Curing, the best answer for the HOW TO CURE/WHY ITS SO IMPORTANT, Ive ever read.

Hey Dudes and Dudeys

I am constantly looking for reasons to end my cure process or rush it some how, I now know from what your about to read that there are hundreds of reasons why a good cure makes that much a difference.

Im not sure if this has been posted, I just think it should be done.
This is the best explanation I have ever had on the whole curing question,as well as methods and tips.

ENjoy......


Does curing affect potency?

The very short answer is YES. It does affect potency in a very positive manner. Curing cannabis after harvesting for few days to several months will improve the potency, as well as the taste and texture of the buds.

Curing takes place after cannabis has been harvested, manicured and partially dried. Most cannabis will retain a significant quantity of moisture within its stems and inner buds even when the outside feels dry. This is especially true for very dense buds, more care must be taken in drying loose airy buds because sometimes they can dry too fast.

Should a sample of bud become over-dried before proper curing is complete, many different techniques may be used to slightly re-hydrate the bud and continue curing as normal. Fresh buds, orange or lemon peels, lettuce, apple or many other fresh fruits and vegetables can be added to a sealed jar of pot to allow more moisture to diffuse into it. Plain water either sprayed directly on or applied via towel to the buds is also a good way to re-moisten them.

Be very careful when re-moisturizing buds though, because sometimes the re-moisturizing material can carry pathogenic fungi and bacteria, Which if not monitored carefully, can destroy your crop. Venting, checking, turning, and even re-moistening of buds is necessary so that the proper moisture content to promote curing is present, slow even drying is the optimum process for curing cannabis.

The preferred container for curing and storage of cannabis buds is an all glass jar, with a large opening for easy access. Wide-mouth canning jars with glass bodies and tops with a rubber seal are an ideal choice. Less preferred are small-mouth canning jars with metal or plastic lids. Generally try to avoid all plastics in direct or close contact with your cannabis. Generally these materials are slightly porous and the phenolic acids and terpenoids can react with plastics, but not with glass.

Initially drying can be preformed free hanging or enclosed in cardboard boxes or paper bags, both of which will act as a desiccant.

There are several process and effects which take place during curing that can rationally and scientifically explain the increase in potency and improvement of the smoke in cured material:

Moisture Content

Moisture is essential for the curing process, it is both your friend and enemy. If too much moisture is left in the buds, with out the regular mixing, venting and turning of buds involved with curing, molds and bacteria can quickly form and ruin the taste and potency of your stash. On the other hand, without the necessary moisture metabolic processes essential to curing do not take place.

Fresh cannabis plants are around 80% water (all %’s by weight); curing generally begins after the cannabis has lost half of it’s initial mass, and contains approximately 33% of it’s initial water.

Once curing is complete and the pot is “dry”, it should still contain 10-15% moisture, approximately 2-4% of its’ initial water. This is an ideal because most bacteria and molds can not grow below 15% water content, and below 10% cannabis buds tend to powder.

Cannabinoid Conversion

Naturally, as the metabolic processes continue during curing, the conversion of cannabergerol to tetrahydrocannabinol will continue and the potency of the pot will increase. This is because cannabergerol (CBG) is the non-psychoactive precursor for tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Of course, the exact change in THC content will necessarily be dependant upon the concentration of CBG in the fresh material at harvest. Of course any remaining precursors necessary to form additional cannabidiol (CBD) and other cannabinoids will also be consumed and converted.

Be aware though if curing is excessively prolonged (most connoisseurs would agree after 6 months no more benefit could be had from curing), the conversion of THC to non-psychoactive cannabinol (CBN) will occur. The exact rate of decomposition can vary widely depending on handling and storage conditions, but can be less than 10% to greater than 40% decomposition per year.

Storage tips:

Potency during curing and storage can be maintained by observing some basic precautions:

The buds need to be kept in the dark, protected from light, which will quickly decompose the THC.

Moderated temperatures should be observed during curing, 50-75F being ideal.

Excessively hot temperatures will promote oxidation and the growth of mold and bacteria, and very cold temperatures can prolong curing and drying for up to several months.

During storage, buds should be stored as cold as possible, if temperatures of 0C or less are to be used, make sure the bud is dried to a very low moisture content before storage (to insure that cell walls are not burst by the freezing water).
Also, if prolonged storage is planned evacuating the oxygen and replacing it with carbon dioxide, nitrogen, argon, nitrous oxide, or any other inert gas will help slow oxidation, as well as the addition of antioxidants such as ascorbic acid packets or vitamin C tablets.

