[mpd]

Peace be unto all who read this post.

There seems to be a lot of confusion and/or inaccurate information revolving around water cures and what is to be done. While every member recognizes the fact that I am a stupid ass newbie (you know what they say - those that can't, teach!), I will nonetheless go thru the steps I am using and you can use for creating excellent tasting meds free of chlorophyll and other nasty little ingredients you can do without.

The logic behind the water cure is very alluring:

1. It is fast compared to air curing methods. To do an air cure properly, you hang dry for 7 days and then into the jars for the burping festival for up to 60 days before consumption begins. Water curing completes the same process in 7 to 10 days. So you save time.

2. Water curing is stealthy. The plants are totally submerged, so they aren't making a terrible stink. This is an issue I am dealing with on my harvest right now.

3. Product preservation is superior. In an air cure, a certain amount of THC may be lost in the drying and curing process. The plant's resin is not soluable in water (as we have all know from tryingto wash our stinky pinkies), so the THC isn't lost - it increases as a percentage of total weight.

4. Bag appeal may be improved. The removal of the chloropyhll and nasty assed terpines leaves you with a nuetral color that may serve to increase a given strain's bag appeal.

There may be more advantages, but I'll leave it at that for the time being. The water cure may be used in TWO DIFFERENT ways. They are:

A. Fix a bag. If the product you are holding is crisped or otherwsie excessively dry, or it tastes too grassy, then you do a water cure for three (3) hours to get things where you want them. Doesn't work magic, but does make improvements. Place the buds in a mason jar and cover with warm water for three (3) hours. Place you buds on screens to dry. Once it's dry then you are back in biz.

B. Process fresh product. Freshly cut product can be water cured for a week, then dried and immediately be consumed. I chose an appropriately sized cooler. I bundled the buds and placed them in submerged water. I'll change the water every day for a week, then lay them out to dry on screens. When they are dry, they are cured and can be immediately consumed.

Meds done right may take you less time than you think. Using the right curing method is probably as important as growing meds to begin with. If your budz end up fried under your lights for whatever reason, the water cure may be a very important tool in your program to create consistently good meds, even when the growing environment betrays you.

Comments? Thoughts?

[johnstreet]

MPD - So the purpose is not to dry the product but to cure it by water. Drying comes later.

I think this technique is going to be criticised. The main reason for ciriticism is that a low humidity dry works well and is quite quick. For really cured head (Black Bud) you could do a high humidity dry - high humidity for 5 - 7 days then start slow drying. With this immersion technique is going to extend the time it takes to get them dry - but if cured by water you could quick dry I suppose.

An air cure - it takes 10 days to 2 weeks to snap dry. Curing may occur from Anabolic (low oxygen) storage with periodical air change (burbing) or with Shopping Bags and time. In the first two weeks of drying the taste improves markedly - thereafter whether stored in Shopping Bags or Glass Jars - the taste will slowly improve for up to 2 months. The Glass jar is much better for preservation of drug over time.

The curing process is well on the way with 2 weeks post-dry storage and is nearly done with one month storage. This water cure does all the curing in 5-7 days and then I guess its a case of promptly dry it out.
So lets say 2weeks dry and 2 weeks store (4weeks total) compared with 5-7 water cure and 10 - 14 days drying (kinda hard to quick dry and get it properly dry) = 2 to 3 weeks. So 1 to 2 weeks are saved in chasing a cure.

How does a 3wk water cured bud compare with a 4wk air cured one ?


john street.

hmmm interesting. I wouldn't do it with all my bud, but if you've got some that's been dryed to quick, with that grassy taste you mentioned then that's when I'd give it a go...cheers

pb

[mpd]

I fear a three week water cure would result in the plant matter being completely decomposed. Our goal is to remove the various compounds and substances that we don't want in our lungs. The air cure method does this by slowly allowing the entirety of the product to decompose in the air, then suspending that decomp. indefinitely once the buds reach that perfect state.

As I had to be gone for a couple of days, I placed the budz in a nylon stocking with a weight and dropped them into my swimming pool. The pool has no chlorine in it for the time being and is quite cloudy due to the incessant rains we have been having for the past three weeks. The temperature is around 40 or 50 degrees (fahrenheit), so this may be the right environment for it to shed the unwanted due to the availability of a relatively limitless supply of fresh water.

If this works, the next step is to take a batch and put it in the skimmer where the pump's high volume of water flow over it would serve to reduce the time needed for the cure.

Either way, I'll be checking on them today to see where things stand....

[mpd]

Plants appear to have retained most of their color when I checked on them yesterday in the early afternoon. I'm going to go ahead and pull them today at 4:20 so I can have a portion dried out for one of the med patients who is really hurting, as I can continue to smoke what ever dainties are in the trim bag.

I'll set the dehydrator to its lowest setting (90F) and dry them out for a few hours to get them to the right point for their trip into the bag. The rest will go into the jars overnight to determine the level of moisture remaining in the plant matter.

Smoke reports to follow, but the rest of the crop doesn't look like it will finish before Day 77 (11 weeks!). We will definitely water cure this batch to save on some time as well.

Yes, the purpose of the water is to cure the product. Once the product comes out of the water, it is then trimmed and allowed to dry - another 4 to 6 days depending upon ambient air temperature and humidity. Once it is dry it should be ready for immediate consumption.

