Credit is given to author and photographer. When it comes to flushing and cutting your medical marijuana plants, timing is everything. You’re looking to let your marijuana plants bloom as long as they need to so you get the highest THC percentages and weight. And you want to time your flush/cut precisely, to ensure you don’t end bloom phase too early or too late. Today we’re giving you the top five factors that tell you when it’s time to end bloom phase. When I say “end bloom phase,” I mean start flushing, and then after the flush is finished, do the cutting. These harvest timing factors are interdependent and interactive. The more of these indicators you see, the more sure you can be that it’s time to flush. For some strains of marijuana, you might see all of these factors happen at once. For others, you might only see one or two factors. I’m listing the factors in order of importance. Marijuana Resin Gland Condition as Harvest Timing Indicator THC filled resin glands look like a golf ball on a tee. When you see more than 15-20% of the glands starting to shrink, fall, or otherwise deteriorate, it’s time to start flushing. Ditto if you see 25% or more of your glands going from clear to cloudy or clear to amber (although a few marijuana strains have naturally amber resins for most of bloom phase). I used to use a photographer’s loupe and a high-powered magnifier to examine resin glands, but this amazing digital microscope is way more fun, and functional. It allows you to get way closer in, store your gland shots for easy viewing, sharing and comparison, and zoom in to really see the details! Watch the condition of your resin glands and they'll tell you when bloom phase is over. Calyx Hair Condition as Harvest Indicator When your buds are young, your calyx hairs (pistils) are white, thick and vibrant, although some varieties have naturally tinted hairs that are pink/red, thick and vibrant. When 25% or more of the hairs are crinkling, desiccating, or falling, your medical marijuana plants are likely at the end of peak bloom phase. Breeder-Predicted Bloom Length as Marijuana Harvest Indicator If you’re buying quality genetics from professional breeders like Dutch Passion, TH Seeds, Sagarmatha, Sensi Seeds, Delta-9, Serious Seeds, and other established seed breeders, you can absolutely rely on their bloom length estimates. For example, if you’re growing Kushage from THSeeds, they give you a 66-70 day flowering estimate. If you’ve grown your Kushage properly so it didn’t fall behind due to hydroponics nutrients issues or other problems, you can count on that 66-70 day window. When your plants hit 66-70 days in bloom, it’s time to flush and cut. Bud Growth Rate and Profile as Harvest Indicator This factor is harder to use unless you are very familiar with your strain’s bud development based on close observation in past bloom cycles. When your buds are past peak, you notice they stop getting larger in diameter, their colors start to fade or go to an almost purple-black, the hairs fall and disappear, their glands begin to shrink and change from clear to cloudy. In some strains, it’s kind of the opposite: when your buds are past peak, they start sending out new calyxes and leaves. Pure Sativa strains will sometimes try to keep on flowering forever, but past their peak the floral growth will be airy and lack THC. If you’ve got Sativas that don’t want to finish, cut their lights-on cycle from 12 to 11 or 10 hours. [ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDEmp7iiLp0&feature=g-wl[/ame] Loss of Scent/Vigor, Accompanied by Deterioration of Overall Appearance When your medical marijuana plants are tired and ready for harvest, you may notice that the buds don’t have the powerful smell and fresh, gooey, colorful appearance that they had only a week or two before. Especially if you’re seeing fallen glands, hairs gone bad, no new bud growth, almost all the plants' leaves are yellow, or the plants are at the maximum bloom phase length that the breeder predicted, the lack of scent is like the icing on the cake, telling you that your marijuana crops are ready for flush and harvest. This marijuana bud is almost ready for harvest! Here's my harvest timing factor analysis for this bud: Some hairs have turned from white to red and are starting to deteriorate. The resin glands are still clear and mostly upright and unspoiled, although a few have fallen heads. The leaves still show signs of nutrition. The bud was still expanding in diameter at the time of the photo. The bud was still putting out scent, especially at the start of light cycle. According to the breeder's instructions, this bud was to be harvested in 11-16 more days. I agree with that timing. I