Best Drying Method?

[friendlyfriend]

WHO's got the best... I heard From CBF and CrazyComposer(i hope it was you guys )... its all about quick drying others take a long time.... I want someone to tell me okay Friendly do it this way... My way is the best.. Who's got the best method?

 

[Guest]

I used to hang dry them, carefully attaching each branch to a hanger with a clothespin. Evntually, after spending six hours harvesting in a sitting, I just began to set them on a window screen above my beg lights and have not gone back to hanging ever since. Never noticed a difference, except for the saved time

 

[HerbWeedman]

Get a 2' x 2' x 3' box or larger (size really depends on harvest size). Poke a bunch of vent holes in box or cut louvres. Line with foil. Whack plant at base. Hang upside down for 24 hours (or until bud leaves droop and curl). Remove fan leaves and smaller buds from branches. Trim to managable size leaving a good bit of extra stem. Poke branches / buds through holes in box (on the Inside not out). Secure with paper clips or other holding device. Place in cool / dark area. Train fan on box. Do the bend or snap test after 48 hours. Remove some excess stem and replace in box. This has cut my drying time by a few days to a week depending on bud density and harvest size. Don't crowd the box. Make sure buds and branches aren't touching one another.

 

[CalcioErba2004]

In a closet

In a closet

I hang mine in a closet with a dehumidifier(expensive 180 to 200 dollars) for about 4 or 5 days(or until the stems snap). Then its into jars for curing and the jars go into a cabinet in the kitchen. So far pretty good smoke but I want to try and make a drying box.

 

[KRS Juan]

I used to chop, trim and hang them in a dark closet, but they were drying too quickly for me and it was hurting both smell and taste. I have switched to paper bags to help slow down my drying time. I prefer the best taste and smell possible over quick drying time, but thats just me.

-KRS Juan-

 

[racketeer]

I trim mines then dry. Just make sure buds all the way dry before throwing them to cure

Always looking for new methods though, what do you guys find the best for keeping trichs intact and helping flavor?

Might have to try the bag myself KRS. The guy I used to get my herb from I remember he would throw them in a ziplock and suck all the air out of the bag to cure it after he dried it. We all know ziplocks aren't airtight LOL. Anyhow, his buds would always have that commercial rock hard nug look, you guys think it was because all the buds being compressed in the ziplock? My buds are always fluffy.










___________

 

[friendlyfriend]

Plastic is a nono! Trichs need to air or they something something.... I use a paper bag and it takes about 9 days for a good smoke and its slamming after 14 days in a bag... can't harvest enough at the moment to go for a jar cure but thats next on me list...


I was looking to hear about some super quick dry method that keeps potency at the max and takes no more than 5 days..... perhaps putting your buds sandwhiched with cheese clothes and placed securely in front of a vornado(those super strong fans) for a couple days.....


Thanks for the feedback guys much obliged

 

[Guest]

I trim mines then dry. Just make sure buds all the way dry before throwing them to cure

Always looking for new methods though, what do you guys find the best for keeping trichs intact and helping flavor?

Gotta tell you, trimming dry will lose you trichs by the boatload. When those leaves get dry and crunchy and you begin snipping them off, trichomes are ejected in all directions and fall off the plant when the buds impact the table your using. Trimming wet prevents the explosive ejection loss and whatever does happen to come off is so sticky that it adheres to your scissor blades. Scraping this off and letting it dry overnight will give you the growers gold, scissor hash. Once you've had it, harvest takes on a whole new meaning.

 

[brightside]

I was looking to hear about some super quick dry method that keeps potency at the max and takes no more than 5 days.....

Sorry friendly - The quick methods work but IMHO 14 days slow drying (then put into jars) gives better taste and potency - depends how long you can wait

if you are short a smoke I would quick dry some with a dehumidifier(if you have one) and slow dry the rest

 

[Dr. D]

longer drying

longer drying

I used to get mine to dry quickly but im finding the longer drying is better, i tried jar curing but it didnt last most of its been smoked...lol. And frindlys right on the plastic bein a nono it contains a small electrical charge that makes all of the trichs stick to it especailly the little sealing baggies.

 

[GreatLakes THC]

If you guys really want to put buds in plastic bags I would suggest ESD(Electro Static Discharge) bags. You'll have no trouble with static destroying delicate Tichomes, and you can get them with ziplocks.

