Questions?

[Ralph W. Llama]

Over time, I've noticed that plants often smell their best early and mid flower. When taking plants early, the extracts are often super tasty, and more positive and energetic too, which is commonly noted. Yield is obviously lighter, but if traditional hand rub hash gathering is started after the 4th week of flowering, why wait to "finish" a plant?



Would multiple early harvests produce better yields over time, with better flavors and effects? Speaking of extracts here, not really flower and I typically make etoh tinctures for full flavor drinks. Are the more volatile terps better earlier because they haven't started degrading?



The anecdotes are infinite for the benefits of curing, and cobbing has serious devotees too. Has anyone done a comparative lab analysis (cannabinoids/terps) of early harvest vs normal harvest, long cure vs oven decarb vs cobbed?



Why do we report differences in effects? Do the different methods produce different cannabinoids? How much does our experience influence effects?



If heating THCA turns it into THC, why does a cure seem to increase the effect? Shouldn't the heat of vaporizing or cooking accomplish the same thing, without waiting?


I have more questions, but that's enough for now.

 

[...CR500AF...]

I got to ask,what strain do you run that is greased up and ready at four week's ?

 

[Ralph W. Llama]

Nothing is ready at 4 weeks, it's that some traditional hash harvesting starts then with hand rub. I am asking if that is there a happy medium between "starting" and "done" producing resins that works best for terpenes and effects. Ditto for post-harvest methods, what works best. I don't know that I have ever seen any lab results from cobbed vs. cried flowers. I think we still have a lot to learn.

 

[...CR500AF...]

Ralph W Llama i believe Sam has done a lot of this sort of thing maybe he will jump in and answer your question.
But for my two cents worth i turn most if not all into bho and i never seen it better when it has to be taken down early for anything.
I went through R C book of hash and i remember big huge plants and fields they where using for that, a lot of work for little return.
I wish you the best and i hope you find that sweet spot you are looking for...

 

[Ralph W. Llama]

Thank you, CR. It is all about the sweet spot. Trying to science up the magic, so we can replicate the spells. My experience with early pulls is not universal, but there was one that yielded a XTC effect that was wild. Harvested later, it seemed less intense.

Speaking of Sam, in the classification thread he said the effects are essentially all THC-based. If this is true, why are there so many different highs? We have theories about terpenes and other potentially modifying compounds, but no evidence. The newly identified THCP is intriguing too.

Back to experimenting.