How do i know when dryings done

Do the stems just crack when you bend them?
If so, your good to go bud

 

777 is the ideal dry
7 days at 70% humidity and 70 degrees.
Buds should be semi firm should spring back when squeezed. If it crumbles it got to dry.
Mid 60s humidity of the plant material is your target. 62% is perfect dry and ready to cure.
Below 55% all processes stop and it won't cure. To dry = Shit
If it dries to fast it'll stink like a bucket of lawn clippings and smoke like liquid fire.
What Factors a Cause an "Earth" Smell
^ how I get it done.

Way to dry. Ruined a ton of buds when it got to dry to fast and to deep.

BNW

 

Another thing you could try is getting a tiny RH meter and filling a wide mouth mason almost to the top, but leave some gap and tossing the reader in there.

If it goes 65%+ means they have to dry longer

 

You want a nice snap sound when bending stems.

 

Throw some in a jar with a humidity meter. Give it a few hours and see where it's at.

 

I agree that the stem snap test is not a good guide. IMHO that's too dry as mentioned above. I don't know that there is a one size fits all test for determining appropriate drying short of buying some expensive equipment. I like the above putting it in a jar with a hygrometer though.

 

Question, theoretically one could keep it at the last two sevens for longer than a week? Why not say two weeks?

 

What has been said above is correct. However not everyplace has the same RH. Arizona requires a few twists different than Michigan for instance.
I grow outdoors.

-I do a wet trim outside when I harvest the plant, generally leaving the entire branch to hang. Removing Fan leaves or basically leaves that you see stems. Be sure and cut as much leaf stem as possible.
-Then hang inside in the dark until the outside of kolas seem dry. As they dry they will be spongy and still wet inside. This generally is 3 or 4 days.
- Then I cut the stems into about 12 inch lengths and trim any thing I don’t like and put in plastic tubs. I take the lids on and off to slow drying but they still get a lot of air. I even turn them over in the bins to get an even moisture level. Lids on and off for several days. They are starting to look like pot now. This is in a room with fan and RH at about 60/70. They are still wet enough to mold so you must keep an eye on them and just keep feeling them as to how moist they are. If they feel damp take the lids off. Dry leave the lids on. This can go on for a week or more.
-When you feel they are starting to get dry, give a final look for any trim needs and cut from stem and place in jar with a broveda (or your choice) pack and put on lid.
-I install Mason jar lids with a small hygrometer in it I make myself. This lets you know what’s going on in the jar. I use amber Mason jars to limit light exposure.
-Watch the RH in jar, should be in the 60’s. I use 62% humidity packs. It will change a bit up and down. Once it stabilizes put a regular Mason jar lid on it.
It seems to get better with age. I am still using last years harvest as this years is in the jars mellowing. It makes for a flavorful dank weed. I like leaving it on the stem as long as possible as the buds seem to suck the moisture from the stems and get really sticky.
For me, two more plants to go and Croptober is done!
Good luck!

Fan man
PS, Nice trim job by the way! Wish I had the patience to be that good.

 

Sure it won't hurt it any.

Southern California here and much the same with slowing and controlling the dry.
What does curing your bud do?

Out for the day.

Stacked in new, clean, closed trash cans overnight.
Gradually reducing the time exposed during the day by an hour or so. At the end of 7 days it'll only be exposed an hour to put it at 65 % and ready to jar.

BNW

 

I have mine hanging in a spare bathroom with a humidifier and a fan. Window is blacked out. RH is pretty steady at 67-71. Whole plants hanging. I don't have a lot of experience growing but I have learned a few hard lessons.

I'm hoping do a two week dry but I will err to the side of trimming and jarring earlier with hygrometer, I can always leave the lids off for a while if reeds too wet.

I really want to dial this process in and I would love to be able to have stuff jarred up for a number of months. Not a big fan of the Boveda packs though I swear they made my last batch smell like cigars...maybe that's just me.