would give this bud about 9-11 more days, and if the indicators continued to trend as they already are, I would then flush and cut. Obviously, these factors are not a math equation. Evaluating your buds is an art and a science. Look at the video embedded in this article, and you'll see that the videographer has a few slight variations from what this article says. Every medical marijuana strain is different. Only you can determine what your favorite high is, Just realize that the high your marijuana gives you is partially determined by how long you let the resins ripen. In general, the five factors in this article are the prime indicators that tell you when it's time to say goodbye to that bloom cycle and get ready for flushing, harvesting, drying and smoking your medical marijuana. In future articles we’ll talk more about flushing, cutting, curing and drying your crops. Please remember: even if you're growing in the best organic supersoil, you still need to flush your medical marijuana. Using careful observation and looking for two or more of the factors above to coincide, you’ll know for sure when to start flushing your medical marijuana so your harvest timing optimizes THC, appearance and weight. Photography by (c) Copyright, Steve Davis, 2012 Article by Steve Davis, on Feb. 11th 2012
Very comprehensive guide on drying and curing buds. Thought I'd share, because you can't find a lot of good info on drying. Drying and curing cannabis properly will yield the most THC-potent smoke. When dried and cured improperly, potency can diminish substantially. The level of THC in a plant is determined by its genetics. Proper drying and curing will keep the THC level as high as genetically possible. It does not increase potency. A little background on what happens inside and outside the harvested drying plant will help you understand why proper drying and curing are so important to good quality dope. Drying evaporates most of the 70-75 percent water content in fresh marijuana. Drying also converts THC from its non-psychoactive crude acidic form to its psychoactive pH-neutral form. Once dry, THC-potent marijuana can be smoked and you will get high. Every THC molecule must shed their moisture content before they are fully psychoactive. In other words fresh green marijuana will not be very potent. When you cut a plant or plant part and hang it to dry, the transport of fluids within the plant continues, but at a slower rate. Stomata, small openings on leaf undersides, close soon after harvest and drying is slowed since little water vapor escapes. The natural plant processes slowly come to an end as the plant dries. The outer cells are the first to dry, but fluid still moves from internal cells to supply moisture to the dry outer cells. When this process occurs properly, the plant dries evenly throughout. Removing leaves and large stems upon harvest speeds drying, however, moisture content within the “dried†buds, leaves and stems is most often uneven. Quick drying also traps chlorophylls and other pigments, starch and nitrates within plant tissue, making it taste “green†burn unevenly and taste bad. Taste and aroma improve when these pigments break down. Slow even drying – where the humidity is similar inside and outside the foliage – allows enough time for the pigments to degrade. Hanging entire plants to dry allows this process to occur over time, about 3-4 weeks at 50-60 percent relative humidity and a temperature range of 60-70 degrees F. (15-21 degrees C.) The large outer leaves also form a protective sheath around buds. This protective foliage shields resin glands on buds from rupture and bruising. Removing large leaves and stems upon harvest saves time. This is what most growers do, because fresh supple leaves are easier to work with than dry leaves. When you are looking a manicuring 5 kilos, you make it as easy as possible! However, this process often causes uneven drying and keeps moisture inside the foliage. This is why it is important to “cure†the “dry†marijuana.Curing lets the plants continue to dry slowly. The first week of curing affects potency in that it removes moisture within the bud evenly, so that virtually all the THC is psychoactive. Curing also allows buds to dry enough so that mold does not grow when it is stored. A well-cured bud will also burn with an even glow.Note: Rough handling and friction from fondling hands will bruise and knock off resin glands. Even with proper drying and curing, brutal handling of harvested marijuana will diminish THC content. Here is one of the best ways to dry plants to retain the maximum amount of psychoactive THC. Cut the entire ripe plant at the base and hang it upside down on a line to dry. Try