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

[jus'plain'gill]

guys, the fridge portion of your frost free fridge is dry as fuck too!

when doing the perfect cure method I use the fridge to burp jars. RH in there is very, very low.

The temperature has to be below freezing for sublimation to occur, this is very important, and the fridge portion of your freezer isn't cold enough (shouldn't be at least). You're not necessarily looking for a "dry" environment, you're looking for airtight, below 32f, and darkness.

I'm not sure how you would use the warmer fridge area to cure pot. At 38-40f, the stuff on the fridge side of my freezer/fridge tends to mold or spoil over time. That would be a major concern for me, especially with dense buds. And speaking of mold and dense buds, I believe curing at below freezing temps in 100% darkness gives a greater advantage over mold growth compared to curing at room temp which may be a problem for some growers, especially when it costs $$$ to keep your home cool this time of year.

have been using simons method for the last year with great success but after reading this thread i tried a few tops from my last harvest & it worked great ... better in fact i think . the smell was better , more intense . the flavors were better & a much smoother smoke . this after 21 days in the freezer untouched , brought out thawed & put directly into glass jars then not touched again for 2 days . for a total of 25 days before smoked from harvest . will be using this method from now on .... thanx Gill for showing this to us .

Awesome, sounds like the process works very similarly for us both

i have been doing this for years

i freeze them as soon as the stem snaps and the buds are still sticky , this is after 10-12/14 days here(with all the leaves on)



i remove the leaves prior to freezing

when they come out of the freezer after months they are real tasty and after a few days in a jar they are nice and smelly


i never put them in the freezer in jars, i use small baggies to have nice and fresh bud all year long

curing in glass jars is real nice but in the very long run jars will become a bit stale compared to frozen pot

since 2010 i dry with the leaves on cuz i think this gives the best taste after 14 days

what i am gonna try next is combining simon's method with freezing

first i wanna cure for 2 , max 3 weeks and then when the stem snaps i'll freeze it

i love simon's method but not in the long run , but in the first few weeks i reall notice a taste and effect imrpovement , i wanna try to keep the pot at that point

Excellent man, this is the kind of feedback I've been looking for. Sounds like you're sold on the process but still looking to improve upon it. I'm not sure why, but I'm tempted to go about it like I normally do only up to the point of taking the buds out of the freezer. I would typically remove them when they're the right consistency (kinda spongey with a touch of crisp), however next time I want to leave some in there to get drier, much much drier. I wanna see what a super long cure/dry would turn out like. Instead of jarring them up after 3-4 weeks in the freezer, I'm thinking of leaving some for 2-4 months. I would prob have to rehydrate a bit but it'd be an experiment so no biggie.

I know freeze drying is the best option I've come across but I also know that there is room for improvement. Please, THC123, share any other knowledge you've picked up in the years you've been doing this and keep experimenting and sharing your results.

Thanks for the input everybody,



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[THC123]

well after reading this a bit more sober i saw that i actually do not freeze dry


i just dry and then freeze for storage(and during this frozen storage it is packed in its own smell and the smell and taste become more intense)

but i never put bud in the freezer without protection and i never freeze them too dry


i still think a short cure brings out the best

i always feel there is a short window of about 2-3 weeks in jars where the product is at its peak , afterwards after opening it many times the taste aroma and effects change or even when sitting closed for many months


and thats my problem with glass jars


so my ideal nug would be cured till i like it(with simon's method) and then frozen


and thats what i wanna try next see if it still smokes/vapes the same cuz at this point they will be slightly more wet then when i used to freeze


time will tell i am gonna try it with a few branches of a lowryder 2 plant

 

[City Twin]

I’ve always freezer dried mushrooms, peppers and herbs without a container. Think I’ll pick some basil or something and try a breathable vegetable bag. Like leaf lettuce comes in. If it works out I’ll see about those “Vegi Fresh”, or whatever they’re called, available at many markets and department stores.

