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Anyone have a good write up for a Humidity control curing box?
- Thread starter grod31
- Start date
Nobody wants to hear this but imo 'curing' is total bullshit made up by the old heads back in the day when they were trying to sell you old herb from 3 years ago as some kind of 'premium' product.
Cannabis does not get better with age, it gets less complex as the more volatile sesquiterpenes evaporate.
The dryer your herb is when it's stored the longer the terpenes will last. Storing herb slightly moist is a great way to kill all the terps, hence the reason Boveda and similar products have such a terrible effect long term.
Dry your herb completely in a cool / cold room and you'll get the best results possible.
If you like your herb to be a bit moist when you smoke just re-moisten it before you use it.
Cannabis does not get better with age, it gets less complex as the more volatile sesquiterpenes evaporate.
The dryer your herb is when it's stored the longer the terpenes will last. Storing herb slightly moist is a great way to kill all the terps, hence the reason Boveda and similar products have such a terrible effect long term.
Dry your herb completely in a cool / cold room and you'll get the best results possible.
If you like your herb to be a bit moist when you smoke just re-moisten it before you use it.
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goingrey
Well-known member
Well it seems like you are not denying that there is a change. If it is for better or for worse is a matter of opinion.
Terpenes being lost is one thing but not the only thing that's going on. Also THCA becoming THC, THC becoming CBN, many changes...
A simple cabinet with small exhaust fan should do the trick imo. Cold temps help to slow down the drying.
Curing is strain dependend imo. Smoke gets smoother the longer u store the buds but is less tasty imo. The high also develops over time. Fresh dried buds need min 2-3 weeks for full potency, the quality of effects also gets better. Most of the time my stash doesn't last that long but 6 weeks is a good curingtime imo. I smoked some amnesia core cut grown by a friend last year and at 3 month the high was best imo. Smoke was nice smoothe and tastefull and the high got a very nice euphoria.
Curing is strain dependend imo. Smoke gets smoother the longer u store the buds but is less tasty imo. The high also develops over time. Fresh dried buds need min 2-3 weeks for full potency, the quality of effects also gets better. Most of the time my stash doesn't last that long but 6 weeks is a good curingtime imo. I smoked some amnesia core cut grown by a friend last year and at 3 month the high was best imo. Smoke was nice smoothe and tastefull and the high got a very nice euphoria.
goingrey
Well-known member
This statement is not correct. No heating method guarantees a full conversion. Not that curing does either. But anyway it was just a commonly known/accepted example of the many chemical changes that occur during the process.
For the OP I have no DIY suggestions as my method predates electricity: jars in the cellar. But there is a commercially produced machine available that might be looked at for inspiration:
Cannatrol Cool Cure – Cannatrol
www.cannatrols.com
I guess great minds think alike.... I was just starting to work on this. I had an old wine fridge with the glass door that would have been perfect. I am not concerned about the light coming in. I smoke pot way faster than it can degrade. LOL
Temp and humidity providers are still open. I used to use a tent with a humidifier/fan/heater/dehumidifier in it and it was all controlled by a Raspberry Pi. I don't have room for another tent now that I have moved so I am also looking at a smaller version. All that equipment won't fit inside the tiny wine fridge so it would have to be pushed from outside.
I like that box in the link above. Pretty neat.
I would still say long term storage is jars and the basement. But, for a place to grab from (like a cigar humidor) I think something like this would be awesome. Definitely a showplace item.
As for beta, I have but one word...... polymerization.
Temp and humidity providers are still open. I used to use a tent with a humidifier/fan/heater/dehumidifier in it and it was all controlled by a Raspberry Pi. I don't have room for another tent now that I have moved so I am also looking at a smaller version. All that equipment won't fit inside the tiny wine fridge so it would have to be pushed from outside.
I like that box in the link above. Pretty neat.
I would still say long term storage is jars and the basement. But, for a place to grab from (like a cigar humidor) I think something like this would be awesome. Definitely a showplace item.
As for beta, I have but one word...... polymerization.
Switcher56
Comfortably numb!
... and it all depends what each individual is after
One size doesn't fit all. 
Douglas.Curtis
Autistic Diplomat in Training
IMO... a significant portion of the cannabis growing, and using, population has yet to experience cleanly grown cannabis. The resulting lack of awareness leads to many inaccurate statements which themselves are often repeated.
Cleanly grown, never overfed, properly harvested, dried and stored cannabis will definitely become more complex over time. Terpene polymerization is a process impacted by temperature, pH and hydration levels. The same enzymes using the same inputs, will create different terpenes with differing levels of hydration and varying pH. Temperature mainly has an effect on the speed of these reactions.
Once hydration drops somewhere below the 50% range the majority (all?) polymerization stops. The more fragile terpenes which have not polymerized to more stable terpenes and cannabinoids (yes, some terpenes are used as structures within some cannabinoids) are more likely to break down through oxidation and/or evaporation at warmer temperatures.