to keep plants from touching each other to avoid uneven drying and mold. Keep the humidity between 50-60 percent. Keep the temperature at about 60-70 degreesF. (15-21 degrees C.). The room should be relatively dark as light, especially direct sunlight, degrades THC.A circulation and ventilation fan may be necessary to control heat and humidity. You can also use a dehumidifier to control humidity or an air conditioner to lower ambient relative humidity and control room temperature. Do not train fans directly on drying plants it causes them to dry unevenly.Depending upon atmospheric conditions and the size and density of plants and buds, plants should be dry enough to smoke in about a week. Plants with outer “fan†leaves intact take longer to dry than if leaves have been removed.Check for dryness by bending a stem. It should snap. The bud should be dry to Cervantestouch, but not brittle. The bud should burn well enough to smoke now.Once dry, carefully manicure buds by cutting large leaves where they attach to the stem. Leaving the petiole (leaf stem) can cause mold to grow. Snip off smaller leaves that show little resin so that buds a beautiful bud remains. Freeze DryingDry ice is frozen carbon dioxide. CO†changes from its frozen solid to a gas without turning into a liquid, a dry (ice) process that is called sublimation. The atmosphere contains little CO2. Dry ice sublimes (converts) completely into a gas leaving virtually no liquid. It is dry.When moist marijuana is enclosed with dry ice at virtually zero relative humidity, water molecules migrate from the cannabis to the dry ice. The relative humidity of the CO2 increases and the moisture content of the marijuana decreases. This process occurs below 0 degrees C (32 degrees F), preserving the cannabis.Place equal amounts of dry ice and bud into a container. Dry ice on the bottom and bud on top. Seal with a lid. Make a few small holes in the lid of the container for excess gas to exit. Place in the freezer. Check the dry ice every 24 hours. When the ice is gone, the buds will be completely dry. If not dry, add more dry ice until cannabis is dry. Conserve dry ice by partially drying buds for a few days before enclosing with dry ice.This method retains potency, freshness and causes very little degradation of resin glands by the bad guys – heat, light, air and fondling hands. The marijuana tastes ‘minty' because the chlorophyll does not break down.CuringEven though the plants appear to be dry, they still contain moisture inside. This moisture affects taste and potency. To remove this excess moisture, curing is necessary. Curing makes the bud uniformly dry and converts virtually all THC into its psychoactive form. Cut stems into manageable lengths – less than 12 inches (30 centimeters) – and place them in an airtight container. Glass containers with a rubber or similar seal on top are the best. Avoid Ziploc plastic bags, which are not airtight. Many growers also avoid plastic containers such as Tupperware, sighting the plastic imparts an undesirable flavor in the buds. Enclose buds in a container. This creates a microclimate that allows moisture to “even out†within the buds. Internal moisture will migrate to the dry portions of the bud. Gently pack as many buds in the glass container as possible without damaging them. Leave the jar(s) in a cool dry dark place. Check the jar in 2-4 hours to see if buds “sweated†moisture. Check buds by gently squeezing to feel if they are moister than they were a few hours before. Be careful when squeezing buds, they bruise easily. Most often they will be completely dry. If not, leave them in the sealed jar overnight and check the next day.The buds will be a bit moist. Remove them from the jar and gently lay in the bottom of a paper bag. They can be stacked in the paper bag as high as 10 centimeters (3 inches). Close the top of the bag by folding once. Check the buds 2-3 times during the day to see if they are dry. Carefully turn them in the bag so that different sides are exposed. Remove when they are dry and place back into the sealed glass jar. Check them the next day to see if they are evenly dry and not moist again. If moist, remove and place back in the paper bag until dry. When dry place back in the glass container. Repeat process until buds are evenly dry.If buds appear to have fairly low moisture content, you may be able to leave them in the jar and let excess moisture escape out the top. Simply open the jar for a few minutes every few hours to let the excess moisture escape before closing the lid again. Check the container daily, leaving the top open for 5-10 minutes so moisture evacuates. After a week or two, it should be totally dry and ready to