Malawi Style Cob Curing.

Man i have to say, these three pages have been the most refreshing and interesting things i have read on here in a long time. Thank you sincerely.

Anonimas1989 said:

Hi, I have tried every way to cure these flowers, I found that some smell like amonia and nothing else, some have some earthy smell, some has sweet smell, I believe it depends on potency of plant and THC content, more thc, more sweet it smell, more you keep it wrapped more earthy aroma it has, correct me if Im wrong. I have tried put few cobs underground for 20days (more will make it even darker I guess), since they are wrapped tight they almost have no mold since mold cannot get in if they are wrapped tight as you can. It became almost black, just need to add few drops of water on the ground where they are buried so some of ground material will go into cob with those drops, it can be few drops, then anajerobic bacteria start its job from inside I guess, it smells like so, just need to realise that too much of water can digest this gold

Click to expand...

Hey there, good theories, but im not so sure about the THC=sweet smell. Pure THC is pretty much smelless and tasteless, i would venture to guess it has more to do with the bacteria present. Id love to try some of it either way!

Tangwena said:

Hi Anonimas if your buds underground smell of ammonia they have started to rot, it is why I dont bury cobs. It is easier to vacuum seal in a plastic bag, it also helps them to sweat.
When the buds are dried to the point that you would start jar curing, if you vacuum seal them they will start sweating, and after a couple of weeks if you open the bag they will have become quite wet and started decomposing.
The colors should have turned orange, yellow autumn colors. I have found the color changes are more pronounced if it is compressed in a cob. It needs to generate heat inside the bag to cure properly.
I dont understand the scientific reasons only how to make it occur. Any buds that smell sweet should be kept aside as they will be cured well, the others once dried will be ok as well dont throw them out.
The end result can vary depending on what the buds were like going in.
Its like making wine if the grapes are poor quality the wine will not be high quality, it takes a lot of trial and error but if you follow my method exactly it will give you a good chance of success and you can fine tune it to your taste.
Tangwena

Click to expand...

Great speech, now I know at which point I need to put them into cob, corn husk season is done here, will do more cure in a tree leafs if there will be tight enough around. Thanks

RustyShcklfrd said:

Man i have to say, these three pages have been the most refreshing and interesting things i have read on here in a long time. Thank you sincerely.


Hey there, good theories, but im not so sure about the THC=sweet smell. Pure THC is pretty much smelless and tasteless, i would venture to guess it has more to do with the bacteria present. Id love to try some of it either way!

Click to expand...

It's probably to do with the terpenes and other compounds interacting to create more potent effects. Fruity/citrus/sweet flavors are supposed to be more potent in their effects I think.

Nice thread. I've never seen this method of curing before. I think I will try it and see how it goes.

There is an old thread on IC called traditional curing I think, its a good read and there is a lot of good info in it.
Tangwena

Tangwena said:

There is an old thread on IC called traditional curing I think, its a good read and there is a lot of good info in it.
Tangwena

Click to expand...

Hey there mate,
My last fresh dope is almost at sticky stage, I will start jar cure since I have no time to search for material to wrap dope in, to do cob cure. But since they will be locked in a jar wet will not escape, I should be able to wrap stuff in leaf any time I want for cob cure?? Also jar cure will increase effects? any suggestion on rolling material ?

Hi mate at a pinch you can use very strong brown paper like you find in cement bags its very tough. I have used it before and had good results, as long as it breathes it will work.
Tangwena

tang... I unkowningly left about 1/2 oz of golden tiger in a seal a meal bag for 6+mos.. found it yesterday, opened it, and it was fine... smoked some last nite...and I was fine... no doubt an excellent way to cure+improve your herb

Tangwena said:

Hi mate at a pinch you can use very strong brown paper like you find in cement bags its very tough. I have used it before and had good results, as long as it breathes it will work.
Tangwena

Click to expand...

