Curing For Sticky "Moist" buds - - I Hate Crispy weed!

Exactly 1stimer...

Exactly 1stimer...

1stimer said:

Billy I had asked this excat same question and did not really get a good answer except it comes down to gentics for the sticky icky cure, which I am not 100% convinced of.

I get all these dank strains at the so-cal co-ops and I have yet to find a strain that will stick to the bag. I do think it is how you cure it and will be doing some of my own curing tests to see if I can reproduce what I remember getting as a teenager and into my early 20s.

Emkman - just because the weed has some moisture in it does not mean wet. I used to get weed all the time that was moist but not wet, smoked really good, tasted really good, and stuck to both sides of a baggie just from being rolled up in the baggie. I hate it when I stick a bag in pocket and it breaks up the buds or they turn to shake.

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I also am from that time where a bag of "Chronic" meant the "Sticky Icky" I am trying to prefect it myself. Trust, hang dry is not it. But, I accident knocked off a cola and bagged it for 7 days and you know what my friend. We had "Sticky Icky" What I have been in search for. Now I have a couple of plants in bag hung upside down. We will see.

jar sooner, less burping , easy sneezy , also dry with leaves on

i had the dry bud problem and it is simply over drying.

now i dry till the outside is slightly crispy but stems dont snap. close though.
a good test is to smoke it. if it smokes but is kinda wet but still smokes normally its ready to go. its a feel for sure. Get buds off hanging branches and into turky bags.

fill big turkey bag 1/4 full of untrimmed almost fully dried nugs, lay flat on ground or racks with buds spread out evenly so the can breathe a lil. roll up bag openings but dont seal or tie off. open and waft air then leave open ~10 hours close for 12. continue smoke testing. once stems snap but bud is gooey with an even consistency knot turky bags and keep sealed up as much as possible. perfection. trim at leisure and keep nugs in turky bags for curing..

Try these threads-

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=156237

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=255174

In another thread that I can't find, Sam the Skunkman recommends curing large quantities slowly in cardboard boxes.

So far, in my limited experience, large 62% Boveda packs work well combined with simon's recommended Caliber humidity meters. Resinous bud stays resinous, and is def strain & grow style dependent.

I tend to agree with Andyo about blue spectrum lighting & letting the plants droop some between waterings, especially late in flower. Dual arc bulbs work great, and having droopy plants at harvest seems to promote resin production, speeds drying time ahead of curing.

Guest said:

Just curious if anyone knows any "secret" or special ways of curing other then the standard way.

I have found that weed can easily dry too much if left out too long, and the longer you cure in the jar, the dryer it gets.

I hate crispy-dry weed!

I have purchased commercial weed thats "sticky-wet" and still tastes "cured", smooth and tasty, not harsh at all. How do they do this?

There must be some special way..

I have had mold problems before, from putting moist buds into jars too soon, and not opening the top long enough/giving them enough time each day to dry out, plus ended up with a harsh product..

So, yeah.. anyone got ideas?

any help appreciated !

bILLy Boi

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Yes. I will be reviled for saying this.

I used to let the trees dry, by the roots, for 7-10 days in a dark basement with minimal light, in reduced temperatures, below 70.

Orangic soil with molasses. No trim. Allow the leaves to shroud the buds, then trim later. Then jar and cure after 2 weeks of drying ultra slow. I call it the drip dry.

I think the success had more to do with the molasses than anything else. That and lowered drying temperatures. High enough to not create mold and mildew issues, but as low as possible, without being uncomfortable, but chilly. Basically recreating fall like temperatures.

IMO, that creates the stickiest dankest buds. It's also a lot of work, and breaking from the standard advice trail. Just place them in the perfect conditions and mostly forget about them, let them dry slower and slow down the drying time, rather than speeding it up.

Feeding with lots of carbs and sugars creates more crystal. Also, I think that the slow drying in darkness, helps the crystals to keep developing, even after the chop. At that point, you're farming crystals and growing crystals.


I also added the growing in medium in the dark for a day or two to that roster. I should get back to experimenting with that. Also like the humidor idea, and freezing at a certain point, which most people cry about.