seal airtight. Vacuum seal the jar and place it in the refrigerator for storage. Leave it in the refrigerator or a cool dark dry place for a month or longer. The taste and potency will be tops! Refrigeration slows decomposition but remember, refrigerators have a high humidity level, so the container must be sealed airtight. I just checked the relative humidity in temperature in my refrigerator – 65 percent relative humidity and 5 degrees C. (40 degrees F). Do not place it in the freezer. Freezing draws moisture to the surface of buds, which can harm resin glands on the surface. I do not recommend fast drying however here is a brief rundown on several methods for those of you who can't wait. Method One: Manicure fresh buds. Spread them out evenly and wrap in paper or enclose in an envelope. Place the paper or envelope on top of a warm object – refrigerator, radiator, television, etc. Depending upon heat level, buds will be dry in a few hours to overnight. Buds should be a bit crispy when dry. Place buds in an airtight container until they sweat. Follow curing instructions above. Method Two: Cut up fresh buds and foliage. Place on a 6-inch (15 centimeter) square of tinfoil. Hold or place it over a 60-80-watt light bulb. Stir every 30 seconds. The weed takes 1-3 minutes to dry. Method Three: Place cut up buds and foliage on a cookie sheet in an oven at 65 degrees C. (150 degrees F.) for 10- 15 minutes. Check regularly until dry. Follow curing instructions above. Method Four: Place cut up buds and foliage in a microwave oven. Power the oven to 40-50 percent and give short 5-10 second bursts. Check regularly until dry. Method Five: Cut fresh buds and foliage into small pieces and place them in a glass jar with an airtight lid. Place several silica gel desiccant packs (the kind that come with electronic devices and cameras) into the glass jar and seal the jar. Moisture will migrate to the silica gel in a few hours. Remove the packets and dry in the sun. Replace silica packs until marijuana is dry enough to smoke. Find silica gel packs at auto parts or electronic stores. Method Six: Peel stems so they plants dry faster. First remove large leaves. Peel off the outer layer of the stem with a knife. This exposes the inside of the stem and cuts drying time by about 20 percent.Patient growers smoke no bud before its time!
Overall great info. I agree with everyhting except that guy saying that plant was done.Not one hair was receeding.Forget that few were orange. Also flushing organics is nonsense IMO. =)
even tho ive yet to harvest, its seems thats the opinion of most ppl, oganics dont need flushing, but i thought that bud looked done lol
Rate this Entry Posted 10-03-2012 at 08:58 PM by M!zzNikki Quote: Originally Posted by nugglord_420 The final stage of cannabis growing - from cutting and trimming your branches to drying and curing your buds - determines the quality of the pot you produce. These easy to follow harvesting instructions will help lock in flavor and potency for the best smoke you've ever grown. CUTTING Properly processing cannabis at harvest is a craft that must be mastered in order to enhance and preserve the psychoactive properties, taste and appearance of the finished product. Many talented growers neglect to implement some of the following techniques, resulting in buds that fail to reach their maximum potential. There are two basic methods used by growers to harvest their cannabis: cola harvesting (cutting the buds from the branches individually) and harvesting entire plant (cutting it off at the main stalk near the bottom). The majority of growers find individual cola harvesting to be superior, for several reasons. Some cannabis strains exhibit varying finishing times on the same plant. For example, the top colas may ripen while lower branches are still developing. Tops can be removed to expose the lower branches to light, thus allowing the lower buds to ripen further. Individual harvesting and drying of branches works faster than drying a whole cannabis plant. When a cannabis plant is harvested, the stomata on the surface of the leaves and calyxes will start closing off, allowing only small amounts of water vapor to escape. This forces the excess moisture stored within the stems/stalks to exit through the cuts you've made on them when harvesting. The fewer cuts for water vapor to exit through, the longer the drying time. TRIMMING For the highest-quality results, it's best to trim all excess leaves from the colas/buds upon harvest, while the foliage is still rigid and fully hydrated. It's very important to remove as many leaves protruding from the bud as possible. These leaves still contain chlorophyll, which will adversely affect