A perfect cure every time

[GrnMtnGrwr]

Feel free to bash me on my head, shank me, and leave me in a ditch, but I've re-moistened chronic a ton before (tobacco tins work well), it aint perfect but it works hella good. You need a cotton pad taped on top of the jar/bucket, and drop two drops of water onto the pad, and leave it, rotate the bud occasionally.

It's a lot better than smoking dry bud.

I think everyone agrees on that. The part that seems to be in question is whether or not the bud will continue curing after being remoistened to proper levels after being overdried.

 

[el clandestino]

Thats great info. Thanks for the help.

 

[simon]

This post will share my experiences using Simon's method.

I hang dry in an area with 60-70 degree temperatures, 35%-50% humidity, and moderate passive air movement. I have experimented with various ways and found that what seems to work best for me is to wait until the buds are crispy on the outside, then chop up the branches and put them in a paper bag until the buds are crispy again. It should be noted that I hang the whole plant when drying. At this point, I trim them and put them in Jars and they will normally stabilize at ~70%. If the humidity is above 70%, I take them out and put them in paper bags for a few hours. If it's below 70% I take the buds out and put them right back in and leave the lid off for a while. So far it's never stayed at preciously 70%

Overall this method has worked extremely well for me by giving me confidence in my curing process. This is a very noob friendly method and it really is great because it helps people learn on their own by comparing the feel of the bud to the RH and adjusting based on their specific needs. I think that's why so many people have so much trouble curing - people don't consider that environmental conditions vary by region and those conditions play a huge part in the curing procedure.


I did an experiment with the long term RH because I was unhappy with the smell I was getting when I left the jars at sub-65%. Don't get me wrong it was still very good, just not the overwhelming stink I know my strain is capable of. I left one jar at 64% for a month, and another at 67%. After 1 month I opened the jars and the 67% just reeked while the 64% did not have such a potent odor. Simon - do you recommend sub-65% humidity for curing primarily to avoid mold problems, or have you found the 60-65% range to be optimal for a perfect cure?

Thank you sharing your results and observations. To answer the question, I recommend 60-65% as an optimal curing range with no regard for mold. You may find that your preferred cure happens at a slightly higher or lower RH. This said, I would be cautions of mold-related issues if the product sits at a higher RH in a warm environment.

Simon

 

[simon]

My question to Simon: At what point do you clip all excess stems & strip down the jars to bare nugs?

My growing method is such that I mostly harvest top colas. They're trimmed and cured as they are. The rest of the flowers are usually turned into a concentrate/extract. If you can post a pic similar to your harvest, I'd be happy to comment.

Simon

 

[simon]

Different strains are going to need different RH%. Trial & error. At least when using a hygrometer and journaling - you'll be able to nail down what % is needed for that particular strain.

Yes, yes, YES! Exactly! This is the connoisseur approach. If one is growing commercially, he can use this method with a high degree of predictability to ascertain when the product will be ready for market. Similarly, a personal grower looking for quality can use the same method to pinpoint the exact conditions for his chosen strain.

BTW, let me that that I'm thrilled to see folks answering questions and helping others.

Simon

 

[simon]

im trying to help with a general outline of steps.

the OP says to trim the product and and dry until the stems have alittle flex left in them.
OP also said that RH above 70% should be pretty obvious in a few hours or so of jarring up the buds

would a good way to explain when to move the product from the drying rack be:
trim to your specs.
dry until stems have alittle flex left in them
fill curing jar ~1/4 full and set in hygrometer (or use a small jar if available)
if RH is above 70-75%, put all product back on drying racks.
if RH is between 65-70%, fill remaining space in jar with product.
burp product until RH is to desired levels (60-65%)

feedback appreciated.

I hope my reply is not too late. My apologies for not being around. Sometimes life takes a hold. Well , actually, I was road racing, but it doesn't sound very dramatic.

I'd suggest drying the product as you intend, then filling the jars ~75% full. If your RH reads higher than 70%, especially if that number is reached within a matter of hours, take the product out for 12-24 hours. You don't have to hang it again. I prefer laying it on a screen that allows the kief to collect. Did I answer your questions?

Simon

 

[simon]

Ok, I am not panicing, but what am I missing about what to do if it gets below 55%? You are just suggesting to wait?

Is there anything possible to do if it has stabilized at less than 55?

thanks!

I hate to say it, but waiting and hoping for the best are about all you can do. There's really no way to get moisture back into the stems. If the product is dried to a low RH, it will never cure again. This isn't to say that the flowers can't be re-moistened using a multitude of methods: fresh leaves, orange peel, lettuce, apple, carrot, etc, and various products aimed at the tobacco market.

Simon

 

[simon]

I'm gathering supplies for my curing... I'm looking at half gallon mason jars with a vacuum sealer... how much can I fit in a half gallon jar? Any ideas? I saw rrog uses them, but he didn't say how much he had in there.

I usually get anywhere from 4-8oz in a .5gal jar, depending.

Simon

 

[Zealious]

yo simon.. great method here.. again. I love it..

Im about to start the jars soon but I need some help..

Im nervous to date i struggle at curing i seem to have better results when I let the buds dry for a very long time like 2 weeks and then jar.. I think I jar to soon and thats when it all goes wrong..

