Vacuum packed freezer curing

[TooMuchLobster]

Hey guys and girls

I don't tend to read/contribute to grow forums much and after figuring out the basics I grew tired sifting through nonsense. Just winged it and accepted I may have failures and through experience I don't agree with a lot of it, ie. flushing before harvest. I have figured out what works best for me and was wondering if anyone else had tried this.

After harvest, branches are washed and hung to dry for several days before trimming any leaves that can be removed by cutting at the petioles. Then buds are removed from the branches - I don't leave entire colas intact- they are put into small cardboard boxes with a grill of some sort to keep the buds from touching anything. The boxes are kept shut and are left more or less undisturbed until they are dry. No real airflow except a few holes cut into the sides.

After a final dry trim I jar some up "perfect cure" style at 55% to 60% RH for a few weeks for my first month's stash and any leftover is vacuum sealed and frozen. 30g per bag. When I need some I defrost them in the bag before opening it.

What I've consistently noticed, with all my strains, for years, is that the bud coming out of the freezer is ALWAYS better smelling, better burning and better tasting than the jar cured. Zeeeeero bag appeal due to it being so compressed but it's only for me so that's no biggie. It's as if all the qualities the plant had when it was alive are preserved. Even after a month in the jar it is fresher than month old jar cured which at this point becomes a bit bland for my tastes.

Is there anyone else who has tried, heard of or does this regularly? I would like to see someone else try it and see how it works for them

Yes, the ash is white.

 

[TooMuchLobster]

Oh, and I've tried freezer curing in jars but it doesn't come out as fresh and tasty!

 

[Drewsif]

"It's as if all the qualities the plant had when it was alive are preserved."


Another kid who doesn't know what curing is.

 

[Subu]

That sounds like an absolute pain... Strongly recommend you try vaping if you are focused on taste, the taste difference is very dramatic and the effects are still there (I was a skeptic myself but since buying a vape, wish I did so 5 years ago).

Get a full blown Volcano or the Mighty

 

[TooMuchLobster]

I'm not a kid, and I do know what it is. Did it that way and liked it for a very long time before I tried this. I think some people prefer fresher-smelling weed, I just always found the "aged" kind of smell/taste a bit lacking. Especially at 6 months or more.

Not sure why you wouldn't want a fresher smell, easy preservation while still a smooth smoke?

 

[TooMuchLobster]

Not much could be easier than putting something in the freezer and not worrying about mold.

I mostly vape, have done for 10 years or so now. I actually use that for my jar cured since is brings the most out of anything. Prefer fresher tastes when I smoke, and curing changes that

 

[Subu]

For the sake of my own entertainment - when you start commenting on the ash and how weed burns I become very skeptical about how frequently you vape. In terms of curing - have you tried something like 58% or 62% RH Bovedas? Curing at "55-60% RH" doesn't sound very optimal or scientific for someone obsessing over flavour and from what I understand 55% is tending toward loss of cannabinoids/terpenes.

You definitely need to try dial in your curing with humidity packs based on what you're saying. I'd put money down on you having cured at or below 55% RH multiple times

 

[TychoMonolyth]

Most kitchen or upright fridge/freezers are Frost Free, but there are some "freezer only" uprights that are Frost Free. Most chest freezers are NOT frost free. You can dry weed in a frost free freezer via sublimation, so chest freezers just won't do the job.

Curing weed in a freezer simply doesn't work. The process of curing requires burping your curing vessel (usually a jar) to release off gassing and excess humidity. Once you reach 62% RH, your bud is cured. This typically takes 28 days. For stellar weed, Low and Slow is the ticket.

For short term storage (stuff I'm smoking), I prefer 55-57% RH because 62% RH buds just gum everything up. I like 62% for long term storage. Drying or Curing below 55% will destroy your terpenes and degrade your trichomes. And there's no coming back from that. The goal of curing is to stabilize the flower.

If you're going to store your weed in the freezer, use an air tight bin with a good seal, as opposed to a vacuum bag, and fill it to the very top. I guess you could vacuum pack them and put them in the bin, but you still have to fill it to the top. Vacuum bags ARE NOT AIR TIGHT, so your weed will dry even more.

https://www.borealcuring.com/drying_and_curing_guide/drying_and_curing_guide.php

 

[chilliwilli]

Sometimes i jar my weed when it's still on the wet side. Most of it is dry so u can already smoke it but there is a little moisture near the stem left. When jaring and freezing that i got the most in terms on longterm tast. Even after months the smell/tast is stronger than when stored at a dark and cold place.
It's important to either let the jar thaw or work fast when getting some buds out. I have my stash jar ready and only take out what i smoke for the day and immediate close both jars. Any moisture that condenses on the frozen bud will raise humidity and kill all terps.

