A perfect cure every time

[Dave Coulier]

Hey, thanks for the link. What OP is using is a bit too large for me & expensive, so these are perfect. I went looking on ebay to see if anyone offers them cheaper, and found what appears to be the same exact hygrometer. $5 w/ free shipping if you win the auction. No buy it now price.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Analog-Hygromet...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item5d28489b49

Here is another one that has a buy it now option & free shipping for $7.00. I went ahead and purchased it. Ill test it out when it arrives, and post pictures, and let you know how well it works. It can also be found on Amazon as well. Carboy, have you ever seen this one or tried it out?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Brass-Analog-Hy...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item2eabae3c62

The brass analog hygrometer has been tested using the salt calibration method and It was off by 3 points. I also decided to test my cheap digital 2 in 1 thermometer/hygrometer I got from Home Depot. It read 65%! Im glad I tested it. Id suggest everyone test their hygrometers, digital or analog.

 

[Johnny Bud]

good work peeps, ive heard alot of people say they leave thier pots to dry out just before they harvest, so as to reduce the moisture in the plant as a whole, given the info in this thread, would it be better to over water to get maximum moisture into the plant and therfore a longer drying time ?


Cheers

 

[BENJI]

Wonderful thread Simon, thank-you for sharing your hard work and findings, I do hope you won't mind? I see a few growers on budgets who would like multiple Hygrometers but @ $20 each can't do this, so wanted to post the little ones I use, they cost less than $20 for 4 (including shipping) and will fit in the smallest of jars. Of course they can't be expected to perform as the better ones but for less than $2 each they are an option. They are from Ebay, I will find the link in a sec and post, but here is a pic of some..........
Edit.. they are 100% accurate, I meant of course they won't last forever, or have features of Simon's but still a very good option.
Edit the link.... http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dl...817062&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT#ht_3633wt_939

They are the ones i got from ebay worked great for me..

 

[Dave Coulier]

Benji, have you tested them using the salt method to see how accurate they are?

 

[Chronic777]

For a method to do this but without investing in hygrometres, you can just cure until the buds no longer get wet between burps, when they stay crispy for a few burps, then don't burp it anymore unless you see moisture on the jar walls, or unless your about to smoke some.

I think your hygrometer method perfects this in that you can know when its constantly 55% so as not to burp the jars anymore and leave them sealed longterm, some people burp too much and dry it out to dust.

 

[Chem&M]

Hey Simon!


My jars are stable at 62% after a week of being in the jar. Can I just let them continue to cure at this rate, or should I keep burping? I'm right in the cure zone, so it would seem like burping is not needed as much, other tan to prevent mold, right?

I just got my second shipment of these. I'm gonna cure like a pro now.

 

[simon]

My jars are stable at 62% after a week of being in the jar. Can I just let them continue to cure at this rate, or should I keep burping? I'm right in the cure zone, so it would seem like burping is not needed as much, other tan to prevent mold, right?

You're good to go! No need to keep burping the jars. Just let them sit there and perhaps open the jars once a week to check on the development of the cure. Personally, the latter is my favorite part, as one can almost see and definitely smell the curing process as it evolves.

Simon

 

[simon]

A note for those using analog hygrometers. After a time, some get "stuck" at a given reading needing a sharp tap to free the movement of the gauge. If you don't see the readings change after a certain period, this may be the problem. HTH

Simon

 

[Chem&M]

You're good to go! No need to keep burping the jars. Just let them sit there and perhaps open the jars once a week to check on the development of the cure. Personally, the latter is my favorite part, as one can almost see and definitely smell the curing process as it evolves.

Simon

Thanks Simon!!

 

[Chronic777]

You're good to go! No need to keep burping the jars. Just let them sit there and perhaps open the jars once a week to check on the development of the cure. Personally, the latter is my favorite part, as one can almost see and definitely smell the curing process as it evolves.