Hey Tang Brown paper is ok, but what I really want to learn about it if I start jar cure, and then after jar cure buds are same humidity if needed I can spray some water to increase humidity, then I put them into material I want to end cob cure in, hold additional two weeks, what are results if you have ever tried? Double cure should give even better effects,
1. have you tried that this double cure?
2. can I overcure in jar? maybe bacteria dies after some curing process and I do no curing in a leaf after just wrap without any results

Hi Buddy you can get good results using buds that you have in a jar, as long as they are still a bit moist, if you have to wet them they will have dried too much already and it will not work.
I do not understand the science of it, without seeing the buds I cant tell you. It will not harm the buds as long as you dont wet them. I would give it a go you have nothing to loose.
Wrap them up tight, and then give them a few days in a dark storage area not to dry.
Then vacuum seal them for 3 weeks, check after 2 weeks if the paper is damp or wet it is going well, give it another week in the vac bag then remove and allow the cob to air dry.
I will be doing 2 cobs at the end of my current grow one using the usual method and one using the same buds but slightly drier.
They both work and produce cobs of different density. Both are good to smoke and taste smooth. They both get better the longer they are left to age after the cob cure.
I will post pics of the process. But it will only be in January that they are ready.
Tangwena

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.

Try this sometime Tang:

Try this sometime Tang:

I've been trying something a little different lately and I think I'm going to like it. Instead of using corn cob or paper, I use the fan leaves from the plant I'm harvesting.
Take the fan leaves and lay them on some craft paper close enough together to cover most of the paper. I use a piece of paper approximately 16" x 10". I continue to layer the fan leaves until I don't see anymore paper. I then place the dried bud(s) on the fan leaves, roll the whole thing up including the paper and tie with string. The ends are left open. I stick the roll in a plastic bag and throw it in a drawer for about a week or so. I don't open the bag unless I'm ready to remove the bud. Once the bud is removed, it only takes a day or two to loose the moisture from the sweat. Buds are placed in jars for storage.
The taste and smell is a little sweet but mostly very mild without much scent. Once a bud is broken, the true smell of the plant is revealed. If you just take a bud and hold it up to your nose for a sniff it really resembles fresh, sweet hay. Break the bud open and the pine, cedar, fruitiness hits you.
I wouldn't have it any other way!
Sweet dreams, people.

Hi Rocketman64 I agree with you about turning people on to cured buds I find once they try it its all they want. Your method seems viable I am sure it works very well, the canna leaves are a nice twist.
I am glad I am not alone in thinking the high is more important than the looks and smell.
Thanks for sharing.
Tangwena

Hola, Tangwena and all contributing to or reading this cool thread!

Very good info, it's been deeply inspirational so I'd like to share my first shot.. Lacking natural cob material, I had to resort to somehow crude ways, punk style..

Wrapped 9.5g ~ 0.33oz to some paper, rolled, wired with this green garden wire and placed into zippy plastic bag. I sealed it with some translucent tape! Hope this goes well.



Looks more like cuban cigar to me haha. Material was some sativa lower buds, 3 strain mix. Dried in grow box, cool temps for about a week. Was quite sticky 3/5 dry I guess when rolled in. Just thinking about looking inside and the shore to wrap it again I decided to let it be for two or three weeks before final open+dry.

Hi koles should work fine dont open it for at least a couple of weeks, if its wet when you open it then you have done it right. Post some pics when you do open it to see how it has cured. Once you have a bit of experience at it you will be able to cure them the exact way you prefer. Whole new world of getting high coming your way my friend.
Tangwena

Thats for sure!, I have cured smaller leafs I wanted to make hash from, it hits so hard. I have sold them to my friend, he's my new best friend What is important that if you cure right you loose stoney feeling. All my harvest was indica and a few sativa buds. I have cured ±500g indica, they turned into ±300g. cured cobs. I dont know why but one of indica varieties gives me headache, is it cured too wet?

Anonimas all indicas give me a headache ha ha, just joking my friend. i have no idea why that happened.
Let it dry out and age it may help, otherwise it must be the buds I have no idea. This is the first time I have heard of anyone using indica types, what does it do to the stone?
i prefer sativa buds, strong buds make the best cobs IMO.
Tangwena

I wrapped up my first Malawi-Style cob yesterday. I used some medium-sized buds from the Angola Red that I grew this year that came from an IC member who is both a master grower as well as a top seed connoisseur. He specializes in landrace preservation runs.

It was La Mano Negra's strain that was sold by Luis Fritzman at the now defunct Brasilian Seed Company that he owned and operated.

Hi Madjag that is a strain that should benefit from a cob cure, let us know how it turns out pictures ect. After a good age it should improve further once cured. I commend you on giving it a go I hope it works for you and improves the bud in a positive way.
African sativas seem to benefit from this method.
I am looking forward to trying it on my Panama when its ready. I have never tasted any south american genetics before, so its new ground for me.
More power to you my friend.
Tangwena

Angola Red cob after 8 days in corn husks and seal-a-mealed in plastic wrap:

Man, that looks great!