Adding science to your drying/curing methods.

This is the last drying and curing thread you will ever need to read. The end result will be the best tasting and smoothest bud you have ever grown. Don't believe me??? Try it and prove me wrong.

Credit for this goes to Mr Green Thumb 01 and SimonD over at another site. I have had issue after issue after issue with my methods over the last few years. everything i have read around here when it comes to dry/cure is half-assed or just plain wrong. and this is the fix for anyone having problems. There isnt really a reason for pics as this is not a 'seen and not heard' scenario. its all about feel and numbers.

you will need, to test my methods,:

• a cola. about a foot long. doesnt have to be a main cola. but you want a few buds within a foot of stem. and a place to hang it.

• a temperature/humidity sensor of some sort. wireless ones can be had at wal-mart for fifteen or twenty bucks. and if you dont have one... buy three or four. they will easily become your best friend.

• wide mouthed quart mason jar.

jarring or sealing your bud up too early is what causes the chlorophyll taste. you cant get rid of it. it doesnt matter how log you cure it. the end result is going to be the same. i unfortunately know first hand. what i didnt know is there is a fool proof way to fix this problem. i also didnt realize that the drying process, if done correctly, negates the need for any curing whatsoever. thats right... the flavor, smoothness, and potency comes from the dry. for if you do not do this the right way... all of the curing in the world isnt going to help a thing.

i have only done this once. and all i did was test it out to be honest. once you do the same... you will understand. that is all i can say.

so lets go over the science of it and get this show on the road.

when you cut down your plant to harvest. it is still alive. it is still trying to soak up moisture and push it to the flowers. once you stop giving it moisture, it starts to cannibalize itself and take the moisture that is in the leaves and then the stems. with that being said... the more moisture it is able to have as it is drying up, the better the end result is going to be. the more sugars it is going to produce. the more of the chemicals it is going to be able to 'push out' of the bud. resulting in a smooth, sweet tasting, and more potent bud every time. drying like this also negates the need, i think, for a flush. i reckon a flush can only make it better though.

your bud is ready to jar when the branch that the bud is on... snaps. i know a lot of people are going to argue this point. and that is fine. but if it doesnt snap... there is still moisture for the bud to soak up. so pick your poison. running 60% average humidity in the house it took five days for my colas to fully dry. with a light breeze on them.

and that is the long and the short of it folks. hang from the trunk and dont pull any leaves off. if hanging the entire plant doesnt suit your fancy... then leave as much trunk as you possibly can. the more you leave... the better your bud. i will say again. 'don't believe me? test it out for yourself.' the less trunk you have, the quicker it is going to dry. but the slower the dry... the better the smoke. quite the conundrum i know.

But how do i know if it is ready to jar? Humidity.

once your flowers become crunchy on the outside with just a little bit of squishiness in the middle it is ready to jar. this is when you check for the snap. if it bends... it is not ready. stick the humidity sensor in the jar along with the cola. or half of the cola. and close the lid.

• if the humidity immediately starts to rise, it is not ready. hang it back up. it needs at least another day. immediately means raising one point within half an hour. the quicker you get it out of the jar the better.

• what you are shooting for is 55%-58% humidity. if its 55% after the first hour of jarring it, it will be 58% in around eighteen - twenty four hours.

• around 60% is when it starts to slow down. and is safe to jar. but the bud is still drying. so you will need to vent it for a couple hours at a time until the number sits around 55-57% after a twenty four hour period.

i read that below 55%... there is no cure taking place anymore and i believe it. at that point is is ready to smoke. my bud is sitting at 54% after twenty four hours and it is slightly dry for my preference, but the bud isnt brittle either. but it IS on the cusp. the flavor is unreal and i could care less that it hasnt cured for weeks. i frankly dont see the need in it either.

the final result for me... medicinal quality flavors and potency from a hydroponic garden.

trimming dry bud 101.

i found it a lot easier to just use my fingers and pull the leaves off. i used scissors to cut off the big and medium fan leaves. the smaller leaves had just a slight amount of tug to them. all of the leaves were still green, and they more or less crumbled. or at least were very close. it took me three and half minutes to do it by hand and seven minutes to trim a comparably sized cola with scissors.

the next time i do this i will be cutting the buds off of the cola and then pulling the leaves off with my fingers. i would imagine i could roll through quite a bit rather quickly. along with watching tv and not having to make sure i dont cut myself or my flowers. just fill up a bowl with leafy buds and go to town.

end result pics below. it smokes and tastes every bit as good as it looks. click and click again to zoom and appreciate. pick three upper left got the best focus. of the two people that know i grow, both of them raised an eyebrow and asked how i did it. with a huge shit eating grin on their face.

subcool qrazy train. day 45 or so. its two or three weeks early. the colas were chopped for testing.

 

i will give anything a try. bag appeal is important. but its worth a few buds just to see it.