The most stable way to store cannabis is as whole unbroken buds or unpressed trichomes. Excessive rough handling or pressing can easily damage the protective cell walls and plant waxes that help protect cannabinoids from oxidation.

Continued Metabolism

Also as these metabolic process take place, the plant needs energy which leads it to consume the sugars, starches, nitrates, and minerals. Many of these compounds are metabolized and released as water and carbon dioxide, therefore removing what is essentially inert material from the pot increasing the concentration of cannabinoids therefore making it more potent.

Much of these positive metabolic processes can be most effectively begun with thourough flushing and stripping of the plant before harvest. This will help reduce the amount of time necessary for a good cure.

Curing will not only improve potency, but the color and look of most cannabis buds because as the chlorophyll is broken down purple, gold, and white coloration can emerge and the trichomes will appear more pronounced.

Decarboxylation

Some decarboxylization will take place during curing as well. This happens when the carboxyl group (COOH) located at C-2, C-4, or the end of the hydrocarbon chain at C-3 is destroyed leaving a hydrogen attached and liberating CO2.

Decarboxylization is necessary to convert cannabinoids to usable psychoactive forms; the plants (and your body) carboxylize cannabinoids to make them more soluble in water (for metabolic reactions and excretion).

Research indicates that this effect is fairly minimal during the curing process though. Decarboxylization will take place naturally very rapidly at temperatures of over 100C. So smoking and most any cooking will decarboxylize the cannabinoids. As decarboxylization occurs, the loss of CO2 will liberate a small amount of inert material making the pot more potent via concentration of the cannabinoids.

Taste & Odor

Terpenoids are the highly volatile compounds that give marijuana much of its’ characteristic odors, and therefore tastes.

The most current research also suggests terpenoids lend to the high, sometimes very significantly. Cannabinoids are phenolated terepenes so it’s not surprising that many hundreds of different terpenoids are synthesized as well.

As pot ages, some of the terpenoids go through polycyclic aromatization in the process of decomposition. This agglomeration of terpenoids will change the flavor; hence the ability of cured pot to show flavors that didn’t seem present in the original fresh material. Much of the very volatile terpenoids will also evaporate and or decompose, especially with prolonged curing or storage. This action will remove some matter from the pot increasing the cannabinoid concentration and therefore potency.

It must be noted that excessively long curing or storage, higher temperatures, or extremely low moisture content will cause such through evaporation of the terpenoids that the cannabis will generally loose almost all of it’s natural flavors.


Namaste

Here is the link to the original, http://www.420magazine.com/forums/frequently-asked-questions/86257-how-cure-your-marijuana-crop.html

Nice post, lots of good info here. I'm convinced! =) Stay safe.

See told you

Great read, especially for the tips as I am drying and curing my grow currently. Do you have any research articles about the CBG conversion to THC? I seem to get higher off of stuff that has dried and cured, even a little bit, but couldn't that be a matter of the terpenoid content instead?

I think your spot on,, Dry Cure, CUre, Water CUre, its all to increase potency ,taste and flavor.as well as end up with something you can keep for a little while.

Ill do a little more research,

Namaste

Wowee, I just found this written by a dude called Green Man on the 420 site.

ENJOY...

Adding Flavors
People pay a lot of money to get seeds they think will grow pot that smells like blueberries or chocolate or something else.

Often these strains are hard to grow or may not be as potent or high yielding as other less expensive varieties.

People want to know if orange bud smells and tastes like an orange. With the proper techniques you can make your favorite variety smell and often times taste like anything you want.

You want to do this without ruining the cure. It's no point having blueberry pot that burns your throat or doesn't get you high. Do not pour any syrup or similar flavorings on your pot. The sugar will make it very harsh and you are inviting mold. There are better ways.

The best flavor enhancing starts while the plant is still growing. You can do a certain amount while it's curing and you can even affect the smell/flavor somewhat after it's been cured.

There are two main approaches, inside out and outside in. You can apply flavors inside the plant while it's still growing and you can try to add flavors after it's been harvested but this is from the outside.

Anything you put in your plants water will affect the taste of the finished product particularly if you harvest it right afterwards.

I learned this about 20 years ago the hard way. I fertilized using fish emulsion right before I topped the plant. Bad move! The resulting top smelled like fish and had a foul taste.

What you want to do is select a flavoring that is very concentrated. Lets take orange for an example. You could use orange juice but if you could find concentrated orange extract you would have less pulp etc to deal with. You will find some concentrated flavor extracts in the grocery store.

Want your pot to smell like vanilla? Vanilla extract is cheap and readily available, so is lemon extract (cooking variety). Other extracts can be found in stores that specialize in baking supplies.