 

[dubwise]

I tried this method with a few popcorn buds last month in sterilized baby food jars. It worked very well. Left 'em in for two weeks. I am going to try again with bigger buds. Thanks!

 

[jus'plain'gill]

I tried this method with a few popcorn buds last month in sterilized baby food jars. It worked very well. Left 'em in for two weeks. I am going to try again with bigger buds. Thanks!

You'll be just as pleased, or even more so, with larger buds and the tops of your plants dried and cured with this method. Good luck and report back with your results!



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[TripleDraw27]

Doing this mid week.

I am seeing chop > straight to freezer right?
Earlier on in thread, I thought hanging for a few days then freezer was the way to go?
Which one of those two you recommend?

Thanks dudes

edit- nvm, re read thread pre-vape. I am hanging for 5 days, then in the Durban's go.

great info JPG

 

[DrCaligari]

just bought a chest freezer from lowes for 150 bucks. chopped the girls two days ago. eager to toss them into the freezer :::excited:::

big up .jpg if this works right.

drcaligari

 

[BillChillson]

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

Ive got a bud that stores all his weed in the freezer. It seems to hold on to the condensation and takes a little while in an open jar to get the the dryness that I usually look for in some nuggets.

 

[jus'plain'gill]

Doing this mid week.

I am seeing chop > straight to freezer right?
Earlier on in thread, I thought hanging for a few days then freezer was the way to go?
Which one of those two you recommend?

Thanks dudes

edit- nvm, re read thread pre-vape. I am hanging for 5 days, then in the Durban's go.

great info JPG

just bought a chest freezer from lowes for 150 bucks. chopped the girls two days ago. eager to toss them into the freezer :::excited:::

big up .jpg if this works right.

drcaligari

How'd it turn out guys?

This thread is over one year old and I'm still holding on to the last little bit of stash that was cured in the freezer and pulled and jarred early in the Spring. It is awesome, Kali Mist just getting smoother and a better high the whole time. After this past year to stew and smoke on it, I can't imagine curing my harvests any other way (if and when I am up and running again)




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[thinkin]

freezing affecting retention of taste?

freezing affecting retention of taste?

kinda of a follow up post,
I have been exclusively doing the freezer cure.

Love the low maintenance
and taste directly out of freezer is awesome.

BUT..
wonder if it just me,

after an (few) hour(s) the bud seems to LOSE TASTE once exposured to room temperatures relative to standard jarred buds.

DID the freezing (ice expanded and broke cells) damage the buds enough to affect the taste?


solution: bud from freezer goes directly in bowl.

 

[jus'plain'gill]

kinda of a follow up post,
I have been exclusively doing the freezer cure.

Love the low maintenance
and taste directly out of freezer is awesome.

BUT..
wonder if it just me,

after an (few) hour(s) the bud seems to LOSE TASTE once exposured to room temperatures relative to standard jarred buds.

DID the freezing (ice expanded and broke cells) damage the buds enough to affect the taste?


solution: bud from freezer goes directly in bowl.

Hmmm, that's interesting. I haven't experienced anything like that. Actually, I recall the buds having very little smell as they came out of the freezer but after a day of being jarred up they became pungent again. After having these same buds in jars for the last 6-9 months, there is still an awesome aroma coming off the Kali Mist. Taste is good too. There shouldn't be enough moisture in your buds to damage the trichomes at the point they enter the freezer. Upon removal from the freezer, the trichomes appear undamaged under magnification

What are the other specs of your growing, drying, and freezer curing? Is it possible the moisture content in your buds was too high when they went into the freezer? I'm glad you use the freezer method but I think we can get it dialed in even better!



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[guest 77721]

I'm going to give it a try. My last harvest was dried in the garage in early spring using drying box with a fan. It took alot longer than drying in the house because of the higher humidity and lower temps.