 

[TooMuchLobster]

Most kitchen or upright fridge/freezers are Frost Free, but there are some "freezer only" uprights that are Frost Free. Most chest freezers are NOT frost free. You can dry weed in a frost free freezer via sublimation, so chest freezers just won't do the job.

Curing weed in a freezer simply doesn't work. The process of curing requires burping your curing vessel (usually a jar) to release off gassing and excess humidity. Once you reach 62% RH, your bud is cured. This typically takes 28 days. For stellar weed, Low and Slow is the ticket.

For short term storage (stuff I'm smoking), I prefer 55-57% RH because 62% RH buds just gum everything up. I like 62% for long term storage. Drying or Curing below 55% will destroy your terpenes and degrade your trichomes. And there's no coming back from that. The goal of curing is to stabilize the flower.

If you're going to store your weed in the freezer, use an air tight bin with a good seal, as opposed to a vacuum bag, and fill it to the very top. I guess you could vacuum pack them and put them in the bin, but you still have to fill it to the top. Vacuum bags ARE NOT AIR TIGHT, so your weed will dry even more.

https://www.borealcuring.com/drying_and_curing_guide/drying_and_curing_guide.php

Would it not be damn near airtight triple vacced? Typicslly nothing is in there for more than a few months. If not then I will have to think twice about all of this!

I've been using bovedas for a long time, once it's down to around 62% I chuck a 62 in. I've switched to the 58's for my last harvest so I'll see how that one goes. So far after a month the results seem good.

I'm not actually talking about using the freezer to cure. They are jar cured once thawed. The title is misleading really. Simply put I find that my weed, once frozen and thawed, cures evenly and retains it's smell, smoothness and consistency in a way I prefer.

As does drying in a more enclosed space with what I would have previously considered inadequate airflow ie. cardboard boxes. A few days of hangdrying first just in case. Takes around 2 or 3 weeks to dry.

I was wondering if this is something people would have some insight on; maybe the cells become ruptured during the process, breaking down plant matter and combined with the compression from vacuum sealing something unique happens. Similar to the compression in cob curing. Yes, I am aware that is a fermentation process. I've tried that a few times and... yuk

I have more than enough spare to try any new trick i hear about (washing was a game changer) and stay open to anything. So please don't talk down to me. I've simply ended up settling for a method I stumbled acrkssand was curious if anyone had noticed anything similar.

Personally I believe the white ash thing is nonsense. It just seems to be one of the ways people judge a good smoke so I added that in

 

[Switcher56]

Hey guys and girls

I don't tend to read/contribute to grow forums much and after figuring out the basics I grew tired sifting through nonsense. Just winged it and accepted I may have failures and through experience I don't agree with a lot of it, ie. flushing before harvest. I have figured out what works best for me and was wondering if anyone else had tried this.

Seems like you got it all figured out.

Personally I don't do the freezer method nor will I ever attempt it. Everyone is free to do whatever works for them. There are a lot of things you mention (WRT your methodology herein), that can be construed as nonsense (the entire process). But if your happy that is all that matters. If you got good smoke then be happy

PS: Tycho doesn't talk down to people!

 

[TychoMonolyth]

Double vac is enough. Once it's cured and packed, you can drop it into the freezer for up to a year. But keep in mind, the freezing temp of trichomes is much higher that the moisture in your plant. Put a cup of Honey and a cup of water in the freezer and you'll know what I mean. Taking it out or moving it around will snap the trichomes easily. So be gentle as you can and let it thaw before you dig in.

But all this is academic and we wouldn't notice much at all. We just want to smoke. Lol

 

[BobChronic6505]

Things wind up going stale for me when I use jars. Maybe I wasnt doing it right. I've had the best success using a brown paper bag. I'll hangdry individual branches for maybe 3 days, then I'll trim the buds off and into bags. I only fill the bag up like 1/10th of the way, but I scrunch the top up tight and try to put it in the coldest spot in the house. I can forget about it for a month and it still be good...but If I forget about a jar with wet ass bud in it........

