Ya exactly, i have spent ero time learning about drying and curing, it always seemed so far away, well its no so far anymore, i gotta figure out what im doing, so it can be done right.
Would really suck to get to harvest but screw it all up in the dry
Read about it, but the main points are that it should dry slowly but steadily, kept dark for the most part, and not jarred until the rh is close to perfect. When you jar it there is still moisture, but that last 5-10% of weight is deeper in the flowers and comes out slowly.
Vacuum curing has worked OK for me, with the mason jar attachment on a regular kitchen vacuum sealer. After it is dry enough to jar, some people vacuum it in the jar for the purpose of "quick-curing" if you want to google it. Some claim it shortens the time by half. I am not in a hurry, but for me it makes sense just because the "deep moisture" that needs to get out so it doesn't mold.
I use the process is to get it to the "safe to cure" point (when you feel comfortable not checking it for a week) faster, but after that I let it cure normally in a big C-vault with 62% packs.
I put it under vacuum, then burp it daily (or more often) like usual. But the first week it will be humid to the touch because it is doing it's job. I let it set out for about an hour and let the jar air out too, then put it back under vacuum.
Always smell for ammonia! any hint of anything but flowers or fresh-mown grass, let it dry out of the jar for a bit. After about 5-7 days it usually feels dry to the touch when you first roll it out. After that I don't bother with the vacuum stuff. Basically the same process without the vacuum, It just takes longer for the moisture to naturally transpire.
WARNING!!! Do not put a hygrometer under vacuum (or anything with a BATTERY!!!)
Luckily I was curious and checked before I did it with weed in the jar. There was no explosion or anything but the battery seal or whatever gave out and ruined an inkbird. Probably wouldn't have been good chemically for any flowers in there.