the buds will hold a much better smell and taste.

And Welcome to RIU!!
 
The420Guru

The420Guru

Active Member
stank5 said:
Wow 10-14 day dry? really? you must like dust weed. 3-5 days in dry mode, just to where the stems are about to snap but dont.....then cure
Click to expand...
Yes most times I cure it takes 10-18 days about because of the thickness and density. The smaller and less dense the nugs the shorter time to cure em... Well the correct way anyways to maximize the potential of your crop.
 
guitarzan

guitarzan

Well-Known Member
Does anyone know what the high will be like if I cut my plants down with hardly any of the thrichs turning amber at all? Like if the hairs are still mostly all white. And where on the plants should I cut off some test buds? From the top or bottom or middle...does it matter?
 
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