[coldcanna]

I've read through hundreds of pages of info about how people cure their finished flowers. Was wondering if someone here could either explain or reference a paper as to what chemical processes are happening during curing? Trying to develop a science based, instrument measurable process. Thank you

[Dropped Cat]

I like science, and am glad you do too.

Here's a link to a good thread, look for member Balazar's
posts:

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=164906

He also mentions the source for his informative posts:

"Marijuana Chemistry" by Michael Starks

[bsgospel]

Google pericarp decarboxylation. More links than I can rightly copy. Prenoid degradation is another.

[Agronomist]

Originally Posted by bsgospel

Google pericarp decarboxylation. More links than I can rightly copy. Prenoid degradation is another.

This is not very productive.
If i chose to work by your methodology i will soon find myself overwhelmed with the huge amount of information. So far i can say that these key words didn't get me far. I mean i did get a bunch of information about fruit ripening and the change in taste over time, But this hardly provides any relevant information about what ACTUALLY happens in Cannabis inflorescence.

If you can narrow it down to lets say a paper or two that are relevant to Cannabis that will be awesome!

[bsgospel]

Cannabis specific is difficult to find. True. There just aren't enough papers published (yet! )

But we can break it down into simpler objectives and take from examples learned in other varieties and applications to give ourselves a sense of what we've got on our hands. This methodology may be less overwhelming (which I totally see your point, btw.)

What cells physically make up a fruiting body besides carbon?
What lipids, acids, and metabolic pathways will result in cannabinoids?
What are the biggest factors in the degradation of carbon/prenoids/hydrocarbons?

It's not just chlorophyll we want to remove from the finished bud. I think chlorophyll is used as a catch-all some times to really describe the amount of layers and tissue which comprise a leaf/calyx/off-shoot. Other cells- parenchyma, pericarp, schlerenchyma, mesophylls: these would need to be accounted for in decarboxylation as well. And as of yet, no papers on parenchyma evaporation in cannabis (boo! but hey, we've got bigger fish to fry, haha)

The mevalonate pathway and pyruvate pathway would be a good place to focus on for understanding how a root can take a symbiotic metabolite secretion and transform it into cannabinoids and prenoids in general. And what is measurable that makes a prenoid stronger? If one goes all the way back to the beginning, maybe we can get a Real handle on the final product.

The biggest threat, though, to those prenoids would be heat, light and moisture. And contact from handsy trimmers.

So- instrument measurable/chemistry of curing? *whistles* Dang. Why did I think I could take on such a lofty topic last night? Ah yes; Jameson :P

[bsgospel]

Here's a thing, I guess...

https://www.infinitysupercritical.com...nnabis-001.htm

[Agronomist]

File not found 404.
Can you give us the name of the article? Maybe the abstract?

[coldcanna]

Originally Posted by bsgospel

Cannabis specific is difficult to find. True. There just aren't enough papers published (yet! )

But we can break it down into simpler objectives and take from examples learned in other varieties and applications to give ourselves a sense of what we've got on our hands. This methodology may be less overwhelming (which I totally see your point, btw.)

What cells physically make up a fruiting body besides carbon?
What lipids, acids, and metabolic pathways will result in cannabinoids?
What are the biggest factors in the degradation of carbon/prenoids/hydrocarbons?

It's not just chlorophyll we want to remove from the finished bud. I think chlorophyll is used as a catch-all some times to really describe the amount of layers and tissue which comprise a leaf/calyx/off-shoot. Other cells- parenchyma, pericarp, schlerenchyma, mesophylls: these would need to be accounted for in decarboxylation as well. And as of yet, no papers on parenchyma evaporation in cannabis (boo! but hey, we've got bigger fish to fry, haha)

The mevalonate pathway and pyruvate pathway would be a good place to focus on for understanding how a root can take a symbiotic metabolite secretion and transform it into cannabinoids and prenoids in general. And what is measurable that makes a prenoid stronger? If one goes all the way back to the beginning, maybe we can get a Real handle on the final product.

The biggest threat, though, to those prenoids would be heat, light and moisture. And contact from handsy trimmers.

So- instrument measurable/chemistry of curing? *whistles* Dang. Why did I think I could take on such a lofty topic last night? Ah yes; Jameson :P

Very thoughtful post. I have a dusty Plant Physiology book on the shelf I'm going to have to pull off this weekend. My initial thought was to work backward from anecdote- that is; take some cured/ finished flower that a consumer would deem "elite" and test it compared to its pre-cure self. I have access to HPLC and simple moisture meters so that's a start.

Temperatures and ambient humidity levels are generally accepted to be 68*F and 50-55% humidity for initial drying then 58-62% final product. What is left open to me is how much time is necessary for a perfect cure, what data points or procedures will be indicative of a perfect cure, what does "smooth" or "tasty" look like on paper.

[Only Ornamental]

Curing in tobacco is well studied but there's still a huge gap in our understanding of what really happens.
Just remember, cannabis is usually not cured as extensively as tobacco but the basic biological and chemical processes are the same if curing is done right. From what I've read/seen, cannabis is often not truly cured but simply dried in a way which helps the burning/glowing process whereas changes in the aroma are more or less only caused by simple ageing.
As usual, tokers have their own vocabulary which is often misleading... unless you're high AF in which case you might seek your answers in the "Deep stoner thoughts" thread .

[dc2569]

From what i have studied, There is a microbe that colonizes and starts to breakdown clorophyl. This microbe thrives best at around room temp and 50 to 60 % humidity. Light also kills this microbe therefore curing should be done in dark. This microbe also thrives inside of a glass container for some unknown reason. That is why we cure by the guidelines we do.