Lets say you can't find any of that and you want to use what you have on hand. I took the example of orange flavoring. If all you have is orange juice you could use that.

I would suggest filtering it first to get out as much of the pulp as possible. A coffee filter works well but it'll take a while to filter it all.

You may have to change filters a few times. Those with hydroponic units will shudder at the thought of a lot of goop going through their system. That's why I suggested the concentrated extracts if you can find them.

It's important to do this shortly before harvest. For one thing, most extracts including the ones you make up yourself have a lot of sugar in them. This sugar will ferment and decay rapidly, even more so in a hydro unit.

With hydro I recommend putting the flavoring in the water between 1 and 3 hours before harvest. This rule isn't set in stone but I heard from one grower who used a sugar based clearing solution on his crop and less than 24 hours later the water was foaming from bacteria growth.

Plants draw up solution fairly quickly so one hour should be enough for some of the flavoring to reach the top.

Three hours should not be enough time for bacteria to grow but you will want to dump out the solution right afterwards and clean out your unit.

Remember to use plain water for a few days before harvesting your hydro crop so all that will be in the water will be the flavoring.

If you are a soil grower it's even easier. You might think it would take longer for the flavor to work it's way through the plant but this is not the case.

All you have to do is let the plant dry out a little before your apply the solution. In other words schedule a watering just before harvest.

Naturally you were giving your plants plain water for several days to a week or two before harvest weren't you? Give the plant the water with the flavor when it's a little bit thirsty and it will draw it right up. One hour is more than enough time for this to happen.

After harvest it's important to give it a good cure as I described last week. Resist the temptation to fast dry some of the weed to try it out. You will find it's even more harsh than it would be normally because you have added some sugar to the plant by way of the flavoring.

The curing process will take care of the extra sugar and give you nice mild smoke. It will also have the flavor and aroma you are looking for.

I'm sure I will get a deluge of email asking me what the exact formula is for the flavoring. I can hear it now "how many drops of Bosco per gallon?" First of all, I don't know what you want.

You may want something that smells exactly like an orange or a blueberry and doesn't smell at all like pot.

As far as I know that's not possible. You would probably ruin the pot if you succeeded. What some people think is a nice hint of strawberry may be way too strong to the next person.

What one grower thinks is very blueberry may not smell or taste like blueberry to his friend. I suggest that you don't treat your whole crop this way while you are experimenting. Dirt growers will find this easy because they could use something different in each pot.

Hydro people may want to isolate a plant or two with the solution. This wouldn't be very hard because you wouldn't need circulation for the short period of time it would be soaking in it.

Other things you could try are guava, pineapple, grapefruit, passion fruit, cherry, mint or even pina colada. Stronger and more concentrated flavorings will have a more pronounced effect than more dilute products.

You may need gallons of orange juice to get what you want but a half ounce of concentrated strawberry essence might do the job nicely.

I may start collecting recipes and have an issue of the SU devoted to peoples favorite recipes sometime in the future. In short, experiment and see what works for you.

The other approach is to use something in the curing process. People have had good results with orange peel, lemon peel or other citrus peels.

This will only give a bit of odor, it's not as strong a technique as the previous one I mentioned. For those who just want a hint of something this may work fine.

It's important to watch very closely for mold when curing. The moisture from the peels may promote mold if you're not careful. Let the herb dry for a day or two before you add the peels This might work a little bit with pot that's already cured and dried but it's less effective at that point.

IC mods, I hope your not peeved as I searched the site for a simple direct curing process and all I could find was (from the linkorama) water cure and that other guy who uses those hygrometers, sorry cant remember his name, But nothing direct and simple with look and tell methods requiring only our time and minds,

I hope this will help others in my boots.

Namaste

Great finds AD. It makes for interesting reading.

I just want to mention this respectfully..........

I think it would be appropriate to provide the links to your found information/statements for others to both verify, as well as follow up on, should they have deeper interests in the subject matter.

At the same time, it would be proper etiquette to acknowledge credit for the information provider when quoting their online statements.

Thanks for sharing your searched out topics, I appreciate your efforts and always welcome new and/or interesting processes or findings.

VapeOn,
smokum

I think the first post is helpful. With all due respect, the flavoring info not so much. The writer boasts 20 years of knowledge but no direct descriptions of results. IMO, plants won't take up fruit juices any more than they'll absorb other organic compounds. There might be a fruit juice that doesn't sink pH and kill the soil herd. But once the compounds are broken down, it's NPK. It's no longer mango juice or whatever. I know the writer said his weed tasted like bat doo two decades ago. But IMO, that's no scientific experiment worthy of the conclusions he's drawing.

