Quick Dry Method!

Quick drying always takes potency away. I dont know how much or if your method will work but why do it? Why not just wait 4-6 days and let it dry normally? You still would need to cure it or it will very harsh on the lungs and taste horrible.

Also dont pick buds off your plants early, most of the THC is made right before its ready to be harvested. Your just taking away from your yeild and your not gonna get high. Patients is everything when growing.

 

Well, I don't know if I agree that quick-drying always takes potency away. If he only takes the humidity out, without rising the temperature too much, I don't think it will be noticable. But when I quick-dry, I always end up dissapointed as far as taste and smoothness goes. And thus it will effect the overall experience. Also, I feel like it's more potent after curing, but I think that's placebo.

When I use a heating-fan with the setting on low (like 30* C), it dries up in a few hours. It's a bit harsh though...

There are some herb-dryers that uses a de-humidifyer to dry the herbs. It will probably not take away any potency.

Here's a link to a DIY herb dryer: 4 day bud dryer for $40.

I'll see if I can find the de-humidifyer...

 

Why do you want to quick dry when you got about a month of curing ahead of you after the drying? You are not gonna waste all that time and effort growing and smoke it before you cure it are you? Dry it till the branches snap when you bend them. Then put it into mason jars for a few weeks minimum. Then you will be ready to smoke it.

 

Some people are more impatient than others.... I know I simply can't wait and have to quick dry some bud when I harvest. But I know how much better it is after curing for a few weeks. It makes a world of difference!

Here you go! It's called a food dehydrator and I found one on ebay: http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Nesco-FD-75...all_Kitchen_Appliances_US&hash=item35aa917486

They have a top-mounted fan; adjustable thermostat from 95-to-160 degrees F (35-70 deg C)

 

Don't short-change all your efforts by ruining your bud after harvest for goodness' sake. Proper drying takes time. If you want to start using your new harvest that's fine, but let the bulk of it dry and then cure the proven, slow way to a good smoking experience.

 

Yeah I agree with you toasty, but it won't effect the potency if you don't use heat right?

 

If it didnt effect the bud in a negative way then EVERYONE WOULD DO IT! Think about it, if quick drying had no bad effects then why would all the most experienced growers still hang their bud to dry?

In my experience anytime you rush something your going to lose some quality. Didnt you ever hear about the tourtise and the hair?

 

Well the reason would be the same reason you cure after drying your bud. Why do the most experienced growers cure their bud? For taste and a smoother smoke. I just doubt that it would effect potency if you didn't use heat.

The reason why most people don't quick-dry is that it is very harsh to smoke, and since you've managed to wait for two months for it to finish, why not wait the extra week it takes to dry properly.

I would say that if you used a method that pulls the moisture/humidity out of the air and the bud without using heat, then why would that in theory effect potency? Someone please explain that for me?

 

the reason people say it affects potency is that it is widely believed that during the slow drying and curing process, a lot of the THC loses a carboxyl group in the plants final metabolic reactions, and becomes psychoactive. Also, other terpenes and cannabinoids are said to mature. I don't know if this actually happens in the case of cannabis because I haven't read double-blind clinical studies on it (legalize so we can test this shit!), but I understand the chemical theory behind decarboxylation and I believe it does happen in the case of cannabis.

An Alternative and complementary theory is that when properly dried and cured there is a greater ratio of active tch to plant matter thereby "increasing the potency". I have no problem seeing how both scenarios happen in tandem and that properly dried and cured bud is in fact more potent than quick-dried bud. Just my belief.

 

I dont know many growers that would not sample their grow by quick drying a nug or two. Their are many tips on how to do this here. As discussed above this will affect the taste of the product. I have never heard that it will affect potency so I wouldnt worry about that.

 

I quick dry a very small portion (maybe 5 grams dry) of my harvest for the sake of trying it.

I don't think a dehumidifier is going to make much of a difference. You're still looking at several days, not hours.

A dehydrator though does (kinda what they are built for). I found a model at Bed Bath Beyond for about $50. I dry other stuff too, apples, herbs, even watermellon so it gets some use. The model I picked runs at 95 degrees on it's coolest setting and has a circulation fan inside. I keep the buds away from the heating element and they take anywhere from 16 to 30 hours depending on their size (uniformity is key).

To slow the dry process I usually drop some lemon and orange peels in the dehumdifier around 12 hours in. This helps keep the outside of the buds from becoming overly dry while trying to extract the moisture from the inner stem.

Ultimately the buds have that kind of grassy hay taste to them and the potency is not what it will be on the slow dry buds because of the sustained dry heat. What it does give me is an idea of how up or down the buds might be. I grow some premo stuff so even at 80% potency I get high as shit...

When a person harvests 500 grams plus (dry weight) it's not a big deal to quick dry a few grams for fun.

Dehydrator>Dehumidifier but I bet the slightly slower and lower temp dry with the dehumdifier would result in slightly higher potency than the dehydrator. Say 90% maybe.