How can I get better smelling/tasting buds?

[mtbazz]

I grow indoor, all organic, and have genetics that are good to excellent. Prior to harvest, I flush with plain water (ususally distilled or RO), and than harvest after a dark period (12 hours).

I trim while everything is still fresh, than hang to dry, or place on drying screens in an environment that is 50-60 dg F, at about 30% humidity, usually it takes a week to dry. After drying, everything goes into jars that are opened and allowed to breathe twice a day.

Using my most recent harvest as an example (Fruit of the Gods), the buds basically smelled like candy when fresh, but even after 30 days of curing they are only left with a very mild smell, and very mild taste.

At first I thought it was just me getting used to the way fresh herb smells and tastes, but recently, I sampled buds that had the strongest smell and taste I ever experienced. The guy didnt know the name of the strain, but said they were grown hydroponically.

Am I doing something wrong to cause my buds to loose their smell and taste?

 

[pthway4]

Try drying slower...7 days in a cool dark space with a little air movement...then try to cure for at least a week or two...this is what I found helps bring the tastes and aromas out...If growing in organics..flush a few times prior to harvest and then I have read it helps to do a final flush and cut shortly after so the roots dont have a chance to begin feeding again...I think it may be impossible to "flush" organic soil completely like one would with hydro

 

[Daddy-O]

.

 

[mtbazz]

Soil is happy frog, ferts are Earth Juice grow, bloom, and catalyst. I usually feed once a week with a very mild fertilizer solution with ratios varying according to the growth stage, than the last week just flush with water.

The nugs are always nice and frosty, and smell great at first, but after the cure they lose much of the smell.

In the past Ive run peak seeds BB, NB, Serious Seeds AK47, and some Hindu Kush from a source I forget. Always get the same results, smells like candy at harvest, but later on loses that smell unless the buds are slightly crushed.

The buds I mention that I tried the other week retained that candy like smell for a long time.

 

[Daddy-O]

.

 

[simon]

It's all in the cure. Check my sig.

Simon

 

[JamieShoes]

what simon said (hehe)...

it sounds like they might be a little too dry when you're jarring them?.. but seriously, check the link in his sig

 

[mtbazz]

Thanks for the replies. Simon, the thread in your sig is great, but I would need like 5 - 10 of those hygrometers, Ill probably try it on a smaller scale though.

I checked out the Mandala website. Are these the bags they recomend:

http://www.ziploc.com/?p=b0

Regular ziplock storage bags?

 

[reckon]

I grow indoor, all organic, and have genetics that are good to excellent. Prior to harvest, I flush with plain water (ususally distilled or RO), and than harvest after a dark period (12 hours).

I trim while everything is still fresh, than hang to dry, or place on drying screens in an environment that is 50-60 dg F, at about 30% humidity, usually it takes a week to dry. After drying, everything goes into jars that are opened and allowed to breathe twice a day.

Using my most recent harvest as an example (Fruit of the Gods), the buds basically smelled like candy when fresh, but even after 30 days of curing they are only left with a very mild smell, and very mild taste.

At first I thought it was just me getting used to the way fresh herb smells and tastes, but recently, I sampled buds that had the strongest smell and taste I ever experienced. The guy didnt know the name of the strain, but said they were grown hydroponically.

Am I doing something wrong to cause my buds to loose their smell and taste?

negative ion generators, or ozone generators CAN cause lower "stank levels", and some use these as a way to mitigate the odor so as not to attract unwanted attention,.....are you running those?

also some CO2 systems (especially if the levels are high) cause the plants to only form SOME of the "stomata" the plant respires through, and this can also cause a reduction in fragrance.

my current GDP is SOOOO friggin stinky, I actually let it dry more than normal during the cure, and then rehydrate with a pipe tobacco humidifier "wafer", or it's almost unpleasant to smoke (I kinda over fertilized,....oooopps)

 

[simon]

Thanks for the replies. Simon, the thread in your sig is great, but I would need like 5 - 10 of those hygrometers, Ill probably try it on a smaller scale though.

You don't need a hygrometer for every container, just as the hygrometers don't have to remain inside the jars 24/7, especially after the product's RH is relatively stable, or if the flowers are not dry enough. Either situation shows relatively quickly. Or, you could just use a hygrometer in a test jar to determine what the product should feel like at every stage. FWIW, I've used 2 hygrometers to cure +5lbs in 1gal jars. Good luck.

Simon

 

[Daddy-O]

.http://www.ziploc.com/?p=b11

 

[2-COOH]

i agree with the other posters on final flush, when I flush for 2 weeks or more(pure water) and let all remaining fan leaves turn yellow, this has produced the smoothest and best smelling bud. In organics it took at least 2-3 weeks though...
cures way better too than less flushed bud, nice and sticky and not brittle.

 

[mtbazz]

Well, I found the ziploc veggie bags and am going to give that a try. Since these breathe, could you actually put buds in these that are little more wet than you would than if using a jar ?