I just harvested my plant and dried it for only 2 days before jarring it up. I live in a very dry climate and the buds were pretty small and fluffy so I was afraid to over dry them. Most stems did not snap and were kinda soft, but the buds were dry from the outside. After jarring them up I notice the buds are pretty soft and pliable, and they "sink in" and compress after sitting in the jar for a while. How can I avoid getting mold in my current situation, how long/often would you recommend i burp the jar?
You did right the first time, but when the moisture from the stem wicks out in the bud and re-moistens it then you need to remove the buds from the jar and let them dry till kinda dry on outsides again (this won't take long ~ 15mins to 2 hrs usually). Repeat this until the stem snaps and your ready. It's pretty hard to over dry but if it happens jar a fresh fan leaf with the dry bud and give it a day then burp and maybe another day. I intentionally dry mine this way because it gives the best flavor. The idea is just to not dry too fast and that is why you jar it when the outsides turn crisp. When you do this the moisture will try to draw itself to the drier areas giving you a much more even dry process as well as slows down the dry process. Just make sure you burp about 2-4 times a day and store in a cool dark place and you should not have mold issues. I have done it this way for years and never ever had any of my bud mold or taste funky.
Thanks, I'll do that. Is it ok if the buds start losing some smell in the process, or does it mean they're drying out too fast?
quality advice private stalk... burping daily is crucial when you have moist bud curing and taking it out to dry properly for a few hours a couple of times is a good shout. I dont live in a particularly dry climate but i find that aroiund 6 days drying results in the nicest sured bud although i dont redry and usually only burp the jars once a day.
I understand. But what I meant is that during the cure, while the buds were in the jar and I was burping them daily, they lost some of their smell. Does that mean I was burping too long/often and let them dry out too fast?
No the smell will come back with time. Some times it can take up to 2 months of curing to get that smell back but it will come back if u let it cure long enough
Ok I took my buds out the jar cause they were still moist and fluffy. I have it in a plate spread out in a cool dark place with the fan pointing away from the buds in the plate. This is my first time doing this growing and curing. I'm letting it out for about an hour then place them back into the jar and close it. Am I doing this the "ok way"?