the taste of your finished product. Trimming is a tedious job and requires a great deal of patience, self discipline and the proper supplies. It's important to have a good pair of scissors. It's also nice to have a bowl or basket nearby for the shade leaves and a separate container for the sugar leaves (I like to separate them because I later use the sugar leaves for hash and butter making). A table, comfortable chairs and good lighting are also important for the trimming process. Try to sit up straight, set goals and take breaks; trimming a full crop can mean several days' worth of work, even for the experienced trimmer. DRYING The drying process precedes the final harvesting stage of curing. Drying is simply the act of removing the excess water from the cannabis. Leave the buds on the stems and hang each individual branch on a string or hanger of some sort. It's best to dry the buds in a place that has indirect lighting and adequate air circulation. A fan is good to have in the room, but don't point it directly at the hanging buds. Allow the buds to dry until they're crisp on the outside and the stems are still pliable. Because the stems contains so much residual moisture, it's best at this time to remove the buds and place them in a large bowl or on a screen tray. Hanging and drying time will vary due to climate and humidity. When buds dry slowly, it makes for a smoother cure. If buds are dried too quickly, a harsher smoke could result. With slowly dried buds, the humidity remains closer to the humidity inside the stomata. If cannabis is dried to rapidly, the "green" taste will remain in the final product. Drying times are usually from five to ten days; it varies according to the temperature and type of heat in your home, as well as the ambient humidity, airflow and the density of your buds. CURING Cannabis continues to cure after it's harvested, while it's drying and even after it's put in a jar. Just like a fine wine or gourmet coffee beans, marijuana needs to be cured to achieve the rich, smooth, robust taste that lingers on your palate and in your brain. During the curing period, the cannabinoid, and the terpenes will isomerize to create new polyterpenes. Just as with any other fruit, when cannabis is harvested, the fruit or bud isn't dead; it continues to metabolize. Pick a tomato from your garden while it's still partially green and set it on a windowsill; it'll continue to ripen for days. The same is true of a fresh banana. As the banana ages, the peel will turn a darker yellow, and the fruit inside will become softer and have a sweeter flavor. The more robust flavors and tantalizing fragrances of cannabis begin to appear as the chlorophyll and other pigments break down. When the small stems that remain under the buds are dry enough to snap, and the buds themselves are dry enough to smoke, it's time to begin the final curing process. Make sure your cannabis is completely dry before putting it in a sealed jar or container. Sealing wet cannabis in a jar or container will result in mold, rendering the weed unsafe to smoke. Use glass canning jars (i.e., Mason, Ball or Kerr) to cure and store your finished product. Freezer bags can also be used for storing cannabis, but glass is always preferred. Don't store your cannabis in sandwich bags or anything made of a similar plastic; the buds will become too dry and lose potency. It's important to open the jars occasionally to let in oxygen needed for the curing process, as well as to allow gases built up from the curing process to escape. During the first three days of curing, I open the jars once a day. After that, open your jars twice a week for two weeks, then once more after the first month. At this point, the curing process is basically complete, but the buds will continue to mature and acquire more delicate flavors with time if stored properly. Store your jarred, cured cannabis in a cool, dark place to help slow the breakdown of the cannabinoids. Although cannabis needs oxygen through the metabolizing/curing stage, at this point oxygen will have an adverse effect on the already-cured cannabis, since it causes the breakdown of THC into CBN. The implementation of the simple steps listed above will make your dank a legend among your friends. Imagine their surprise when you break out some buds from a three-year-old harvest and they smoke and taste better than ever. There's no limit to the superb qualities of aged cannabis when it's properly dried, well cured and suitably stored. Source: HIGHTIMES.COM | After the Harvest After the Harvest by MzJill Fri, Mar 26, 2010 3:52 pm It's also been stated that this was in the November 2006 issue of High Times. PIN IN IT cinderellax likes this.