I think freezing is bad for dispensary practice or dealer practice, but perfect for personal use. I could see where people would freeze and scam the resin glands, but it's not like I'm going to freeze and scam myself on a joint. lol

and we never know

and we never know

I have been seriously debating this very question for the last 4 months!!! I NEED to be able to grow that stick to the bag bright green and i believe its all in the cure, or should i say dry... This is just my theory and ill let you know how it works in about 5 days for sure.. This is what i got....... Understanding that curing is simply slowing the drying time in order to make sure the plant stays alive long enough for the chlorophyll (Grass odor) escape which takes 8 to 12 days from what ive researched.. If the bud dries all the way before the chlorophyll escapes it is trapped! The plant will not continue to release chlorophyll after it dies completely which happens the moment it is completely dry or the water works stop.. you can rehydrate the plant all you want you will never get that fresh potent smell back with the fluffy nugs.. Everyone has an opinion and everyone says to wait until the stem snaps, but 80% of people have over dry bud!! personally, I am am letting the bud hang for 3 to 5 days at 60 to 65 degrees, 45 to 55% humidity, dark, and fresh air coming in...... I took some of the same bud and let it dry in a paper bag in my closet at whatever temperature and the difference was unbelievable!!! after 3 days the bud in the closet smelled like grass and was crumbling, on the other hand, the bud in my drying/curing chamber was moist/damp, sticky, fluffy, triches gleaming and slightly crunchy on the edges.This clearly says that its not all about curing but the TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY IN THE ROOM ARE VITAL IN THE FIRST FEW DAYS!! I put the bud in jars after just 3 days (Thinking i should have waited 5) but i am watching very closely and burping at least 10 times a day for just 30 seconds at a time to let the chlorophyll escape the jar and fresh air to replace it. If i see or smell any signs of mold i plan to take the bud out of the jars and put it in open paper bags for a day BUT in the same drying environment as the bud hanging.. Climate is VITAL!! Placing the buds in jars and burping is part of the drying cycle. however keeping the bud in jars after it is dry is keeping it fresh or curing.. this is just my theory but so far the results are mouth watering..

5/7 days before cut i don't give water and cut the plants when sub is very dry

I let my weed dry very slow from cut till 65% RH in a glass jar with open lid, about 30 days . After that i burp till 63% rh and close the lid until time to smoke it. Most of the time i get perfect cured weed that needs a few hours to get crispy. Allways better smell when cured this way

Peace BH

I find that I get my best results when I hang for a few days and then let it get almost too dry in a paper bag. Then after I throw them in jars they get sticky as fuck!
Thanks to snypes thread I am getting better results than ever!

if u need to add moisture back. it wont restart the curing process but u can add some moisture with some fresh stems. and fresh fan leaves or .. u can use a fresh few days into drying bud to remoisten it..

the thing is .. alot of the commercial thats wet/sticky.. was added after.. or just cut trimmed and dried a few days and packaged for sale.. its to get the most WEIGHT out of the product..

when buying buds tho.. i rather DRY bud.. then moist . only because. most the stuff ive seen that was still moist and sticky.. burnt like shit.. and was just not worth it..

Its all about humidity.

Its all about humidity.

207Meddy said:

I have been seriously debating this very question for the last 4 months!!! I NEED to be able to grow that stick to the bag bright green and i believe its all in the cure, or should i say dry... This is just my theory and ill let you know how it works in about 5 days for sure.. This is what i got....... Understanding that curing is simply slowing the drying time in order to make sure the plant stays alive long enough for the chlorophyll (Grass odor) escape which takes 8 to 12 days from what ive researched.. If the bud dries all the way before the chlorophyll escapes it is trapped! The plant will not continue to release chlorophyll after it dies completely which happens the moment it is completely dry or the water works stop.. you can rehydrate the plant all you want you will never get that fresh potent smell back with the fluffy nugs.. Everyone has an opinion and everyone says to wait until the stem snaps, but 80% of people have over dry bud!! personally, I am am letting the bud hang for 3 to 5 days at 60 to 65 degrees, 45 to 55% humidity, dark, and fresh air coming in...... I took some of the same bud and let it dry in a paper bag in my closet at whatever temperature and the difference was unbelievable!!! after 3 days the bud in the closet smelled like grass and was crumbling, on the other hand, the bud in my drying/curing chamber was moist/damp, sticky, fluffy, triches gleaming and slightly crunchy on the edges.This clearly says that its not all about curing but the TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY IN THE ROOM ARE VITAL IN THE FIRST FEW DAYS!! I put the bud in jars after just 3 days (Thinking i should have waited 5) but i am watching very closely and burping at least 10 times a day for just 30 seconds at a time to let the chlorophyll escape the jar and fresh air to replace it. If i see or smell any signs of mold i plan to take the bud out of the jars and put it in open paper bags for a day BUT in the same drying environment as the bud hanging.. Climate is VITAL!! Placing the buds in jars and burping is part of the drying cycle. however keeping the bud in jars after it is dry is keeping it fresh or curing.. this is just my theory but so far the results are mouth watering..

