Malawi Style Cob Curing.

[Tangwena]

here's the big brown cob i took the sample from. the cob itself is great. the strength of the herbs is very low.
but it is pleasant enough. when it dries, i'll try to find a smoker who will enjoy the mild high. my tolerance is too high to get anything from smoking.
the extract was weak.

You only get out what you put in my friend it has to be strong in the first place to be strong after curing.
Looking at your dark cob I would say it was way to moist in the beginning next time dry it more before cobbing you will get a much better result.
Depending on the type of high or effect your after you first need good genetics and then harvest at the right time is also important.
I only use my best buds for this cure as I like strong highs i would seek out the strongest genetics that suite the effects your after it sounds like your after a pain killing narcotic type of effect.
I am sure a little research online will throw up some potent varieties that will give you the desired effects but remember there are no short cuts first grow them the best you can then harvest them matured to the best level, then cure them to a high standard .
It takes practice and skill but is def worth learning.

 

[Boocoodinkydow]

New to the cobbing scene since I recently discovered I had accidentally created some cobs. I haven’t delved too deeply into this lengthy, informative thread so I’ve got a lot to learn.

I’m assuming the cob should continue to be sealed to maintain moisture content as I’m enjoying it. But opening and resealing vacuum bags every time I partake seems a bit excessive.

In an attempt to simplify life I turned to an accessory that was included in my vacuum sealer that I couldn’t imagine ever utilizing. This is a wine bottle stopper. Not sure why one needs to pull a vacuum on a bottle of wine but then, I’m not a wine drinker.

I found that this wine bottle stopper felt equally at home in the neck of a disposable water bottle.

The incredibly thin plastic of the water bottle caresses the cob as well as a vacuum bag. Now when I want to indulge in a bit of cob I simply pull the plug, reach in with my forceps and tear off a tad and enjoy. Not sure how many times the bottle will continue to tolerate the continued vacuum process but so far so good.

 

[Tangwena]

The best is to make small weekly packages or even daily sachets by sealing the bags length ways into slim sleaves 5 or 6 per bag insert given piece of cobbed bud and then vac seal the lot.
You can easily cut a sleave off without loosing the vacuum on the rest.

 

[Boocoodinkydow]

Thanx, Tangwena.

 

[BigBlack]

can i dry by cutting the cob into slices, dry the slices then vac bag?
the big cob is too big i think. 2 - 3 oz seems a good size where you get mass but the inside can dry.
my big fat cob is not drying in its fat cob state so i'm thinking about drying it in the slices, then seal to age.
if i keep the fat cob setting in the drying oven to dry, i'm afraid it will pick up mold?

 

[BigBlack]

here's the next batch after drying the buds a little drier then packing into vac bac for few days to sweat.
dried a little sweat now back into bags into heat 30c for awhile.
it's not strong, but i'm learning new things and i can sure use it good for dog medicine.
i don't like to give dogs strong herbs b/c they don't seem to love it. but i want the medical affect.

these cobs are not as dark as they look. i took tangwena advice and let them dry a little further. they were'nt smokeable. maybe still too wet. they're doing good. this method is wonderful. i got the cleanest extract ever from the big fat cob.

 

[BigBlack]

this is the big fat brown/blackish that i wrapped too wet. here's what the inside looks like. it's so beautiful!! different swirls of color.

 

[Tangwena]

BigBlack Yes you can cut slices to help drying and seal individual slices once you get the to your prefered moisture content once dried and sealed they will not mold and store for years at room temps.

 

[midwestkid]

Here's my first attempt at cobs. I've been lurking in this thread off and on for a few years now. Finally decided to give it a try...
it's Bandaid Haze ix 3.0 from Doc D.
Today is day 7. I take them out and pat dry, but do they go back into the husks or not?
someone shoot me some advice if ya get a minute.
30 grams each here.

 

[Tangwena]

Here's my first attempt at cobs. I've been lurking in this thread off and on for a few years now. Finally decided to give it a try...
it's Bandaid Haze ix 3.0 from Doc D.
Today is day 7. I take them out and pat dry, but do they go back into the husks or not?
someone shoot me some advice if ya get a minute.
30 grams each here.

Hi man good on you for giving it a go.
You can remove the husks to dry the cobs and replace or discard them as you choose.
I dont keep the husks on after the first week or so as it makes them too moist also without the husks you can keep an eye on how the cure is progressing without opening the bag.
Please post pics of the cobs when you dry them from here they dont need much moisture so dry the outside surface well.