To answer your question FF. I've done the hang and bag method before cure, which takes about 14 days for me. A faster way that I use is hang in a room with a dehumidifier running. Check the buds several times a day so that you can pull them down at just the right time and then straight to the cure. Using this method I can put buds into cure after about 4-6 days and have noticed no potency loss. As far as smell, depending on strain you might lose some smell with this method, but after a proper cure some of that will come back. You'll have to fine tune things to your situation as far as the settings on your dehumidifier and how long you hang. For very dense or large buds I sometimes break them up a bit to ensure that I don't get any mold. Just pull a few nugs around the big cola so that more air can penetrate it.

Hope this helps,

GreatLakes THC

 

[Guest]

Please keep in mind that heat and light degrade THC once the plant is no longer viable. Most "quick dry" methods involve raising the temperature, which in my opinion wrecks havock on the quality of your bud. Using a dehumidifier in a cool, dark location is the only way too decrease drying time without also decreasing THC levels. However, many will say that like a fine wine, bud takes time to reach its peak. I subscribe to this and only smoke after the harvest has been dried until the stem snaps and after curing for the appropriate time in an air tight container. The optimum cure time varies according to strain, but usually four weeks is a good baseline. When curing, remember to "burp" your container, or allow for air exchange, at least once a day for the first week and at least once every three days afterwards. Ultimately, if you want to decrease turn-around time, lower the humidity ... DO NOT raise the temperature.

 

[Guest]

Different curing methods

Different curing methods

Curing

Curing is a process employed to naturally enhance the bouquet, flavour, and texture of marijuana. Curing does not lower potency when done correctly, although poor curing methods often result in some less of THC.

Curing is not an essential procedure, and many growers prefer the "natural" flavour of uncured grass. Sweet sinsemilla buds usually are not cured.

Curing is most successful on plants which have "ripened" and are beginning to lose chlorophyll. It is less successful on growing tips and other vigorous parts which are immature. These parts may only lose some chlorophyll.

Curing proceeds while the leaf is still alive, for until it dries, many of the leaf's life processes continue. Since the leaf's ability to produce sugars is thwarted, it breaks down stored starch to simple sugars, which are used for food. This gives the grass a sweet or earthy aroma and taste. At the same time, many of the complex proteins and pigments, such as chlorophyll, are broken down in enzymatic processes. This changes the colour of the leaf from green to various shades of yellow, brown, tan, or red, depending primarily on the variety, but also on growing environment and cure technique. The destruction of chlorophyll eliminates the minty taste that is commonly associated with green homegrown.

There are several methods of curing, most of which were originally designed to cure large quantities of tobacco. Some of them can be modified by the home grower to use for small marijuana harvests as well as large harvests. The methods used to cure marijuana are the air, flue, sweat, sun, and water cures.

Air Curing

Air curing is a technique developed in the United States for curing pipe and cigar tobacco. It was originally done in specially constructed barns made with ventilator slats which could be sealed; a small shed or metal building can easily be adapted for this use. However, this method of curing works only when there is enough material to keep the air saturated with moisture.

Wires are strung across the barn, and the marijuana plants or plant parts are hung from them, using string, wire twists, or the crooks of branches. The plants material should be closely spaced, but there should be enough room between branches (a few inches) so that air circulates freely. The building is kept unventilated until all the material loses some chlorophyll (green colour). This loss occurs rapidly during warm sunny weather because heat builds up, which hastens the cure. In wet or overcast weather, the temperature in the chamber will be cooler, and the process will proceed more slowly. If these conditions last for more than a day or two, unwanted mould may grow on the plants. The best way to prevent mould from forming is to raise the temperature to 90F by using a heater.

After the leaves have lost their deep green and become pale, the ventilator or windows are opened slightly, so that the temperature and humidity are lowered and the curing process is slowed. The process then continues until all traces of chlorophyll are eliminated. The entire process may take six weeks. Then the ventilators are opened, and an exhaust fan installed if necessary, to dry the material to the point that it can be smoked but still is moist, that is, bends rather than crumbles or powders when rubbed between thumb and forefinger.

Flue Curing

Flue curing differs from air curing in that the process is speeded up by using an external source of heat, and the air circulation is more closely regulated. This method can be used with small quantities of material in a small, airtight curing box constructed for the purpose. Large quantities can be hung in a room or barn as described in Air Curing.

A simple way to control the temperature when curing or drying small amounts of marijuana is to place the material to be cured in a watertight box (or a bottle) with ventilation holes on the top. Place the box in a water-filled container, such as a pot, fish-tank, or bathtub. The curing box contains air and will float. The water surrounding the box is maintained at the correct temperature by means of a stove or hotplate, fish-tank or water-bed heater, or any inexpensive immersible heater. Temperature of the water is monitored.

