Does anyone know if it is ok to put silica packets with your drying bud. Does it have any negative effects? Silica packets are those little packets that you would get with beef jerky that say DO NOT EAT! They are moisture absorbers so i was wondering, say if you had a couple drying buds in a droor or something and it wasnt well ventilated, might silica packets help??
I've heard of it (I think from a Cervantes book), never tried it. Should be no harm in it and it should work fine. E4A2S
It would work, but it might be a bit more harsh then letting it try for a longer time on its own. Ive dried in the oven before, i would turn it on to like 250. I dried a huge bud in one night and it worked but tasted like crap. If your just wanting to get high by all means quick dry the crap out of it, but if you want a more smooth smoke try letting it dry for a few days on its own. Supposidly, not sure, but the idea is that a bud that is wetter longer relesaes more chloriphil as it dries making it smoother. One that is quick dried doesnt get that chance to release it making it more harsh. Good luck with drying.
I think the best way to dry your bud is the patient one. Hang the whole thing upside down for a week to 11 days or so (or until the stems crack instead of bending) Then trim.
i wasnt gonna do it just wondering if it can be done with no bad effects. And its not like those things will make the buds dry faster they just keep the humidity down. So all the moisture that is released from the buds doesnt hang around it goes into the packets. So they dont effect how fast they will dry. So im guessing its an ok thing to do. Wont do any harm. Thanks guys
If they are absorbing moisture and keeping the humidity down then it will definitely make the buds dry quicker. The silica will wick the moisture from the air which will in turn absorb more moisture from the buds. The whole point of the recommended drying/curing procedures is to allow the bud to dry as slowly as possible without getting mold. Silica packs will probably expedite the drying process at the expense of flavor and aroma.
So your saying that good ventilation will dry buds too fast? Because good ventilation will keep the humidity down. I have read everything saying when drying buds, good ventilation is a necessity as well as low humidity.
Silica packets will not dry your buds it actually does the opposite , silica packets are designed to absorb oxygen to keep things fresh. if you are attempting to dry and cure buds you need oxygen. If your buds are properly dried and cured the silica packets will help them remain fresh without over drying.
When drying buds you want about 30-40% humidity with slight air circulation around the buds but not directly on the buds. I use a dry box with great results.
Yes you need some air circulation. But too much ventilation will dry the buds out too fast. You just need a dark, relative cool area that isn't hermetically sealed. "In this form, it is used as a desiccant to control local humidityin order to avoid spoilage of some goods. Because of poisonous dopants (see below) and their very high absorption of moisture , silica gel packets usually bear warnings for the user not to eat the contents."
hmm.... now im kinda confused bc hash says they consume oxygen... which i know is true. So that is bad in that respect. But then buzb8 shows that they do control humudity and soak moisture. My guess is that if you HAD to dry buds in a sealed small area with very little or no ventilation then they can assist in drying. But of course i already knew it is best to dry buds in a ventilated area with lower humidity. Thanks a lot guys..... i was just kinda pondering on this subject anyways as a what if situation.
a bowl or bed of rice grains (uncooked of course) will absorb moisture in a small drying area,but dont think the difference of doing it or not makes that much difference
You are wrong. Silica Gel is a desiccant, which absorbs moisture. Silica Gel is not used as an oxygen absorber. Silica Gel is commonly used as a drying agent, for keeping foods crunchy, electronics dry, absorbing moisture in jewelry boxes, and of course keeping beef jerky nice and dry (dried meats typically have silica gel mixed with an oxygen absorber in one packet). It is FDA approved for use near food (best when purchased in Tyvek material packets), but of course you can't eat the substance itself. This is why it comes in packets that keep the Silica Gel separate from your food. Those of you who have bought bud that you think is still a bit too moist can keep a few of these packets in your (air tight) stash bag/box to dry it out a bit more (or just leave your bag/box out and open, but this will take a week or two depending on how moist your bud is and how humid your house is). Sorry to revive a dead thread, but I was curious and did a google search on what people were saying about mixing silica gel packets and weed... because I've heard some pretty retarded claims from people who think you can't use Silica Gel packets with food. So long as it's packaged in a Tyvek packet, there's no risk of any silica dust escaping (Tyvek packaging is the food industry standard, ie: beef jerky).
if you have high humidity use them to take humidity down keep it normal other than that if your rh is around 40% your great when im drying about 2lbs of dry herb every 2 months ive notice hummidity raises to about 65 for first day then 50 next day then stays at 40% constant no worrys of changing ont he first day i use fans then let sit fro about 10 days then cure for 3-6 weeks depedns on demand
You're probably right, I was aiming my post at people who are buying bud that they believe is still too moist. When one buys a sack, it's pretty likely that one wants to smoke it in the very near future. I've never enjoyed smoking moist or squishy bud.. so I thought I'd throw out a bit of info in case anyone else out there felt the same way. Also, some people that are buying bud might have various reasons for not wanting (or not being able) to leave their bud out to dry: Roommates, hotel maids, parents of younger smokers, etc.
cut individual branches and hang them upside down, not the entire plant as one. then let it dry upside untill the buds themselves feel dry but the stems dont crack (if they crack then they are over dried!) then you put them into paper bags for a few days then into the mason jars. and its easier to trim before you hang them, plus then you can save the clippings and make some hash
You people are scaremongers, of course gel packs would work. Also, if your bud's wet, just put it on the playstation for half an hour. Sorted.