Malawi Style Cob Curing.

StickyBandit · 2024-04-19T04:10:41+0100

oldworld said:
I have big dreams here. I'm able to grow several times now than I consume. So this is a very attractive option. I mean like 8 extra pounds a year (if all goes well) and I have room to grow. I'm envisioning nice little blocks and a cob cave.

Just theoretically here. I'm gonna follow the rules for now at least. But is there any reason the vacuum is necessary after it's fermented and dried? It seems atypical competed to other aged products.

Also interested in flue curing and pressing a la flake/perique tobacco. These are experiments for the future though.

It looks like I took too long. My buds seem to be too dry for cobbing. Into the jars they go. We'll see what the humidity reads later on.

Worst case, I've got more in 12 weeks

My concern for long term storage is degradation and mold if open to the elements, it will soon absorb moisture again in humid conditions. I find vacuum packed can be stored super long term once properly dry and forget about it, just gets better, even for grinding and smoking. I haven't found a better way to store weed long term.
The stuff you have that's dry already should cob fine, it might take a few days to start the process but my guess would be it will work fine once vacuum packed and left in a warm place.
A pound can compress to about the size of a box of tissues so storage is a breeze

oldworld · 2024-04-19T04:22:15+0100

StickyBandit said:
My concern for long term storage is degradation and mold if open to the elements, it will soon absorb moisture again in humid conditions. I find vacuum packed can be stored super long term once properly dry and forget about it, just gets better, even for grinding and smoking. I haven't found a better way to store weed long term.
The stuff you have that's dry already should cob fine, it might take a few days to start the process but my guess would be it will work fine once vacuum packed and left in a warm place.
A pound can compress to about the size of a box of tissues so storage is a breeze

It might be a little too dry.

I jarred it up and sealed my problem from the tent fan in there for a while. It said 40% rh.

Hopefully that will go up overnight.

Realistically, I'll probably end up with a cooler and aquarium heater to sweat in and a drawer full of bags, but you know, it's nice to dream.

Nextgeneration73 · 2024-04-19T16:19:26+0100

Rocketman64 said:
I would like to add my two cents into the conversation. I've been a grower for over 30 years and have always cured my harvest in a similar fashion as to what is described in this thread. Craft paper, or paper bag-type paper is what we use. The buds are hung to dry until a little crispy on the outside. All buds are then wrapped with craft paper rather tightly and placed in a warm room with roughly 50% Relative humidity for around 10 days depending on how things are progressing along the way. Sometimes we leave it for 14 days, sometimes we pull it after 8.
The people that come to me for product already know what to expect. The product is dark, a little tacky and very mild smelling. The effect is strong, long lasting and usually a surprise to most who smoke it. I've been growing an unknown sativa strain for many years. It's not a big yielder but overall, the best high I've been able to find since my early years.
One poster in this thread pointed out the difference between 'commercially' viable product and personal stash. There's no doubt breeders along the way have forgotten completely about how the strain makes you feel after you smoke it. It seems all they care about is that specific smell, look and frosty appearance.
I've had to educate a few of my younger friends about what it's like to be 'high' vs. 'stoned'. Since they've been smoking nothing but rough hybrids, their idea of what getting 'high' was is completely distorted. Getting high to them was smoking a joint, eating some snacks and staring at a video screen for hours with red eyes and no motivation to get off the couch long enough to take a piss.
Then they smoked some of the paper-cured, nasty-looking(to them) sativa I have. They have never purchased the commercial stuff again, they come to me for their stuff now. The word gets out, the business continues to grow.
If you're new to sweat-curing I suggest starting with around an ounce or so to get your timing figured out. Forget about what the final product looks like. It's not going to look anything like the funky, brilliant green weed that's sold over-the-counter, get over it. Do it right, give it away for a week or two to some of your loud-mouthed friends and let the games begin. People will come looking for you. Believe it or not: most people will not give a shit if the weed look like shit on a shingle. When they experience the 'HIGH" they will never go back to the skunky stuff.

You mean to say that the Sativa or Malawi cobs don't smell skunky strong or have a mild smell I'm assuming? Right now I picked off an early bud from my lower bud sites on the plant, people told me over and over that it wouldn't delay the rest of the bud development and right now I'm just practicing with the smoke sample nug.... I have it on my thread as well.... I'm still not fully understanding what the right temperatures or right flow of wind should be for the drying part outside of the cure..... Lots a wind flowing around the little nug right now though ..... I'm not even sure how often I need to vacuum it and then take it back out, especially givin' the fact that mine is an early sample since I have until early May before my travel to harvest the whole plant.... Before temporarily leaving on this travel I'm just trying to get everything clarified....

Nextgeneration73 · 2024-04-19T20:53:04+0100

StickyBandit said:
My concern for long term storage is degradation and mold if open to the elements, it will soon absorb moisture again in humid conditions. I find vacuum packed can be stored super long term once properly dry and forget about it, just gets better, even for grinding and smoking. I haven't found a better way to store weed long term.
The stuff you have that's dry already should cob fine, it might take a few days to start the process but my guess would be it will work fine once vacuum packed and left in a warm place.
A pound can compress to about the size of a box of tissues so storage is a breeze

Which type of bags would be best if I had to use them to make a cob cure before wrapping it up and then vacuuming it up as well and so on? Meaning are there any type of wrappers or anything that shouldn't be used?

StickyBandit · 2024-04-19T22:27:08+0100

Nextgeneration73 said:
Which type of bags would be best if I had to use them to make a cob cure before wrapping it up and then vacuuming it up as well and so on? Meaning are there any type of wrappers or anything that shouldn't be used?

Waxed baking paper works well for rolling and making a fat cigar shape immediately prior to vacuuming, not sure you need another process before that other than pre-drying in the normal fashion to ~60-65RH and removing the big stalks, then a day or so in vacuum in a warm place to hold the shape and start the process then open and gently dry some more, even for a few days if needed and vacuum again and repeat for progressively longer periods until you're sure it's properly dry for long term storage

Hammerhead · 2024-04-19T22:46:26+0100

StickyBandit said:
It does look very nice, will you be cobbing it @Hammerhead ?

Yep. I posted earlier in the thread.