1st Plant is done drying & is in jars curing.....

[Hottbody]

Hey Everyone -

I have my 1st plant dry and it is now in the jars curing..... The weight from this 1st plant (KALI-MIST) was 7.5oz.

I have (9) more plants to harvest of different strains.

My (5) BC Biker plants seem to being doing the best. (They look yummy!)

Kisses -
Hott

[VanIslandWitch]

I LOVE THIS TIME OF YEAR!

Great lookin' plant!

[Still Smokin]

out of curiousity...how long did you let your first plant dry for?

looks great!

[Hottbody]

Originally Posted by Still Smokin

out of curiousity...how long did you let your first plant dry for?

Hey Still Smokin -

The plant dried for 6 days..... It was at a time that the humidity was low and the air was cool (mid 50's) so it dried quite quickly.

Kisses -
Hott

[t4blazer]

nice lookin plant and buds, mine looks like that i have 5 of them.. dif strain tho. anyways, looking lovely +rep

[OhsoOhio]

Is that Plant a Pure Power Plant?

[twave33]

Nice looking plants. How long did that take to grow you?

[fifamaster]

im sorry, but im pretty much a novice, what is curing and what does that do???

[Dr. Pot]

Originally Posted by fifamaster

im sorry, but im pretty much a novice, what is curing and what does that do???

Curing is when you put your fresh harvested dried bud into jars take the lid off and shake around about every 6 hours for a few days. Then allow the bud to cure. Cured bud is the best. 4-8 weeks of cure time, the longer you wait the better the smoke. after 8 weeks the bud will start to lose its potency. Keep away from light, open from time to time and check for mold. This keeps the bud fresh.


NICE LOOKING LADY YOU HAVE THAR

[jobepro2]

That is correct dr. I have bud from last year thats still just as potent. The secrit is don't let it dry out. I used mason jars with the seal and clamp style. Air tight. I open up the jars for a few hours when they get to moist. Once they dry alittle, then I put the lid back on and let them get moist again. Keep repeating as nessisary to keep from molding. Just remember, don't let the bud dry out completly. Once you do, its hard to filter the cloripyle out. keep it slightly moist, never wet. if it starts do dry out, ad a peice of lettuce to it for a day. then pull the lettuce out. works great for me.

[Spanishfly]

I used to use mason jars, but with 72 ounces to cure this year they would be a bit unwieldy, so I have gone to ziploc bags. Much easier to handle.

But I have found the longer it cures the sweeter it gets, a bit like sloe gin. And properly cured bud will keep indefinitely in an airtight container. Just don´t freeze it, that ruins it.

[Hottbody]

Originally Posted by Spanishfly

....I have found the longer it cures the sweeter it gets.... And properly cured bud will keep indefinitely in an airtight container. Just don´t freeze it, that ruins it.

Hey Spanishfly -

I am in full agreement with you on this.... Bud that is cured properly will keep for a very, very, very (yes - 3 of them) long time! The process of curing MJ bud is often overlooked/misunderstood but is one of the most important parts of getting a good finished product. Curing your bud gets rid of the chlorophyll in the plant which improves the taste when smoked.
</O
Drying your bud is only the 1st step of this process. Dry bud is OK to smoke but usually tastes harsh. Bud that is dried & then cured will burn slow with a nice smooth smoke.
<O</O

Here is how I cure my bud. It has been working well for me for several years so I don't mess with it....
<O</O

Once I have dry buds (stems snap) I use glass jars to cure. I fill the jars with the buds but don’t pack them in so tight that you don't get airflow around the buds. You want airflow around the buds so they cure evenly. I put my jars in a dark/cool place. (60F or so) Heat & light will ruin a cure so remember dark & cool! (NOT A FREEZER OR REFRIGERATOR!)

<OCheck the jars everyday!! Look for moisture forming on the inside of the jars. If you see moisture open it up & let them breath for a hour or so then close it back up. Repeat this process for 5 days or so. Most of the time if your buds are dry going in the jars you will not have much moisture collecting in the jars. Your bud will get a little damp during this process and this is OK you just don't want it wet inside so mold or rot happens. Even if you have no moisture forming inside the jars you still need to let the jars breath for about 1 hour every 2 days to let the gases escape. (The gases form as the chlorophyll breaks down) Over the next couple of weeks you want to open the jars every few days to let out the gasses. After 4 weeks of doing this you should be done with curing and the bud will keep in the jars for a long time. (NOTE: after curing process is done keep your jars sealed until you need to get bud out of them. The less you open the jars the longer you bud will last.)

Kisses -
Hott

[prettybuds]

Great info Hott +rep. My question isn't one of curing, it's one of manicuring. I've got one plant drying now, it's about 3 days in, still needs some time, the smell however has stopped overpowering my entire house, which is nice!

Now all the big leaves are off, what about the smaller leaves? It seems as if I keep clipping there will be nothing left!

Also, should I clip the smaller leaves before the dry, after the dry but before the cure? Or will they dry up and help form the solid bud?

For me the grow is easy, this is the complex part.

[Spanishfly]

Brilliant post, Hottbody +rep again.

I have a problem finding anywhere that is below about 73 F that is not in a fridge at this time of year. But I keep the stuff in a shady place and it does cure OK.