 

[TychoMonolyth]

Things wind up going stale for me when I use jars. Maybe I wasnt doing it right. I've had the best success using a brown paper bag. I'll hangdry individual branches for maybe 3 days, then I'll trim the buds off and into bags. I only fill the bag up like 1/10th of the way, but I scrunch the top up tight and try to put it in the coldest spot in the house. I can forget about it for a month and it still be good...but If I forget about a jar with wet ass bud in it........

That would give you a nice slow dry, and might even cure if it's slow enough. You'd need a dry room though.

I've tried so many ways it would make your head spin. I did try a paper grocery bag, and it was ok for a few months, then it turned musty. Probably because it was in my basement. Cardboard boxes worked great though. Drying time was 10-12 days before it went into the cure.

I made these for a buddy using grommets instead of just poking holes in the cardboard because they'll be reused over and over. This one is for small branches. There's another one for large colas with only two rows of rope (parachute cord). 1 box = 1/2-3/4 lbs (depending on loose Sativa or tight Indica).


I made 30 for someone else out west and they got really pissed because the boxes alone cost $500 and the shipping was $275 (with the 45% discount I get). Plus I had to make them. He called me to complain and gave me shit, then he asked for another 30.
Some people ...


But the best weed I ever had was dried in an outdoor garden shed in the fall. The downside is you have to watch it like a hawk. It can be ready to bring in, and even a slight rain will rehydrate the whole thing an hour later.

 

[zachrockbadenof]

after drying, i toooo like to seal-a-meal em- i find they stay much fresher then in mason jars - but i don't freeze/fridge em- i just leave em in a cool /dark outside room....

 

[TooMuchLobster]

Thank you for some more friendly replies! I'm not sure what caused offence. Maybe the misleading title . Got nobody irl to talk to about growing so bit the bullet and joined a forum....

I've tried every way of curing (that I've read about) and I love the results! except cobbing.... in no way am I claiming that this is some magical technique - I've got more than enough bud for myself and love trying out whatever I can think of. I don't feel that Mason jars are truly airtight and it begins to become musty after the 6 month mark even with bovedas.

I just happened to vac and freeze for storage immediately after drying my last harvest and it seemed to cure to a fresher smoother smoke than I'm used to.

Was wondering if anyone had any idea as to why? I'm thinking the compression has something to do with it, or thawing it out could burst the cells.

Once it's sat at 62% until I'm satisfied, i prefer the 58s for a nicer consistency.

I thought cardboard boxes with little airflow would be a disaster but was pleasantly surprised! Similar concept to the grocery bags that have been used for a long time. The humidity in my apartment is very low at around 30 on average. So I can imagine this being a big fail in the tropics.

BobChronic, I'll try out your technique next time seeing as I have some dry cool areas

Time to smoke some maui!

 

[Switcher56]

Thank you for some more friendly replies! I'm not sure what caused offence.

Your 1st sentence here might have something to do with it...

I don't tend to read/contribute to grow forums much and after figuring out the basics I grew tired sifting through nonsense.

 

[Devoted2rolling]

Your 1st sentence here might have something to do with it...

I don't tend to read/contribute to grow forums much and after figuring out the basics I grew tired sifting through nonsense.

​​​​​​The problem is pot growing forums think they have answers. They don't. Never have, never will.

 

[Devoted2rolling]

I've tried so many ways it would make your head spin.

Doubtful you have the gear ratio to spin heads. Judging by your years of drivel.

Next time uproot a plant. Put it in a vase with half the roots submerged. Continue growing the plant.

Or are we all just retired armchair growers talking about the good old days of accidental dank and fuzzy memory of some shit that didn't exist on these stupid forums?

 

[TychoMonolyth]

Doubtful you have the gear ratio to spin heads. Judging by your years of drivel.

Next time uproot a plant. Put it in a vase with half the roots submerged. Continue growing the plant.

Or are we all just retired armchair growers talking about the good old days of accidental dank and fuzzy memory of some shit that didn't exist on these stupid forums?

4:11 on the street all the way.
In a vase? You mean the rot the roots method? I'll take a pass on that one.


Someone mention cobbing? Amazing cure/ferment results with Original Glue and Swazi.

1st sweat (3 in total)

1st Drying (3)

The cobs crystalize. (6 months)

Smoke is awesome. Chewing is... just beautiful.

Special thanks to Tangwena for leading the charge with his Malawi Style Cob Curing thread.