Question on drying with silica gel

[Digger102]

Care to elaborate on why is is a bad idea?

My other options are drying it outdoor, which I rather avoid, or drying in some sort of dry box. Dry box would be an alternative but I haven't found any good solutions on that (though I might be searching for the wrong stuff). The cost is not the issue here, odur is. Any hints on dry box solutions would be great too.

The plants are going to release moisture quicker than those packs will absorb it. They might steal terpenes too like boveda and similar packs. You want the dry to be slow and controlled, taking about 10-14 days, anything less than 7 days is too quick.

If cost is not the issue, and odor is of the utmost importance, take the other peoples advice and buy a tent just for drying. Set it up with two carbon filters, approximately four 6" fans to circulate air and a humidifier to keep the humidity about 60%.

If no odor when drying is an issue, where are you smoking?

 

[CheckTreck]

The plants are going to release moisture quicker than those packs will absorb it. They might steal terpenes too like boveda and similar packs. You want the dry to be slow and controlled, taking about 10-14 days, anything less than 7 days is too quick.

If cost is not the issue, and odor is of the utmost importance, take the other peoples advice and buy a tent just for drying. Set it up with two carbon filters, approximately four 6" fans to circulate air and a humidifier to keep the humidity about 60%.

If no odor when drying is an issue, where are you smoking?

Setting up a tent is not an option as I live in an apartment. It's illegal here and I wouldn't be comfortable with anything conspicuously. So my need for stealth goes beyond odur.

A dry box that doesn't smell might do, if it's not too large, I looked at food dehydrators (for herbs, vegetables, mushroms etc). They can dry stuff at temp down to 30 celsius in about 24-36 hours and only cost about 50 USD. If that would produce good results it would solve the issue but the dry stuff rapidly so I'm guessing not? In such a short period of time some odur wouldn't be a huge issue though. Another option is to dry it at the grow spot but if it is a humid weather that might be tricky.

As for plants releasing moisture faster that the drying agent can release it, isn't that really just a question of ratios? I mean, I can get a liter of silica gel för 10 USD and it can be reused after heating it, realising the moisture it holds. So, just as a thought experiment. A larger container, say 50 liters, more silica gel, say 5 liters, and a fan inside to keep air circulation and buds hanging inside the container, no more than say 1 liter. Calcium chloride was helpfully suggested earlier in the thread as a more potent drying agent too. I have no idea on how fast or slow these drying agents work so I don't know about the time it would take (if it would work at all), nor if it would steal terpenes too but do you think such a setup would dry it without destroying it?

Growing season is quite a bit away still so this isn't a pressing issue but I would like to have thought this through before standing there with freshly harvested buds.

I smoke using a vapor and it releases absolutely zero odur. I just love it.

 

[Ringodoggie]

Activated carbon is often used to filter and mask cannabis odors. And, it does a damn good job.

I have used a large cardboard box for drying plants in the past. I set the box on it's side and use a screwdriver to poke stem sized holes in the top (which is actually the side of the box). I push the stem of the plant branch through the hole and hold it on the other side with a binder clip. Now, I have a bunch of stems with buds hanging in a box. Then, I cut a 4" hole in the back with a small fan blowing air into the hole.

Now, air passes into the box through the 4" hole and out the open front.

You could add a rectangular furnace carbon filter (probably under 15 bux) on the open end of the box and have a pretty smell proof drying box.

Think DIY but remember activated carbon.

Good luck.

 

[CheckTreck]

Activated carbon is often used to filter and mask cannabis odors. And, it does a damn good job.

I have used a large cardboard box for drying plants in the past. I set the box on it's side and use a screwdriver to poke stem sized holes in the top (which is actually the side of the box). I push the stem of the plant branch through the hole and hold it on the other side with a binder clip. Now, I have a bunch of stems with buds hanging in a box. Then, I cut a 4" hole in the back with a small fan blowing air into the hole.

Now, air passes into the box through the 4" hole and out the open front.

You could add a rectangular furnace carbon filter (probably under 15 bux) on the open end of the box and have a pretty smell proof drying box.

Think DIY but remember activated carbon.

Good luck.

Yeah, I've seen some good DYI how-to's on dryboxes, similar to what you describe. I've been thinking about doing that with active carbon. As you say, it can be really effecient.

Thanks for the input!

 

[budstealth]

Yeah, I've seen some good DYI how-to's on dryboxes, similar to what you describe. I've been thinking about doing that with active carbon. As you say, it can be really effecient.

Thanks for the input!

Use the ONA gel specially developed for the removal of organic odors from the hydroponic industry, here is a https://onaonline.com/applications/

 

[budstealth]

With this odor neutralizing gel, you can dry the buds quietly in your home without worrying. You use a cardboard box, put the buds inside and a box of ONA gel and don't worry

 

[budstealth]

Or use a fabric dresser (very cheap), hang the branches with buds, and place the ONA box in the room. People store textiles, bed or intimate linens, towels, etc. in such drawers....no one will suspect that you are drying buds

 

[budstealth]

Or this alternative solution….https://www.plantarium.nu/shop/cannabis-kweken/oogsten-en-drogen/schoon-werken/neutralizer-compact-kit/

 

[Xr5K]

I would also advise against drying with silica gel.
Why don't you build yourself a small drying box with an activated carbon filter?

All you need is a plastic box from the supermarket.
Then you need a PC fan and a plastic tube with a cover (a kind of sieve) in which the carbon is filled.

Cut out a hole at the top of the lid of the box.
Put the plastic tube with the carbon in it--attach the fan at the top.
Cut a small hole at the bottom of the box so that the air can circulate.

It's very quick--costs almost nothing and you don't smell anything either.

 

[CheckTreck]

I actually gave this a try and it doesn't work bad. Here's what I did.

I took one 3 liter mason jar and 1 kg of silica gel beads. I put the silica gel in a mesh bag and put it in the bottom of the jar. It filled perhaps 1/3 or 1/4 of the jar.

I put the buds from one wild dwarf I had just harvested in another mesh bag and put it on top. I also put in a small hydrometer to check humidity. Humidity went down to 20-25% real fast and after two days the buds were dry. Too dry, actually. I'm giving another plant a go now and plan too keep a better eye on it this time.

All in all, it's not a perfect way to dry buds but if you want to dry something fast and steatlhy, due to legality issues or whatever, it's absolutely doable.Total cost was 30 USD and (20 for the silica gel and 10 for the jar) the silica gel can be reused after being heated in the oven to release held moisture.

I can probably tweek this a bit to make it better. A little less silica gel, a bigger container perhaps. But the naysayers who said this doesn't work at all was wrong. I didn't even have a fan in the jar but I'm guessing that a larger container, say 40 liter or so, with a fan inside, would dry this slower and without any risk of mold.

 

[MNGrow]

Use the ONA gel specially developed for the removal of organic odors from the hydroponic industry, here is a https://onaonline.com/applications/

I was just about to mention this. I use this stuff so I can say it really does work. Just dont put it in your grow tent lol