Right now Ive had them hang drying for about 7 days enviroment is 69-79 45%rh avg temp is 78.

the buds are cripsy and the stems are cracking just a little.. not a full on super dry type of crack but maybe 3-4 days away from that..

then I put the buds into brown paper bags to slow down the dry and start getting some N breakdown. they have been in the bags for about 3-4 days and the stems are still not making a dry cracking...

so my question is.. do i jar now or do i let them dry more.. maybe take them out of the bags?

and im running multiple strains that i want to jar seperately.. is it imortant to fill the jars to near bursting? because some of the jars will only be about 1/4 full would this make it harder to raise the RH within the jar?

 

[D4sh3y]

I prefer laying it on a screen that allows the kief to collect. Did I answer your questions?

Simon

Hey man, great post. random question:

what kind of screen do you use that you place drying buds on to collect kief and where can i find one?

 

[Slimm]

My growing method is such that I mostly harvest top colas. They're trimmed and cured as they are. The rest of the flowers are usually turned into a concentrate/extract. If you can post a pic similar to your harvest, I'd be happy to comment.

Simon

Simon, I would like to hear more about this if you have the time.

 

[simon]

Hey man, great post. random question:

what kind of screen do you use that you place drying buds on to collect kief and where can i find one?

I use several 1'x2' pollen boxes. Silk screening frames a good, inexpensive solution:

http://www.dickblick.com/categories/screenprintingframes/

Simon

 

[simon]

so my question is.. do i jar now or do i let them dry more.. maybe take them out of the bags?

I'd put the flowers into the jars now. It sounds like they're ready.

and im running multiple strains that i want to jar seperately.. is it imortant to fill the jars to near bursting?

No, it's not. Fuller jars help to get a quicker reading.

...because some of the jars will only be about 1/4 full would this make it harder to raise the RH within the jar?

You won't have a problem. Good luck.

Simon

 

[simon]

Simon, I would like to hear more about this if you have the time.

It's actually very easy to do. I've been meaning to start a thread illustrating the process. I just need to remember to take pics for 3 months.

Here's how it works. The plants are LST'd and vegged until they're the right size for the grow. Typically, from clone, they veg 3-5 weeks. No pruning at all takes place during that time. A few days before flowering, the plants are pruned of all branches other than the 6-8 main stems, and are also pruned of all secondary branches. It is the pruning of the secondary branches that allows only the top colas to form. That's all there is to it. Every single plant I grow is done the same way. It works equally as well with topped plants. Below is an example of a Chronic about 10 days before harvest.

 

[Slimm]

It's actually very easy to do. I've been meaning to start a thread illustrating the process. I just need to remember to take pics for 3 months.

Here's how it works. The plants are LST'd and vegged until they're the right size for the grow. Typically, from clone, they veg 3-5 weeks. No pruning at all takes place during that time. A few days before flowering, the plants are pruned of all branches other than the 6-8 main stems, and are also pruned of all secondary branches. It is the pruning of the secondary branches that allows only the top colas to form. That's all there is to it. Every single plant I grow is done the same way. It works equally as well with topped plants. Below is an example of a Chronic about 10 days before harvest.

So just before flower the plant is trimmed so there is only one main cola. New buds and branches will form throughout flowering, do you remove these at some point as well?

Also, do you leave the fans on the buds when you hang them and at what point in the drying / curing process do you trim the sugar leaves?

 

[simon]

So just before flower the plant is trimmed so there is only one main cola.

The plant is LST'd, so there are 6-8 main stems. Right before flowering, those same 6-8 main stems are identified, and all other branches are pruned including all secondary branches from the 6-8 main stems.

New buds and branches will form throughout flowering, do you remove these at some point as well?

No. Once the plant is flowered, there's no more pruning.

Also, do you leave the fans on the buds when you hang them and at what point in the drying / curing process do you trim the sugar leaves?

All fan leaves are left on the plant during flowering, and allowed to fall-off an nature intends. I trim the flowers immediately after cutting them down.

Simon

 

[Slimm]

Got it, thanks!

 

[frikn squirrel]

Simon, I'd love to read about your pruning methods with the detail and scrutiny you put into your posts! Pruning is something I've really struggled with. Due to state laws, I'm only allowed to have a certain # of plants so I have to grow bigger plants, which seem to need to be pruned very aggressively to avoid lots of popcorn.

 

[growclean]

I use several 1'x2' pollen boxes. Silk screening frames a good, inexpensive solution:

http://www.dickblick.com/categories/screenprintingframes/

Simon

Thanks for this link. I actually just came to this thread to ask that same question. Which one of those screens would you recommend?

Thanks!

 

[ThaLonelyStoner]

I used Simon's method on my last harvest and the results have been all I expected. I have 3 jars that have been curing for over a month and are holding at 58RH, 64RH, and 61RH. It does take a little bit to get the RH to the right level so expect to have to check every few hours. Some times you may have to lay the buds out for a day. I hung mine for 3 days then they went into jars. For the first week the RH was around 70-75% but leaving it open for a few hours at a time fixed that. Next time I may let them hang for 4 days and see if it eliminates the week to get it between 55-65%.

Thanks Simon.