[mauie]

heard of this method from way back .... were talkin the 70's. i think this is the way all the weed was cured back then. a plant would be chopped down and thrown into the drainage or irrigation canals to avoid being spotted during curing.

or i could be completely wrong .... anyway sounds like its worth a try.

[samuryusan]

mpd...what do ya think about using water curing and the dry ice method alternative? Use the dry ice method to dry your fresh harvest and remove most the water... then water cure the harvest to remove the water-souble compounds including chlorophyll .hang dry a couple days to get rid of excess water then 48 hours dry ice again ..done?

[mpd]

Water Cured Marijuana Technical Report
Final Version

The Report

The purpose of this report (the "Report") is to provide technical background information, together with such notes and observations that were made in conjunction with the utilization of a water curing method for the purposes of converting freshly harvested marijuana materials into readily consumable product.

Means & Methods

The basis of the process and reporting was the use of readily available materials to provide the necessary technical means for curing and drying the product. The methodology relied upon the execution of the following steps:

Step 1. Product was freshly harvested and only given a very rough trim.

Step 2. Product was placed in a polycarbonate beer cooler along with approximately 5 gallons of water. The product was forcibly submerged in the water solution for two (2) days. The water was changed one (1) time. All water used was tap water.

Step 3. Product was removed from the cooler at start of Day 3 and placed inside pantyhose netting and submerged in an outdoor body of water, the temperature of which was estimated to be between 45 degrees to 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and contained algae and other microrganisms. The body of water exceeded 15,000 gallons in size. The plant material was submerged to a depth of approximately six feet (6'-0"). The plant material was not visible from the surface and remained there for another four (4) days.

Step 4. Product was removed from the water, cleaned using tap water, shaken, and then trimmed.

Step 5. Product was placed in a Nesco Dehydrator with a setting of 95 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 6 hours. Periodically, the product was tested, turned, etc. to insure even drying would be maximized.

Step 6. Product was removed and stuffed into a mason jar. The yield of this plant was approximately two ounces.

Step 7. Product was tested in the form of a glass pipe for overall taste, smell, effect, etc. were noted and all of the noted observations are provided below.

Noted Observations

I dried the product until the leaves felt crisp and there wasn't any dampness to the product. Stems did not snap, but were not really pliable either. My biggest concern was the temperature of the dehydrator creating conditions for THC boil off. Bag appeal isn't great at all, but the starting product wasn't very frosty to begin with. Overall, material appears to be darker green than I expected and this may change as the material continues to dry out in the jar.

The material had an incredibly strong odor of rotten meat prior to the start of the curing process. Upon completion of the cure, the most noted smell was of a general spiciness that had strong overtones of black pepper. The material was not particularly odiferous in the jar or on the table.

A random bud was taken that was handy (approximately a 1/4 to 1/3 of a gram) and smashed into the glass pipe. Generally, the pipe has a capacity for about 5 hits. I dumped in what I thought would be two or three hits and fired it up with a Zippo lighter (using lighter fluid). The expansion properties of the smoke were mild. The taste on exhale had a faint metallic twinge to it (due to lack of flushing time no doubt), but had the typical earthy, spicy taste of fairly good marijuana. Potency was suffering (three hits didn't knock me down or anything) due to the harvest being done too early, but the buzz is now setting in and is a sativa head buzz that creates tingling sensations around the neck and head. Does not appear to be a debilitating buzz, and my headache has been reduced approximately 40%. I can't imagine what the fully cured goods will do, but I am very hopeful.

In summary the water cure provides a good product. Folks who do not have a dehydrator will be air drying for 4 to 6 days, but the product is good to go for consumption at that point. I will be doing direct comparisons on other plants in the pending harvest to verify water curing's potential benefits directly against air dried and cured product from the same plant. Note following slides.

[samuryusan]

Being very interested in this method...and seeing it gets a fair consideration minus apparent reasons to remain skeptical..let me suggest that your advocations be present using the best model of the methods... one water cure is done with warm water... water is changed every 24 hours until green tint no longer appears... then dryed..finished product will be almost black looking like twisted tea leaf...this is as described by Mel Franks and Ed Rosenthals' book !!1The model you use for this test was from the start inadequate to give the method qualification, i.e harvested early and no or insufficent flushing of the product...how can we interested growers reach favourable conculsions if you take shortcuts in finishing the products which doesn't protray your advocated method in it's best case scenario? Mpd , I mean no disrespect here toward you or your thread as it does have encouraging information..I think you will agree you hurried this project and cut some corners? I am going to try this cure as I understand it and we can offer the community an honest effort of this methods, in regards to the finished product versus the tried and true air-drying method! keep up experimenting, samuryusan

[mpd]

I really liked reading your comments on this thread, samyurusan. You make some excellent points. Now let me defend myself.

I chose this plant specifically because it wasn't ready and since it only put out 3 ounces of bud, I figured I could lose it and still end up okay with the remaining plants if the water cure turned out to be a bust. My object was to see if it would turn out a good product under worst case circumstances before I tried it on the best case circumstances. I see this may be a flawed way of doing things, but it provided enough success to warrant the next stage - a full week long cure in the water. I don't like the warm water cure, as it results in significant odor issues, but I will give it a whirl tonight as I harvest the rest of the batch. We have four (4) plants left and expect a total bud yield of around a pound of dried, cured product.

So, in summary. I will be doing a warm water cure (test), a cold water cure (test), and measure the results in terms of the standard air cure (the control). Notes, observations, and pictures will be provided.