Finish drying my bud in the freezer in my kitchen?!?

[City Twin]

Ok. So I'm boning up on curing lately.

Freezer dry-cure goes against every reasoning for current or traditional processing methods. Opposite to conventional wisdom on the subject in every way. Yet, the happy result of freeze method is easily replicated. Why?

It would be fun to run chromatography samples on one cropping, traditional v freezer, just to see.

Chill Everyone, CT

 

[jus'plain'gill]

Happy New Year from my freezer!!! I hope everyone is keeping cool out there. I had to get the thread back on page 1 of this forum, just in case anyone wandering in here might benefit from this information. Take care everybody,



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[ChroNicoN]

awesome info

unlike some i went through every post ... very very informative and obviously hands down best curing method so far ........ why isn't this stickied ?????????????

 

[City Twin]

Kickin' back to the TOP!!

Vote "PIN" for jus'plain'gil!!

 

[squn]

done hahahha

 

[2 Legal Co]

I sure will let you know how it goes. I've pretty much decided that the freezer method is what I'll be using. I don't leave until early July though, so it won't be until near the end of July that I'll have my results.

My only real worry is about the cat sitter we use when we go away for more than a couple of days. I know that no matter how much you think you trust someone, lots of people snoop when they have the opportunity. Do you think it would still work if I put the buds in some kind of cardboard box, and closed it but didn't seal it tight (still in the freezer of course)? Have you ever tried it using a closed box, or only open jars? I have no bud right now, so I can't even experiment on my own. I can't really see that as causing any harm, other than possibly lengthening the time needed to cure. I don't care if it's not cured "enough" by the time I get back. I can always do whatever to finish the cure then. I just want to avoid it getting overly dry while I'm gone.

Just curious about one other thing you mentioned - you said that the freezer is a "huge vacuum." I can see it being airtight (or at least pretty close, depending on the seal on your freezer door), but a vacuum? I would think that air pressure inside a freezer would be the same as outside. Or does cooling the air somehow reduce pressure inside the freezer?

In response to the vacuum Q.. My 'freezer' in the top of my Frig., is not really a vacuum. However when I close the door to the 'Deep Freeze' (dedicated upright freezer), it has a pump that evacuates some of the air inside, making a partial vacuum. You can't even re-open the door while it's pumping the air out. Once it stops you can once again open it.

So there are differences in 'freezers', as well.

 

[shapes]

interesting stuff,going to have to give this a go.

 

[Wooderson]

Happy New Year from my freezer!!! I hope everyone is keeping cool out there. I had to get the thread back on page 1 of this forum, just in case anyone wandering in here might benefit from this information. Take care everybody,



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Very cool thread Gill! Im sold. Im planning on buying a chest freezer. Then putting everything in it next go around.

 

[City Twin]

One caveat. Might not be so good for seed bud.

 

[Wooderson]

So they don't make Frost Free Chest Freezer. Does it absolutely have to be a "Frost Free" Freezer or will a Manual Frost work?

 

[City Twin]

Not necessary. Just nicer to work with since the warming fan aids the drying. Have done mushies with a small battery powered fan inside the unit. Main thing is raising the temp to just at around freezing so sublimation can occur.

Just as well is a fridge that allows the temp to be dialed down frosty. Our kitchen unit frosts up things on the top shelf at low setting. Again, add a small ( older CPU type ) fan to keep the air moving.

 

[Wooderson]

Not necessary. Just nicer to work with since the warming fan aids the drying. Have done mushies with a small battery powered fan inside the unit. Main thing is raising the temp to just at around freezing so sublimation can occur.

Just as well is a fridge that allows the temp to be dialed down frosty. Our kitchen unit frosts up things on the top shelf at low setting. Again, add a small ( older CPU type ) fan to keep the air moving.

Good points thanks for clearing that up for me.

 

[Wooderson]

So I see that "silica gel" continues to pull moisture below freezing. Years ago we would make a silica gel pack out of coffee filters & tape. It is possible to take wet flowers from the chop put them in a sealed container in the Refrigerator with a silica gel pack and it will dry completely. This leads me to believe it would help to put a pack or to in each box in the Freezer.

 

[Avinash.miles]

gotta try this out....

 

[City Twin]

Hey there Wooderson

Hey there Wooderson

Silica Gel with containers would certainly speed the process. Maybe too fast.

The idea is to keep intracellular water in a wicking balance. Transpiring smoothly from inner cells to outer. When freezer drying with silica on mushrooms,tomatoes, and other water heavy produce, the outer cells can dry up and the insides stay too moist for long term storage.

Might be different with bud and such. With all the opinion and evidence for the desirability of curing, I would think a slower dry would be preferred.
>
Howdy Avinash. Give 'er a go and let us all know.

 

[Wooderson]

Silica Gel with containers would certainly speed the process. Maybe too fast.

The idea is to keep intracellular water in a wicking balance. Transpiring smoothly from inner cells to outer. When freezer drying with silica on mushrooms,tomatoes, and other water heavy produce, the outer cells can dry up and the insides stay too moist for long term storage.

Might be different with bud and such. With all the opinion and evidence for the desirability of curing, I would think a slower dry would be preferred.

Hey City, from what I have seen about using silica gel its most effective at 70 degree, so at freezing I would think it would have a very mild effect. In my experience using silica gel to dry buds completely from chop to smokeable in the refrigerator; it takes at least one complete change out of the gel. So I think the colder the temperature would have a milder effect. I'm going to experiment with it a little....

 

[City Twin]

Hummm

Hummm

from what I have seen about using silica gel its most effective at 70 degree

That does pose a question. Hadn't considered an effective low temp range for gel.

In my experience using silica gel to dry buds completely from chop to smokeable in the refrigerator;

Good to know. That arrangement could be a golden marriage in dry-ability and suitable low temp curing?

Test trials it should be.

 

[Wooderson]

Well im all in on the Freezer Cure Method! Got a 6 cubic FT freezer! It's all going in there!! Will see what happens?

 

[City Twin]

Well Wooderson! That's a pretty big leap.

Did you give a little test first or just decide to go with the flow? Going with high temp at 32 F or decide on a harder freeze?

Come on, spill.

 

[Wooderson]

Well Wooderson! That's a pretty big leap.

Did you give a little test first or just decide to go with the flow? Going with high temp at 32 F or decide on a harder freeze?

Come on, spill.

No test run! It's all going in the freezer, I've been playing with the temp setting, seems like low 20's will be the highest this freezer will go, I'm hoping for the best!!