By DJ Short There are several important points to consider when choosing the optimum time to harvest your marijuana crop. There are different factors to consider between indoor and outdoor marijuana plants. There is the difference between Sativas and Indicas in bloom duration and final effect. There is the difference between early and late harvest to encourage head to body high respectively. There is the issue of chemistry because what we are really considering in terms of the ripeness relates directly to the chemical nature and state of the plant at harvest. Last, but not least, is the concept of the window for marijuana harvest, where I will begin. Window For Harvesting Your Marijuana Crop This term indicates the period during which the plant is at its optimum state of ripeness. The window opens when the plant is first ripe. Somewhere along the line the plant becomes over-ripe which signifies the closing of the window of harvest. For most Indicas grown indoors, the window of harvest is about two weeks long give or take a couple of days for various strains. Indoors, if going directly from an 18/6 hour vegetative light cycle to a 12/12 hour bud cycle, most indicas take about eight weeks to fully mature. As to outdoors I can only speak from experience at the 45th parallel and the bloom times there. At the 45th parallel I've found most Indicas to be at peak harvest starting at the beginning of October, sometimes very late September, and running until the end of October, sometimes running into November during mild years or in a greenhouse. My favorite time to harvest a nice Blueberry Indica outdoors is in the second to third week of October. For Sativa grown either indoors or outdoors, the window may be open much longer. Some Sativas take up to thirteen weeks to mature indoors. Outdoors many will go well into November and even December, if conditions are right (again, this is near or at the 45th parallel). Head High or Body Stone? An important consideration has to do with one's preference for a head high or more of a body high. A good head high can positively influence one's mental state much like a psychedelic; whereas a good body high is more similar to a narcotic effect. Generally, head highs tend to be more up and body highs tend to be more down. Suffice it to say that a good healthy mix of the two is a fine goal to achieve. Sativas and early window harvests tend to be more of a head high, whereas Indicas and late window harvests tend to be more of a body high. Given this rule of thumb you can pretty much come up with what you want. That is, if you prefer a very psychedelic head high, then an early harvested Sativa might do best. If a very narcotic body high is desired, then a late harvest indicas would probably do best. For that best-of-both worlds high, experimentation with late harvested sativas and early-to-mid harvested indicas usually proves interesting. Magnify Your Buds When we speak of various highs experienced by different products, we are noting variations in plant chemistry. The chemicals we enjoy are produced within the glandular stalked trichomes, along the surfaces of the bud flowers (calyxes), bracts, leaves and stems, starting in or around the fourth week of the bud cycle. More and more of these trichomes develop as the plant matures. I highly recommend that the serious cannabis student acquire a 30X power, illuminated magnifier. These can be found at most local electronics stores, often for under fifteen dollars. With the aid of the magnifier one can learn more about the detail of trichome development and ripeness. As far as trichomes are concerned, the tall ones with swollen, clear, bulbous heads are what to shoot for. The denser the concentration, the greater the potency. The Cycle Of Marijuana Plant Maturity Starting in the third or fourth week of the flowering light cycle, glandular stalked trichomes will begin to form along the surfaces of leaves, flowers, bracts and stems. At the same time, more and more flowers (also called calyxes) develop into densely-packed floral clusters. The pistils of the young flowers are bright white and turn reddish brown with age. The pistils and flowers develop from the bottom of the bud to the top. The older, lower pistils are the first to turn reddish brown. For most basic indicas this usually happens by the sixth week in the flowering cycle. It is about this time that the calyxes begin to swell. Calyx swelling is a major indicator of peak maturity. The lowest, oldest calyxes swell first and the swelling works its way up to the highest, youngest flowers on each bud. At peak maturity about 90% of the calyxes will almost look seeded, they are so fat. Three quarters to 90% of the pistils will have turned reddish brown as well. For a basic Indica this takes well into the seventh week of the flowering cycle. By the end of the eighth week most of the calyxes will have swollen and a surge of trichome development has coated most of the buds. It is now that the development of a very discerning palate comes into play to determine the finest harvest time. Remember - patience is a virtue and often a discipline. The ripening signs for most Sativas are highly similar, except extended over a longer period of time. Occasionally, some Sativas have windows of peak harvest that actually open and close. That is, for a week or so the plant may exhibit signs of peak ripeness. However, a week later the plant may have a growth spurt, which lowers the trichome-to-fibre ratio and overall potency for a little while. Usually a fibrous growth spurt is accompanied by a corresponding trichome increase. Again, time and experience are the key elements in this regard. Changes In Marijuana Chemistry As the plant matures through its window of harvest its chemistry changes. As the window closes, the more desirable compounds begin breaking down into less desirable ones. Primarily it is THC breaking down in CBNs and CBDs. Which particular combination of chemicals is the most desirable is purely a matter of taste and choice, developed over time and with experience. Set and setting also play an important role in determining which type of product is best appreciated. Pleasant head highs are often desirable for social occasions, whereas a narcotic late-window Indica may work better as an evening medicinal herb. The main point is that these differences are chemical in nature and more research is needed to more fully understand this phenomenon. Another important point is that much can be done to further enhance the chemical process, especially in regard to bouquet, aroma and flavour, given the proper curing process. bibliography - November 6, 2004 from a1b2c3.com
Is any of this stuff you have not seen before. Or is it pretty much a refresher? Good to have in one place / post?