A fascinating example of enzymatic behavior and changes in terpenes is the Malawi cob curing process. Changes within the cobs continue for a year or more, making for very complex flavors and highs.
Edit: Btw... monoterpenes are rather volatile while sesquiterpenes are much more stable, like the ones you can still taste an hour after that last joint you smoked.
Cleanly grown, never overfed, properly harvested, dried and stored cannabis will definitely become more complex over time. Terpene polymerization is a process impacted by temperature, pH and hydration levels. The same enzymes using the same inputs, will create different terpenes with differing levels of hydration and varying pH. Temperature mainly has an effect on the speed of these reactions.
Once hydration drops somewhere below the 50% range the majority (all?) polymerization stops. The more fragile terpenes which have not polymerized to more stable terpenes and cannabinoids (yes, some terpenes are used as structures within some cannabinoids) are more likely to break down through oxidation and/or evaporation at warmer temperatures.
A fascinating example of enzymatic behavior and changes in terpenes is the Malawi cob curing process. Changes within the cobs continue for a year or more, making for very complex flavors and highs.
Edit: Btw... monoterpenes are rather volatile while sesquiterpenes are much more stable, like the ones you can still taste an hour after that last joint you smoked.
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Hiddenjems
Well-known member
Finally.
I dry my flowers at really low rh, but temps in the upper 50’s lower 60’s.
The plant stops making terps and thc when it dies. All it can do after that is degrade.
Curing is what people do when their fresh “loud” smells like hay.
Douglas.Curtis
Autistic Diplomat in Training
I'd like to point out here that 50% of the population has a LESS than average ability to taste and smell things. This has a HUGE impact on a persons ability to participate in this conversation. Someone who has very little ability to taste/smell will have cannabis tasting and smelling much blander anyway, and this will quickly fade over time for the least sensitive of us.
Combine this with the low availability of cannabis grown for resin/terpene content over plant matter, and I can easily see why people would have a negative view of aged cannabis.
So, who here can feel and taste double fabric softener oils from someone's shirt on your tongue at 15' away like I can? I'm interested to see if your opinion jives with mine.
Combine this with the low availability of cannabis grown for resin/terpene content over plant matter, and I can easily see why people would have a negative view of aged cannabis.
So, who here can feel and taste double fabric softener oils from someone's shirt on your tongue at 15' away like I can? I'm interested to see if your opinion jives with mine.
GAIN..... that fucking Gain product. I can smell the shit on someone's clothes from across the street. I mean, perfumes and fabric softeners annoy me in general but that Gain smell is some fucked up shit. LOLI'd like to point out here that 50% of the population has a LESS than average ability to taste and smell things. This has a HUGE impact on a persons ability to participate in this conversation. Someone who has very little ability to taste/smell will have cannabis tasting and smelling much blander anyway, and this will quickly fade over time for the least sensitive of us.
Combine this with the low availability of cannabis grown for resin/terpene content over plant matter, and I can easily see why people would have a negative view of aged cannabis.
So, who here can feel and taste double fabric softener oils from someone's shirt on your tongue at 15' away like I can? I'm interested to see if your opinion jives with mine.
Douglas.Curtis
Autistic Diplomat in Training
Yep... I am unable to walk down the 'detergent' aisle without being physically assaulted by them. Gain is terrible and a good part of the reasons I shop only by duress at Family Dollar stores.
Fabric softeners, odor 'plug-ins,' and just about anything 'aroma' related these days tastes very offensive. Unless it's 100% natural (and even then usually overdone), I often note how much more pleasant a clean barn smells vs. the artificial stank I'm repeatedly being hit with.
Kids get it the worst, especially when the person doing laundry is a fabric softener freak. I can smell those kids a block away, and the largest absorbing organ in their body (the skin) is in direct contact with that oily goodness all day, every day. Breathing it at home as well.
Ever notice how many of the elderly on oxygen smell strongly of these chemical scent generators? I have.
If this does not sound like you, then you're most likely not going to be able to detect the subtle complexities which form over time with cannabis. 'Curing' your cannabis is not going to help much and you'll likely always get your maximum flavor from freshly dried flowers.
(Edit: This does not make you less of a person in any way, it simply means you have strengths in other areas than taste and smell. )
Fabric softeners, odor 'plug-ins,' and just about anything 'aroma' related these days tastes very offensive. Unless it's 100% natural (and even then usually overdone), I often note how much more pleasant a clean barn smells vs. the artificial stank I'm repeatedly being hit with.
Kids get it the worst, especially when the person doing laundry is a fabric softener freak. I can smell those kids a block away, and the largest absorbing organ in their body (the skin) is in direct contact with that oily goodness all day, every day. Breathing it at home as well.
Ever notice how many of the elderly on oxygen smell strongly of these chemical scent generators? I have.
