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bulk hygrometers that dont suck? or alternatives to jars?

Discussion in 'Harvesting and Processing Marijuana' started by ToKKin, Jul 4, 2022.

  1. #1 ToKKin, Jul 4, 2022
    im not sure if this is the right place to post but i searched around a bit and couldnt really find any answers. i am trying to find the most cost effective way to cure. last year i bought a dozen cheapo hygrometers off amazon and put them in a jar with 3 62 RH humidity packs and they were all reading like 52-57 RH. i just bought a couple accurite ones which seem to be rock solid but theyre like 17 bucks each.

    i have a bunch of half gallon mason jars and from my experience they fit about 2 oz. each for curing. this year i am most likely going to end up with an absolute bare minimum of 5 lbs which would be at least 20 of those jars.

    does anyone either know of good bulk packs of hygrometers that are at least in the ball park of correct? or maybe bigger containers for curing that dont cost an arm and a leg? i just want to get it sorted out soon since it looks like my autos are almost ready to come down.

    any help would be greatly appreciated.
     
  2. #2 GroBuddy, Jul 4, 2022
    Last edited: Jul 4, 2022
    You know if the bud isn't moist enough or the humidity pack is too small for curing space sometimes 2 packs are needed to reach 62%. I've used the cheap hygrometers off amazon for nearly 5 years. My only issue with them is the battery life.

    May wanna try increasing humidity to dry with or drying less. Using a ink bird is ideal for humidity here. Normally my humidity wont drop below 62% for 2 weeks to a month once in jar before humidity packs are needed. Try matching you humidity with ambient temperature. If your dry area is closer to 70°F use 70% humidity the dry tent I use ranges from 62-68°F I use 65 to 70% humidity. Generally I'll start with 70% if my weed isnt dry by day 10 to 12 I'll lower humidity to try and speed the process up
     
  3. #3 ToKKin, Jul 4, 2022
    im doing outdoor so i dont have a tent, but as far as drying is concerned i only really have the option to dry in the wooden shed outside. my landlord lives upstairs and hes cool with me growing since i give him some but last year i dried in the basement and stunk up the whole house and he said not to do that again lol. if the humidity is anything like last year id imagine itll be in the ballpark of 55% so ill just have to keep a close eye on the dry speed.

    i grew a few autos so i could harvest before my photos are done and get an idea of how well the shed will work before i potentially ruin the good stuff.

    so with my lack of control on the drying conditions, thats why i want to try to have the best possible curing conditions. i just dont know if i should spend a shit load of money on more accurate hygrometers since the cheapo ones i got last year were almost off by 10 RH or if i should get bigger containers.

    i was looking at 21 liter cvault stainless steel curing containers but theyre like 150+ and hold up to 2 lbs so id need at least 3 maybe even 4 of those. i think a good option might also be some of those 2-5 gallon food grade buckets with screw on gamma lids? has anyone tried something like that before? they seem pretty cheap but i know a lot of people say not to use plastic.. but it would definitely save me hundreds of dollars.
     
  4. #4 GroBuddy, Jul 4, 2022
    That's your issue then not the hygrometers controlled dry environment is what you're missing, if you want things to be perfect you have to give the support needed. Nothing wrong with what you're doing just not ideal in turn wont be a ideal cure you'll need to tweak your cure to your drying method. If your bud is stored dried below 62% itll absorb humidity in jar keeping it below what humidity pack is supposed to input.
     
  5. #5 BrassNwood, Jul 4, 2022
    [​IMG]
    Out during the day.
    [​IMG]
    Stacked in a closed container at night.
    Takes 7-10 days to dry to 65% then sealed in 1/2 gallon jars or food grade 5 gallon buckets with big Boveda Humidity packs and cured for 60 days.

    BNW
     
    • Winner Winner x 1
  6. #6 Lid, Jul 4, 2022
  7. #7 Vee, Jul 4, 2022
    My method for volumes I now have an air pump blowing in the clean trash can, and large rubbermaids lined with paper in case of plastic taste, to speed the cure work\s good idea from YT, scores- 9/10 lol
     
  8. #8 Cactus Ed, Jul 4, 2022
    Bulk dry, it'll be easier to keep an eye on things when it's all together rather than in 20 separate containers. Brass has done the homework, just do what he does. I dry in a small windowless airtight shed by dumping water on the concrete floor and circulating the air with a good fan while running my dehumidifier at 70%. The humidity stays spot on and the buds go from drying to curing while hanging. I store in 5 gallon food grade PVC buckets with rubber seal lids, each will hold about 2lbs. Regarding cheap hygrometers, quite a few years ago I bought a lot of analog hygrometers at Walmart for about $1 each and put them in a jar with a Boveda for calibration. I marked each at 62% with a sharpie and while the factory numbers weren't even close, that 62% line I put on them was amazingly consistent.
     
  9. #9 ToKKin, Jul 5, 2022
    Oh wow I really like that idea. So do you do a wet trim and then just stack then up in the bottom of paper bags? Do you think something like this would work in a wooden shed? And to slow the drying process do you think I could get away with just putting whole untrimmed branches in the bags? In my area the humidity will probably be around 55% at the time of harvest and I'll have very little control over the conditions in the shed.
     
  10. #10 BrassNwood, Jul 5, 2022
    I'm in the desert southwest with hot and dry conditions and developed this to slow the dry as that was what kept screwing everything up.
    777 is the ideal dry.
    7 days at 70 degrees and 70% humidity. I've got more like high 90s and 20% humidity. Makes the dry challenging to say the least.

    Think of drying Cannabis like cooking a fine Steak. You want medium rare not well done. Dry to fast and it stinks like lawn clippings. Dry to deep and it'll never cure. Below 55% all internal processes stop and no cure can happen.

    Gradually reduce the time exposed per day as the days progress. "Squeeze the Charmin" . If it feels like a wet rag it needs more dry time. Feeling crunchy = needs more can time.

    BNW
     

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