I think its great info, some new for me and i keep hoping its still here for all of us noobies to refer to when the time is necessary... i know that i will pick it up in time, but posts like this and the help ive recieved from my "bud buddies" are awesome and id be in bad shape without.. this thread kicks ass and i know that a lot of first timers like myself will apprecciate it...
Great! I'm a first time grower myelf. I figured I should "collect" the posts and articles that I find interesting. I don't have to agree with the entire article, but if I think its interesting lol, I'll add here. I've noticed some growers do have dedicated threads in their own words so I hope this way can help as well. Glad you like it.
Hello All! I'm back with a topic that I haven't been able to find in searches in these forums: Water Curing your buds! Lets break it down: Air Curing is done to remove chlorophyll and other salts, etc that are built up in the plant during it life cycle. It allows for a smoother smoke and tastier product. People do this by utilizing oxygen in the air. Oxygen works oxidize the chlorophyll and break it down on a chemical level. This takes 2-4 weeks, but allows for the best aroma and "bag appeal" which is important to some people. Results: -Burning is still somewhat harsh and will leave more ash behind -More bag appeal: more color to the buds -better taste and aroma Water Curing is done by cutting down your buds and removing the fan leaves. It's optional to do further trimming, but note that cured trimmings always make better hash. Place them in a bin of Reverse Osmosis water and keep below above 65F and below 75F. Use something to gently weigh them down. Once a day for 3-7 days (depending on personal preference) change out the water with clean fresh RO water. Because there is a high concentration of chlorophyll and salts in the buds and none in the water, Osmosis will naturally occur, drawing it out of the plant until the levels are equal. The water is changed out to keep the osmotic pressure at its highest: day old water will not have the same osmotic force to suck out everything. After the 3-7 days, hang and dry the buds like you normally would. Done! Results: -Less bag appeal -The smoothest bud you'll ever smoke -Bud is more potent, but only because the total weight is reduced. IE- where you may get 1.5g air curing, you'll only get 1g with water cure: a much purer product -Using them method allows you to pump in nutrients all the way to the end, with NO 1-2 weeks of flushing. That could increase yields significantly. Remember that nothing we want to smoke is water soluble. That means it will not leach out into the water. The only thing that can happen is trichomes can break off if you treat the buds roughly: be gentle. Last edited by ultrasonic; 12-15-2009 at 05:15 AM. Reason: Added note about increased yields from water curing
I know right? I'm not quite that patient to dunk em in water just yet. I am trying to flush two branches that broke off before time by letting them sit in plain water. Its been about 3 or 4 days. Its still alive so I think the flush is working in theory.