Simon

What would you say is the highest RH% that they can be left longterm for?
I don't like opening the jars much as one jar i i burpt it way too often & the bud lost flavour
The other jars im testing a little everyday & i can already taste how they are curing, i originally started curing 3 days after chop for the slowest dry possible, within reason, your hygrometer idea would really perfect it if i knew the highest possible RH its safe to store them longterm

Peace

 

[Carboy]

Here is another one that has a buy it now option & free shipping for $7.00. I went ahead and purchased it. Ill test it out when it arrives, and post pictures, and let you know how well it works. It can also be found on Amazon as well. Carboy, have you ever seen this one or tried it out?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Brass-Analog-Hy...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item2eabae3c62

I haven't tried these, but they damn sure look the same by the picture.
I was disappointed at first by how small it was but the size is really an asset. I calibrated right out of the box and 6 months later was still dead on (+-2%). Ordered half a dozen more to avoid hassle and shipping. All performed equal to the first. Could fill a shoe box w/ all the shitty ones I've had --- digital & mech. I've got a good lab grade one, but for the money and what you are doing w/ them; I'll go back to what I said before, Caliber III for digi -- Amazon for mech.
CB
EDIT: Sorry Dave I didn't see the post that you ordered --- hope it serves the purpose. You are right ------ check and calibrate any of them!!

 

[simon]

What would you say is the highest RH% that they can be left longterm for?

If the product has been sitting for over a month at ~60%, you could store it safely long term. Otherwise, I'd shoot a little lower for the sake of safety.

Ultimately, as folks continue to gauge their respective cures, they'll find their own points of tolerance, if you will. Some may find that their environment necessitates a lower RH, as per their storage constraints. Others may prefer taste and smell at a higher RH. There's also the product to consider. For example, a rock-hard Inidca with a sizable stem vs a lanky Sativa with relatively loose flower mass. In terms of the RH, we're talking about a fairly small variance, but as the product sits long term, the effect of that variance is magnified (to a degree).

Simon

 

[Chronic777]

Cool, thanks, i suppose you just gotta feel it out & see how it matures as you sample it...

I havent received my hygrometers yet but my buds are staying crispy everytime i burp so im starting to burp rarer now, left em sealed all day and gonna give em a sniff now

 

[simon]

...my buds are staying crispy everytime i burp so im starting to burp rarer now, left em sealed all day and gonna give em a sniff now

How are the stems?

Simon

 

[Chronic777]

bending like mcdonalds straws...

i lost my main cola this morning due to mold

these hyrometers cant come quick enough (from hongkong)

 

[simon]

bending like mcdonalds straws...

i lost my main cola this morning due to mold

I'm very sorry to hear about the mold. Perhaps you can salvage a part of the cola and add the rest to your oil pile.

The idea behind this is to equalize the moisture in the stem relative to the flower mass. So, if the flowers feel dry and the stems bend like straws, you can bank on the product not being dry enough. In instances where the flowers dry completely (meaning, almost cracker-dry) and the stems maintain a post-harvest level of flex, the product will rehydrate and will likely be susceptible to mold.

these hyrometers cant come quick enough (from hongkong)

I'm curious to check them out, as well. I was impressed with the seller. He shipped about an hour after I ordered. Maybe we'll see them next week.

Simon

 

[Chronic777]

Yeah i got em shipped fast aswell

The slow cure was going fine until i left the jars sealed for 8 hours when i was working last night
Usually ill only seal them if im there to keep checking on them & burping them
I think its good to put them in jars when they feel dry & the stems bend like straws, but not necessarily to seal the jars for long periods... until the stems properly snap?

One thing to bare in mind is that there was no condensation in the jar, so even if theres no condensation, mold is still possible...

 

[Dave Coulier]

For infos sake, I decided to do a second salt calibration over night while I slept with my analog hygrometer, and it read 74/75. I may just have to pick up a few more for my large jars. Im actually doing some final trim on some ladies that are going into jars today. I do hope for a much better cure this time, than last . Thanks Simon.

 

[Dödsknark]

Just a quick update. I have 4 different plants curing away right now and it's going better than ever. I have done some good cures in the past but never 4 perfect ones. Ahhh the smells... I think it's time to burp a Satori and check the meter in the Apollo jar.

 

[rrog]

I agree. O have Northern Lights and Purple Diesel curing right now. One thing I would do differently next time; I won't try and cure small colas. They seem to be the hardest to dry to cure. Overnight that one jar (1/2 gallon) will creep back to 68%. I'm tempted to trim them down to a normal size bud but they're close to getting and holding at 65%. So I guess I should wait.

Less hay smell now. Quite a noticeable drop after they hit 65%