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You are on the right track Meddy! I have been following this subject for a while. Just posted a description of my experience in Simon's a perfect cure every time thread. Also there is a lot of good knowledge in justplaingil's freezer curing thread.

When you say temperature and humidity are vital you nailed it. While the variety and how you grow it are important, they are not the key factors. You can destroy the quality of any well grown, special variety. I have been doing it for years until just recently.

I started by using a calibre 4 hygrometer to monitor humidity. It became clear that my humidity was far too dry in my home, in my closet and even outdoors. I discovered that not only was it too dry to cure herb properly it was also too dry to grow it well. Moreover growing and curing are linked by humidity.

I will attempt to lay it out in detail a bit here. When you grow a plant it absorbs water through the roots and transpires water and oxygen out through the leaf pores and absorbs CO2 as part of the process of photosynthesis or growth. The humidity plays a key role here. In humid conditions the plant transpires less water through its leaves and absorbs less water and nutrients. In dry conditions the plant absorbs much more water and nutrients. It can easily absorb too much of certain nutrients and results in tip burn, pH drift nutrient lockout etc. It also absorbs less CO2 and growth is slower. Humidity should be at least 50% up to about 70-75% depending on stage of growth and temperature.

I have been trying to grow my plants for years in air that was 20-30% humidity or less. I thanked my lucky stars that I did not have to worry about mold and did not understand the damage I was doing. It was only once I switched from soil to hydroponics that I began to figure out why I was having over fertilization problems in soil. Nothing wrong with soil but I had problems in it due to humidity.

Now when it comes to drying and curing humidity and transpiration are also linked. You are right when you say it starts in the drying phase not just the curing phase. When you hang your buds to dry the humidity should be in the 55-75% range. 55% humidity is a low because once your herb drops below 55% it stops curing. When it stops curing the chlorophyll stops breaking down. The chlorophyll does not "escape". Instead when the humidity is 55% or higher it slowly changes color, smell and flavor while the compounds in the chlorophyll break down.

Humidity any higher than 75% is probably a bit risky in terms of mold setting in, at least if the air is stagnant. But the idea here is that high humidity, slows transpiration just like it does when the plant is growing. Often at this point the plant is missing its roots and even stem so it transpires even faster.
So why is this a problem? As the plant transpires rapidly, the terpenes that are the reason your plant smells and has flavor are carried off in the water vapor. Everyone can smell this happening and unfortunately all that smell never comes back! Its GONE FOREVER! Along with it, most of the smell and taste.

High humidity slows down the transpiration and drying so that a lot more of the terpenes are retained inside your buds. The resin glands also retain more water within them and remain stickier. Drying and curing goes on for a lot longer. In my dry conditions my herb was hung, bagged and jarred in a week. In higher humidity I am stretching out the curing time to 3-4 weeks. It makes all the difference.

I have since noticed that many other people are ignorant of the effects of humidity. Some people live in ideal climate conditions for cannabis. These people say "I don't have any problem" and they are right. Some like me are ignorant or in denial that there is a problem. They will come up with all kinds of justification or reasons for any problems that are obvious. A few of us are coming to the inescapable conclusion that temperature and humidity matter far more than we ever thought possible.

The proof is now in front of me. My latest crop was no different as it was grown from anything I did before. After drying at 65-70% RH my buds are the dankest, stickiest, smelliest, and most flavorful I have ever grown. If the opportunity came along to have them judged in a competition, I think I would fare very well.

Thought this thread would add to the above discussion.
https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=111517


Curing and Why you do it!
My room mate e-mailed me this article, I am by no means taking any credit for what is said here but it is very informative to the science behind the curing process.

Contributors : Fergetit & Skunk Works

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.