With the marijuana loosely packed, maintain water temperature at 90 degrees. After several days, the green tissue turns a pale yellow-green or murky colour, indicating yellow or brown pigments. Then increase temperature, to about 100 degrees, until all traces of green disappear. Raise the temperature once again, this time to 115 degrees, until a full, ripe colour develops. Also increase ventilation at this time, so that the marijuana dries. Plants dried at high temperature tend to be brittle; so lower the temperature before drying is completed. This last phase of drying can be done at room temperature, out of the water bath. The whole process takes a week or less.

Marijuana cured by this technique turns a deep brown colour. Immature material may retain some chlorophyll and have a slight greenish cast. Taste is rich yet mild.

Sweat Curing

Sweat curing is the technique most widely used in Colombia. Long branches containing colas are layered in piles about 18 inches high and a minimum of two feet square, more often about ten by fifteen feet. Sweat curing actually incorporates the fermenting process. Within a few hours the leaves begin to heat up from the microbial action in the same way that a compost pile ferments. Then change in colour is very rapid; watch the pile carefully, so that it does not overheat and rot the colas. Each day unpack the piles, and remove the colas that have turned colour. Within four or five days, all the colas will have turned colour. They are then dried. One way to prevent rot while using this method is to place cotton sheets, rags, or paper towels between each double layer of colas. The towels absorb some of the moisture and slow down the process.

Sweat curing can be modified for use with as little marijuana as two large plants. Pack the marijuana tightly in a heavy paper sack (or several layers of paper bags), and place it in the sun. The light is converted to heat and helps support the sweat.

Another variation of the sweat process occurs when fresh undried marijuana is bricked. The bricks are placed in piles, and they cure while being transported.

A simple procedure for a slow sweat cure is to roll fresh marijuana in plastic bags. Each week, open the bag for about an hour to evaporate some water. In about six weeks, the ammonia smell will dissipate somewhat, and the grass should be dried. This cure works well with small quantities of mediocre grass, since it concentrates the material.

Sun Curing

A quick way to cure small quantities of marijuana os to loosely fill a plastic bag or glass jar, or place a layer between glass or plastic sheets, and expose the material to the sun. Within a few hours the sun begins to bleach it. Turn the marijuana every few hours, so that all parts are exposed to the sun. An even cure is achieved in one to two days {(see Plate 16)}. Some degradation of THC may occur using this method.

Water Cure

Unlike other curing methods, the water cure is performed after the marijuana is dried. Powder and small pieces are most often used, but the cure also works with whole colas. The material is piled loosely in a glass or ceramic pot which is filled with luke-warm water. (When hot water is used, some of the THC is released in oils, which escape and float to the top of the water.) Within a few hours many of the non-psychoactive water-soluble substances dissolve. An occasional gentle stirring speeds the process. The water is changed and the process repeated. Then the grass is dried again for smoking.

THC is not water-soluble; so it remains on the plant when it is soaked. By eliminating water-soluble substances (pigments, proteins, sugars, and some resins), which may make up 25 percent of the plant material by weight, this cure may increase the concentration of THC by up to a third.

Marijuana cured by this method has a dark, almost black colour, and looks twisted and curled, something like tea leaves. The water cure is frequently used to cure dried fan leaves and poor-quality grass.

 

[The Hashasin]

CUring Methods...

CUring Methods...

Hi TX,
Good info on different processing for cure thanks for all the info guys...

 

[friendlyfriend]

That's A heckuva POST TEX!

That's A heckuva POST TEX!

Thanks for the info! I feel like I won a prize

 

[Harry Gypsna]

Nice post, and just what i need. Since my comp has been down i have been unable to post and filling my time with other activities, and so my drying box project, became a drying loft project, lol, polaroids, soon.

 

[agent 420]

hey texas kid, or anyone else who knows there herb like TK does,

here's the deal... i'm about to have a small harvest of a few plants. after going through enough hassles with this grow, i'd like to know whats the cheapest/easiest way to cure, but still get decent tasting buds. any help welcomed. keep it righteous. 00420.

 

[Guest]

http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=834

That is the cheapest easiest way I know to do it right

Tex

 

[agent 420]

thanks Tex. very clear and informative, the way i like it.
will be cheifing soon : )
keep it righteous.420.

 

[Sleepy]

Tex rocks!!

Tex rocks!!

Hey texas, always a wealth of knowledge!!! :smile:

Thanks for a wonderful post.

Whenever i read you posts, i feel like "Willie" in you avatar is speaking, like the narrator on a PBS documentary.

Thanks again!!!