 

[midwestkid]

 

[midwestkid]

 

[midwestkid]

A and C were exposed to more heat for the initial sweat. All others have been steady between 75 and 85 degrees.
there's not much color difference that I'm seeing.
And I'm smelling the corn husk aroma more than the bud itself?
How long do I dry these? Reseal tonight or tomorrow or when?
They all have a bit of bounce to them if I give a squeeze. Definitely plenty of moisture still within.

 

[midwestkid]

of c

 

[Tangwena]

of c

From the look of the cobs the buds were too moist at the beginning, from my experience that color is produced when the buds are too wet.
Do you have any pics of the buds going in to the cobs?
The temps your quoting are on the low side so the buds should have been greener and more colorful if they were dried enough prior to cobbing.

Its a mistake made by a lot of people when they first start cobbing it does not effect the high badly, just the taste and smell.
To get a colorful, terpy, tasty finish the buds need to be drier to start with.
Different types of buds ie airy, dense, large, small, resinous and sticky ect. All need treating differently especially in the drying and sweating its not a one size fits all technique.

The times your using ie 12 hrs are fine and should be more than enough.
I didn't see any beads of sweat in the pics but maybe its just the pics its hard to tell from photo's.
Its easier to diagnose when you have pics of the buds before cobbing, during cobbing and after the sweating.
But I would not expect that level of color change after just 12 hrs if they were drier.
I would fully dry them to stop further changes. Dry them until they are only very slightly moist in the core, reseal them and redry after another week as the moisture in the core will have evened out by then.
After the second drying they should be good to reseal and store or use as you wish.
I hope this helps, its not meant as criticism I'm just trying to guide you to a better result.

 

[midwestkid]

I will try to get better pictures next week. That picture makes them look darker than they actually are...

 

[Tangwena]

I will try to get better pictures next week. That picture makes them look darker than they actually are...

Yes the correct lighting can make all the difference its hard to show the true colors unless the light is good I find that all the time in my pics.

 

[midwestkid]

Hey Tangwena. How dry do I let these things get? Last night I just left them out for a few hours until they were dry to the touch, but the inside and the outside are obviously gonna be totally different.
I re-sealed them last night and they are now sitting at 80°F and no longer in the husk.
I'm feeling pretty good about them. They look similar to a lot of what I've seen in this thread.
I guess I had to start somewhere.
should these things be dry like a stick or slightly rubbery feeling?
Thanks for your guidance. Sorry if i sound like a hi maintenance cry baby millennial

 

[flylowgethigh]

I think I am gonna try this with the haze hybrids I am running.

 

[Tangwena]

Hey Tangwena. How dry do I let these things get? Last night I just left them out for a few hours until they were dry to the touch, but the inside and the outside are obviously gonna be totally different.
I re-sealed them last night and they are now sitting at 80°F and no longer in the husk.
I'm feeling pretty good about them. They look similar to a lot of what I've seen in this thread.
I guess I had to start somewhere.
should these things be dry like a stick or slightly rubbery feeling?
Thanks for your guidance. Sorry if i sound like a hi maintenance cry baby millennial

Not high maintenance my friend just trying to get it right and thats what I'm here for brother.
If your happy with how they look and it sounds like you are then you need to dry them enough to stop further radical changes.
They look great so dry them until they feel dry and when cut in half the center is very slightly moist not wet just a different moisture level to the dried outside skin.

You have a few to play with so dry them all to varying degrees of core moisture and reseal them.
Leave them for a further 3 or 4 weeks sealed up at 80F
Then open them individually and take a sample of each before resealing them.
You should be able to smoke them straight from the cob without further drying drying if you cant you will need to redry that cob until the surface is dry to the touch as before.
While they are sealed up the core moisture will spread evenly throughout the cob, for long term storage you will find that a slight moisture content say 10% keeps the terps smelling nice.

There is only one way to learn this art its by touch, smell and feel.
If I was able to be there in person it would be easy but via the internet a lot rests on your shoulders and your desire to experiment.
I have found many members have been able to produce wonderful results just using the little information I am able to transfer via the internet and their love of the herb, their understanding of their plants and a creative mind.
Its not hard once you grasp a few basic concepts and I sense you will find the path to curing this way very easily.
Please feel free to ask any questions you have I will be pleased to help in any way I can.