Buds won't dry in Cali

[diamondmine]

I'm having a hard time drying buds, everytime a plant is pulled the humidity rises. Right now the humidity is from 80 to 100%, how do I dry them I don't have money to spend on fancy equiptment. My buds are hang drying with a small fan blowing on them. It's really pissing me off because the buds start to get dry and two days later they are moist again.
My first batch would not dry after weeks I ended up microwaving the sh*t.
Annoyed.

 

[BACKCOUNTRY]

A slow dry leads to smooth smoke down the road, I'd be happy if it took 2 weeks to dry, as long as they are not getting moldy/mildewy.

If its just getting too ridiculous, run down to a hardware store or department store and pick up a little ceramic heater(shouldn't be too expensive), aim it in the direction of the plants, but watch to make sure they aren't drying too fast.

 

[diamondmine]

Ok, well I harvested on the dec. 3rd so it's been two weeks and the stems on my buds are bendy, they don't snap or break. The leaves have begun to dry decently, but this is very airy bud.
How long do I wait because I'm very tempted to throw it in the oven???

 

[BACKCOUNTRY]

Do any stems snap, especially close to the buds? Perhaps try eliminating some of the bigger stems? Perhaps they are holding alot of moisture?

Have you tried smoking some? Does it burn in the bowl?

 

[diamondmine]

Nope, nothing snaps, not even close to buds. I have two seperate harvest of this plant. The first part I shredded the buds and layed them flat on cardboard, they dried after a week and I jarred them. Then I freaked out a few days ago and thought maybe the jarred buds were going to mold so I opened the jars. Now those jars that I opened back up are Moist again(dammit). Those buds I'm going to have to take out of the jars and lay on cardboard again.
The other buds are hanging by string and don't snap or break, even close to buds. I think I'm going to cut them into the smaller buds and lay them on cardboard, if that doesn't work I guess the dam oven then.

 

[BACKCOUNTRY]

What is the temp like where they are hanging? Maybe you need a heater?

 

[Old time lurker]

Try puttin' a couple of buds in a mason jar with some uncooked rice. Works for me, might help you, but then again, I don't have humidity levels that high where I live.

 

[diamondmine]

40 to 50 degrees and I don't have a heater, and it's in a secret location so I can't just put it anywhere.
I think I'm going to do what you said and break them into the smaller buds, it's really airy bud so it won't be a problem. I don't know what else to do besides throwing them in my oven at 200. I looked at weatherchannel.com and it looks like mostly 100% humidity for my area for the next week. I could possibly use a bigger fan but that will hamper my secrecy.

 

[LolaGal]

This is silly! Put the buds in a brown paper grocery bag, shut the top. Open like you would a curing jar daily.

Buds will be dry in 3-4 days, but not in a bad way, like microwave...


I dry most of my buds in brown paper grocery bags.... It works really well.


After a few days in the paper bags, will be dry enough to jar and start curing....

good luck

 

[VerdantGreen]

if you buy a small dehumidifier from ebay or something - you can get realy tiny ones now quite cheep. put it in a cupboard with your buds. check they arent drying too quick and if they are put it on a timer or something - works great!

V.

 

[Vorsprung]

if you buy a small dehumidifier from ebay or something - you can get realy tiny ones now quite cheep. put it in a cupboard with your buds. check they arent drying too quick and if they are put it on a timer or something - works great!

V.

I agree a dehumidifier might be the best idea (as is Lola's suggestion for paper bags.. they would help wick some of the moisture out).

It's the humidity that's killing yeah - plants are just absorbing the moisture from the air. Like someone said above not necessarily a bad thing as long as there is no mold...

 

[Che]

I use one of these, it might help you

external link: Hamilton Beach clothes dryer at Amazon $25 shipped

 

[LolaGal]

oh if you decide to use my totally free method, don't forget to stir the buds around when you air them. The ones on the bottom get moved to the top, etc. Don't fill the whole bag, just cover the bottom, get another bag, fold over, you are in bidness.

works great, cost = 0

 

[theJointedOne]

yeah agree with lola just make sure if the humidty is 100% that you have a fan blowing on the bag and change the bag once it gets moist from the buds.

you didnt work hard for that long to put your buds in an oven,. I mean if you need to put a bowl or two to last a day or two in there but dont throw away your hard work for an oven bud, Microwaving is absurd and possibly the worst idea ever. I have done it, shamefully, and it is the worst ever...ever!

 

[statusquo]

I feel its not necessary to buy anything. Desiccants can be found all around the house. Cardboard, paper bags, paper, napkins. I have a small six inch fan that I run in a small closet on the lowest setting. It is aimed away from the buds and its on a timer and comes on every other hour. Takes about 4 days to dry in 40-70% RH. Good luck!

 

[Lazyman]

I agree with the guys above, I crank up my dehueys during harvest so RH is around 40-50%. If you need to jumpstart the drying process put them in the oven at 100* for a couple hours, any hotter and you'll start baking off the THC and other good stuff. I would advise you NOT to make them crispy in the oven, it will never cure right. Just remove the first 75% of moisture or so, then cure it the rest of the way in bags and jars.

I've used a small food dehydrator with this method, and once cured the buds were great, not harsh at all.

 

[diamondmine]

I cannot buy anything, unemployed for a long time. And were talking about a QP or so here.
Are you guys saying that my buds will dry faster in a paper bag than they would by hanging from string in the open air.

 

[statusquo]

Yes they will dry much much faster. The paper bag serves as a desiccant and absorbs water from the buds. Cardboard would achieve a similar effect but the bag surrounds the buds completely and evenly.

The outside of the bud will dry first and draw moisture from the inside of the buds. During the cure the moisture will reach a sort of equilibrium in the buds (im not saying this is the point of curing, just one of the consequences)

 

[diamondmine]

Yes they will dry much much faster. The paper bag serves as a desiccant and absorbs water from the buds. Cardboard would achieve a similar effect but the bag surrounds the buds completely and evenly.

The outside of the bud will dry first and draw moisture from the inside of the buds. During the cure the moisture will reach a sort of equilibrium in the buds (im not saying this is the point of curing, just one of the consequences)

No Sht, well that solves it I'll put them in paper bags then. You guys are sure about this, it won't mold faster? Ok I'll do it then. Maybe first I should just lay them on cardboard and cut them into smaller buds.

 

[theJointedOne]

just make sure you go and stir up the buds every day or so, at least for the first week or two,

a qp is worth the effort, you will happy you did it the slow way.....god luck and cograts on the nice sack!