Question for you guys --- Iv'e got some fresh buds just trimmed from the plant (lower 15% trim 2 weeks pre harvest buds) that I'm drying out --- looks to be really good material! Wondering --- once the buds are reasonably dry, can I jar them with and older (ie - dry/dried out) Boveda pack and start the cure sooner? I've got to pick up some new ones, but I thought that it makes sense to put the new ones in jars with drier bud to rehydrate them, and using the older packs in the fresh jars to pull more humidity out. Does this seem like a good plan?
I have been looking into these. I have no info on how to use them but I am curious how you cure with them
I've been using them for storage and longer term curing for buds the grower has already dried and cured -- he does a really nice job with it. I'm used to drying trim that usually doesn't get/need a cure (for cooking and green dragon), but there are sooo many tasty looking buds in the batch that I want to give them a nice cure without getting mold. The one time I got 'fresher' buds and attempted curing (obviously too early and no boveda) ended up with ~2 ozs of moldy buds --- don't want that to happen with this batch.
The Boveda packs are designed to maintain a specific humidity.. I don't use them as part of the dry.. I'll drop my own dry and cure........ ============================= My grow is So Calif and between the temps and the very low humidity it's very easy to over dry.. Even a single day to long on the line can ruin it all.. To keep the wife happy all my work is restricted to the garage so I get to be inventive at times.. If you search long enough you'll come across the 777 of curing .. This being the 7 days @ 70 degrees @ 70% humidity.. Works well if you have a temp and humidity controlled room.. We don't so we use jars to achieve the same ends.. While I started in jars this soon proved impractical trying to unscrew all the jars over and over.. Some trial and error later I worked out a method to limit exposure to our stone dry air and still get things done in a timely way.. I take the plant a branch at a time and trim close while seconds off the living plant.. All the leafs are standing tall and you don't get a better shot at trimming.. Hang.. http://forum.grasscity.com/uploads/m...1393031894.jpg Depending on temp and humidity this stage can take from 24 hours to a week.. just hung bud is dead limp to the touch after 12 hours or so.... When the buds start to stiffen when slightly compressed I remove from the branches.. http://forum.grasscity.com/uploads/m...1393031909.jpg And the buds get placed in cut down paper shopping bags about 3 inches tall.. http://forum.grasscity.com/uploads/m...1393031922.jpg Next I place the bags in a air snug-tight container.. Mostly I use either an Ice Chest or a New unused Trash Can.. I try and size the container to the load.. You don't want 1 bag of buds in a trash can.. While I did use several hygrometers early on for this stage I've since found I can do it all just by feel now.. Leave bags in can till limp to the touch again.. This first day that won't take very long. a couple of hours... Once limp remove from container and set bags out till stiff when compressed slightly.. I'll flip the contents of the bags to a third bag to get the lowest buds up on top.. I'll continue this rotation of the bags into and out of the container gradually spending less and less time exposed.. the last few days the bags will only be out an hour or so.. This takes me about 7 days.. This is where I do use the Hygrometers.. The can is now acting like a large jar.. Your best readings come in the morning after the can has had 12 hours or more to stabilize and will tell you how much exposure your product will need that day.. Combined with a hygrometer telling me what is outside helps.. http://forum.grasscity.com/uploads/m...1381192804.jpg A full can requiring a single meter as well as being able to get the product in and out rapidly made this a much more practical way at least in the extremely dry SW USA.. Once the can has reached 65% and 7 to 10 days have elapsed It gets jarred in Half Gallon mason jars with a 62% Boveda 60 gram and I'm done.. 60 days minimum cure time for me.. Longer is better but you'll have a very respectable smoke in 2 months.. http://forum.grasscity.com/uploads/m...1393296931.jpg Caution this may get you a large container of mold in a less dry area.. Just what I've worked out in my smoking hot and extremely dry garage.. ======================================= I'd rehydrate any stiff, dried Boveda packs by placing them in a jar with some distilled water and they'll soak up what they'll need.. Don't over do it as they'll swell up like an overinflated balloon.. . Place your just acquired buds in a sealed space-jar with a couple of humidity gauges for 24 hours and see just what you have to work with.. If it's 55% or higher you can still do something.. Below that it's really to far down the dry to take much advantage of a cure.. The 62% packs are what I've used for several years now.. BNW
Thats the thing BNW --- if you pop a dried out boveda pack - when they get kinda grainy feeling - in when the buds first go in the jar, I'm thinking its kinda a 'safety' for avoiding any mold. I wouldn't use a fresh one since it wouldn't be able to absorb that much humidity, but an already used one that is need of a recharge "should" pull out the excess moisture. I just put 2 oz into a jar thats still a little moist with a grainy feeling 62 pack because I want to get the smell under control and start the cure. I plan on daily burping till I'm satisfied that the moisture level is under control.