Here's more detail on the freeze-dry (dry ice) method. Kind of intriguing. Contributed by: Doctor Dangerous What is the "Dry Ice Cure" (Freeze drying )? What is Dry Ice? "Dry Ice" is frozen Carbon Dioxide. CO2 will change from its solid, frozen state to its gaseous state without passing through a liquid state - hence it's name ‘dry ice'. This process of solid changing to gas is known as sublimation. What is Sublimation? Sublimation is a simple process which depends on the fact that the surface of a frozen solid is actually quite active at the molecular level. In the case of water ice, water molecules are constantly leaving and binding to the frozen surface. In a moist atmosphere, more water molecules bind to the surface than leave, and ice grows on the surface (e.g frost inside your freezer). In a dry atmosphere however, more water molecules leave the frozen surface than adhere, so the solid dries out. The same process occurs with Dry Ice. As there is a fairly low CO2 content in air, the dry ice sublimes away completely, leaving no residue or liquid - hence its name. What is Freeze Drying? Freeze drying (scientific name: Lyophilization) depends upon the process of sublimation (explained below), and on the fact that like CO2, frozen water at low temperature will go through the process of sublimation under the right conditions. Dry ice has a very low water content, as it is made up of almost pure CO2. In theory it IS pure, but even from a lab suppliers, it will have a small amount of impurities - these do not matter for our purposes. In effect the dry ice vapour has near zero relative humidity. Now: (this is the important bit) When material containing water is placed into this almost zero humidity environment, the water molecules are drawn out of the material and into the CO2, raising the relative humidity of the CO2 and lowering the water content of the material. If the CO2 around the material is steadily replenished then the process will continue until all moisture has been removed from the material. All this happens at low temperatures, below the freezing point of water, which means that the material is preserved in a totally ‘fresh' state. How Do I Freeze Dry Grass? Use a container (I use a Tupperware box) that is twice as big as the volume of grass you wish to dry. Make a few small holes in the lid, to allow the gas to escape. Put equal volumes of bud and dry ice inside, loosely packed, with the dry ice underneath the bud. Put the lid on and make sure it is properly sealed so that the only way for gas to escape is through the holes in the lid. Put the box into a freezer, lid upwards. This is to keep the material as cold as possible, prolonging the sublimation process for as long as possible. The dry ice will begin to sublime pushing all air out of the box and surrounding your buds with bone dry co2. The totally dry atmosphere will begin drawing water molecules out of the plant material. Check the tub after 24 hours and then every 24 hours until the dry ice has all gone. When the ice is all gone -the buds should be completely dry and smokeable. If you find that they are not quite dry then put some more dry ice into the box, place the lot back in the freezer and wait until they are done. Can I use a fridge? You could use a fridge instead of a freezer, but the dry ice would evaporate very quickly so you'd need a lot more of it to dry the buds, hence the expense would rise rapidly. Better would be to use a ‘cool box' - one of the plastic insulated boxes for food storage when camping. Again - make sure that there are holes so that the gas can escape. Do I need to prepare the buds? It's better to partially dry the buds so that they are nearly dry, then finish them off with dry ice. If you use fresh, wet grass then you can expect the process to take much longer and to use more dry ice, pushing the cost up. I find that using partially dry buds in a freezer the dry ice has gone after about 48 hrs. What I do is give them a week of slow dry, then manicure, THEN freeze dry them. What are the advantages? The advantages of this method are increased potency and a 'fresher' taste. As the material is preserved in a totally ‘fresh' state, the THC glands suffer as little degredation from heat, light and air as is possible. No other drying process preserves the resin glands is such a fresh state as can be achieved with freeze drying. Why should I freeze dry? Freeze drying is good if you plan to freeze your bud anyway. If you don't want to keep it in the freezer then there isn't a lot to be gained by using the technique, as the 'fresh' thc will rapidly degrade as usual once outside the freezer. Where Can I get Dry Ice? You can get dry ice from most lab suppliers (expensive) but many industrial ice houses or ice cream suppliers sell it for considerably less (preferred option) Just try the yellow pages. My Opinion Based on Experience To be honest, In my experience the dry ice cure is a lot of trouble for little benefit, as the final taste isn't as good as you can get by slow drying and glass jar curing. Generally it's greener tasting and somewhat 'minty' due to the remaining chlorophyll. Strangely enough, some people like this minty taste and associate it with strength. (weird, I know - but they do.) Does it really increase potency? I have tried comparison by using a control sample, and freeze drying definitely seems to give you a slightly ‘higher' hit with a ‘mintier' taste than the jar cure, but the overall strength didn't seem hugely different. It's a connoisseur smoke, perhaps. In a blind test at a party with about thirty people involved it came out about evenly split as to which was the strongest, but that was a subjective test, and was only conducted in a very stoned manner! According to The Frank & Rosenthal Guide, anecdotal evidence suggests that freezing improves potency, which is why I got into the process in the first place. I'm not convinced either way, but it was a fun technique to play with for a while.