If this does not sound like you, then you're most likely not going to be able to detect the subtle complexities which form over time with cannabis. 'Curing' your cannabis is not going to help much and you'll likely always get your maximum flavor from freshly dried flowers.
(Edit: This does not make you less of a person in any way, it simply means you have strengths in other areas than taste and smell.
)
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Hiddenjems
Well-known member
That’s exactly what happens with curing. Whatever the main scent or taste is will fade with subtle hints coming more to the front.
However some cannabis has a distinctive overpowering main smell/taste that is its calling card. I don’t want to keep my deathstar, which is probably the strongest smelling gassy/skunky plant I’ve encountered until that smell fades and hints of fruit come through. That defeats the purpose.
But other strains just don’t pump out the oils and need time for the scents to push through. I don’t really like these strains.
However some cannabis has a distinctive overpowering main smell/taste that is its calling card. I don’t want to keep my deathstar, which is probably the strongest smelling gassy/skunky plant I’ve encountered until that smell fades and hints of fruit come through. That defeats the purpose.
But other strains just don’t pump out the oils and need time for the scents to push through. I don’t really like these strains.
Ca++
Well-known member
Simply for drying, I use a tent with an extractor set to work above 60%. The room the tents sits in, is a reasonable temp&RH, and has odor extraction for what leaves this drying tent. As the 60% RH extractor gets to the point it rarely runs, and the RH is dipping below 60% without it, I can (plastic) bag the weed. Your bag size may vary, but I find 15L bags alright. Each will need burping and turning for a couple of days. With experience you know when to bag, but if you bag early you may need to tip it into paper carriers, not plastic. It's nice to use the bag, as it traps in things trying to escape. The paper looses water like it's not there. However like wine is meant to, the bags get better over time. As do cardboard boxes used this way. Boxes can slow water loss differently, based on the glossy or brown finish. You can even spray them at a push. Or bag them to stop loss until you divvy them up.
The general idea here, is extraction to dry them down to 60% quite quickly. At that point, the inside will be over 60% still, but you can't let the outside of the bud drop below 55%. Thus, we move to tighter containment. Might be bags you keep a close eye on, as that 60% is evened out through them, by burping and turning. Remember, at 65% we have a strong mold risk. At 55% some biological de-composure we actually want, will irrecoverably stop.
Over time you can get your green into glass, and never need to open it again.
We just get to 60% asap then sustain it. Once stable, it can be called a finished product. Though it's just dried, not cured, at this point.
The general idea here, is extraction to dry them down to 60% quite quickly. At that point, the inside will be over 60% still, but you can't let the outside of the bud drop below 55%. Thus, we move to tighter containment. Might be bags you keep a close eye on, as that 60% is evened out through them, by burping and turning. Remember, at 65% we have a strong mold risk. At 55% some biological de-composure we actually want, will irrecoverably stop.
Over time you can get your green into glass, and never need to open it again.
We just get to 60% asap then sustain it. Once stable, it can be called a finished product. Though it's just dried, not cured, at this point.
I have an extremely sensitive sense of smell and in my multi-decade experience growing cannabis I have found that the smells only get less complex over time after the cannabis dries. Time is not the friend of terpenes.Yep... I am unable to walk down the 'detergent' aisle without being physically assaulted by them. Gain is terrible and a good part of the reasons I shop only by duress at Family Dollar stores.
Fabric softeners, odor 'plug-ins,' and just about anything 'aroma' related these days tastes very offensive. Unless it's 100% natural (and even then usually overdone), I often note how much more pleasant a clean barn smells vs. the artificial stank I'm repeatedly being hit with.
Kids get it the worst, especially when the person doing laundry is a fabric softener freak. I can smell those kids a block away, and the largest absorbing organ in their body (the skin) is in direct contact with that oily goodness all day, every day. Breathing it at home as well.
Ever notice how many of the elderly on oxygen smell strongly of these chemical scent generators? I have.
If this does not sound like you, then you're most likely not going to be able to detect the subtle complexities which form over time with cannabis. 'Curing' your cannabis is not going to help much and you'll likely always get your maximum flavor from freshly dried flowers.
(Edit: This does not make you less of a person in any way, it simply means you have strengths in other areas than taste and smell.
Someone may have a cut that they like better after some of the terps evaporate but the smell of that cannabis is undeniably less complex than it would be otherwise and you'd probably be better off growing something else.
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Douglas.Curtis
Autistic Diplomat in Training
Yeah... Not buying the "you should grow something else" statement. IME, this is only correct when the cannabis is grown with excess nutrients or environmental issues. Growing something else is an effort in finding genetics which power through the grower mistakes.
You grow hot and wet, right? Above 70F and over 30% RH?
You grow hot and wet, right? Above 70F and over 30% RH?
Douglas.Curtis
Autistic Diplomat in Training
I appreciate reading comprehension skills. So rare these days they're a joy to see when they breach the muck.