There was a grower here several week ago asking why his pH was diving so deep. Using a quart of GH pH UP per 32 gallons of feed water. 16 gallons of ferts and 16 gallons of what he referred to as "the clear". Feed water received 3/4 quart of pH up and the clear got 1/4 qt.

Grower after grower said the guy was doing something wrong, based on starting water pH and EC readings. He had to be adding something very acidic to 8ish pH plain water to need a cup of pH up per 16 gal. Slowly but surely the op began to advocate what the post above suggests. Readers began to suspect the grower was adding something he wasn't disclosing. Fruit juice maybe? The grower even claimed that the catpiss strain evolved from cat urine and the diesel strain from generator fumes.

Before you mess up a crop, think twice about adding something that could negatively affect the quality. Especially carbon monoxide, lol. Get a decent strain, flavors and smells will be manufactured, not absorbed.

Queen Ann's Lace will absorb food coloring. It's not unusual to assume blue kool aid would turn plants blue. But do you really want to smoke that stuff? Besides, color-died QAL is usually cuttings, not rooted plants.

But at least the writer above stresses doing this at the end of the grow. This other guy was buying a quart of pH up every two weeks, lol.

Thanks for the info, Arthur.

DiscoBiscuit said:

I think the first post is helpful. With all due respect, the flavoring info not so much. The writer boasts 20 years of knowledge but no direct descriptions of results. IMO, plants won't take up fruit juices any more than they'll absorb other organic compounds. There might be a fruit juice that doesn't sink pH and kill the soil herd. But once the compounds are broken down, it's NPK. it ain't mango juice or whatever. I know the writer said his weed tasted like bat doo two decades ago. But IMO, that's no scientific experiment worthy of the conclusions he's drawing.

There was a grower here several week ago asking why his pH was diving so deep. Using a quart of GH pH UP per 32 gallons of feed water. 16 gallons of ferts and 16 gallons of what he referred to as "the clear". Feed water gopt 3/4 quart of pH up and the clear got 1/4.

Grower after grower said the guy was doing something wrong, based on starting water pH and EC readings. Slowly but surely the op began to advocate what the post above suggests. Readers began to suspect the grower was adding something he wasn't disclosing. Fruit juice maybe? The grower even claimed that catpiss evolved from cat urine and diesel from generator fumes.

Before you mess up a crop, think twice about adding something that could negatively affect the quality. Especially carbon monoxide, lol. Get a decent strain and added flavors or smells will be manufactured, not absorbed.

Queen Ann's Lace will absorb food coloring. It's not unusual to assume blue kool aid would turn plants blue. But do you really want to smoke that stuff?

Thanks for the info, Arthur.

Click to expand...

that grower needs to be slapped lol....

I edited my post to read flavors and smells will be manufactured, not added flavors and smells... sorry.

Where did you get these from?, i KNOW i've seen that adding flavors one done by someone before "greenman". a breeder possibly? hmm.....


good post.

Hey all thanks for the interest, Its not my writing only my finidings, I have linked you all to the original text to avoid plagerisim,and to make sure the dude gets his cred.

Namaste

@disco, im very sceptical bout the flavours, but the curing news is good.

@madbuddhaabuser, posted the link on the first post, shotfor pulling through chaps.

Namaste

Also the part about adding Orange peel to rehydrate the buds. If you have gone past 55%^ humidity and try to rehydrate using anything will not continue the curing process. When the moisture level gets that low the curring process in done and can not be restarted.

Agreed, but the mind can have people believeing all sorts of things...

his general curing info is spot on, he does go off on a little tangent and loose track alittle though.

Namaste

med.indoor grow first timer

med.indoor grow first timer

thx arthur i might just try this on 1 plant shortly before i harvest.

Interesting thread man. Nice information.
this flavour enhancing debate has come up a few times & although i think adding fruit juices is doable its not really viable imo & could cause other issues, maybe a very small amount of extract may be viable. What ive thought would be better would be to source the terpenes directly, you can get limonene & linalool & various other terpene concentrates, i think using these would be alot better, less rubbish going into solutions the better.

I agree with you all on the flavour thing, its just his previous info is so to the tee, that I figured he cant be crazy, And I for one do not knock anything untill I have tried it, so when I have a mommy that I flower off next I will try make her Vannilla cake/tobasco/peri peri/orange flavour..... ha ha haha...

Namaste and thanks for stopping by chaps...

Hell yeah. Extra tobasco please.