This method makes sense. Any freezer is a low humidity chamber because most of the moisture condenses and forms ice and frost on the cooling coils. A frost free freezer has a heating element that heats the cooling element to melt the ice buildup and the water drains away.

I've just stuck a temp/humidity meter in my freezer to see what it looks like.

 

[guest 77721]

I did a little research on dry curing and found a few interesting tidbit's. When making dry-cured sausage like salami, it is put in a curing chamber with temps between 55 and 65 F and rH between 55 and 65%. The intention is to dry the sausage so the moisture will pass from the inside to the outside. If the outside gets to dry, it seals in the moisture and the meat will spoil. If the rH is too high, it takes too long to dry and the meat will spoil.

We are doing a similar process. When the buds are hung to dry, there's a point that the outside gets too dry and the buds get moved to a paper bag to slow down the drying process. When you jar them, the buds are dryer and can tolerate a slower drying rate with an rH closer to the material.

When the buds sweat, it means the drying rate is too slow or the rH is too close to the material.

There are plans for making a curing chamber out of a fridge. The fridge is cleaned out and the space between the freezer and fridge is chopped out. A temperature controller is used to switch the fridge on and off at 60F and a humidifier is placed inside and set to 60% humidity.

 

[TripleDraw27]

kinda of a follow up post,
I have been exclusively doing the freezer cure.

Love the low maintenance
and taste directly out of freezer is awesome.

BUT..
wonder if it just me,

after an (few) hour(s) the bud seems to LOSE TASTE once exposured to room temperatures relative to standard jarred buds.

DID the freezing (ice expanded and broke cells) damage the buds enough to affect the taste?


solution: bud from freezer goes directly in bowl.

Once you took them out of freezer, did you burp them?

This, as well is a follow up.

Hung for 4 days after cutting.

After 4th day, trimmed off the big leaves and put directly into the freezer for 20 days.

After I took them out, I then went to Simons method, where I put them in jars with a Hygronometers, till I was satisified, only needed the his method for a week. Cause I was worried about a " thaw" or whatever.

My result is outstanding
And the aroma is actually stronger now in my Jars. I just made sure to keep the jar enviroment proper as well till it was ready for a long dark cure

What I liked was, the very low maintenence, the error on my part has caused " hay" in the past. This was a cool process for me. I think its a good stepping stone.

 

[TripleDraw27]

Hmmm, that's interesting. I haven't experienced anything like that. Actually, I recall the buds having very little smell as they came out of the freezer but after a day of being jarred up they became pungent again.
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This exact thing for me as well.

 

[jus'plain'gill]

I did a little research on dry curing and found a few interesting tidbit's. When making dry-cured sausage like salami, it is put in a curing chamber with temps between 55 and 65 F and rH between 55 and 65%. The intention is to dry the sausage so the moisture will pass from the inside to the outside. If the outside gets to dry, it seals in the moisture and the meat will spoil. If the rH is too high, it takes too long to dry and the meat will spoil.

We are doing a similar process. When the buds are hung to dry, there's a point that the outside gets too dry and the buds get moved to a paper bag to slow down the drying process. When you jar them, the buds are dryer and can tolerate a slower drying rate with an rH closer to the material.

When the buds sweat, it means the drying rate is too slow or the rH is too close to the material.

There are plans for making a curing chamber out of a fridge. The fridge is cleaned out and the space between the freezer and fridge is chopped out. A temperature controller is used to switch the fridge on and off at 60F and a humidifier is placed inside and set to 60% humidity.

I love some thinly sliced salami!! Very interesting idea with the "curing chamber", I like the idea of set it and forget it. The thing that stands out to me is that a "curing chamber" would maintain temps well above freezing where, in a freezer cure, you need sub-freezing temps for sublimation to take place. I see where the "curing chamber" would be awesome for some situations but it is sorta contradictory to why freezer curing works so well for me. Freezer curing works so well for me because: a) it is seriously stealthy b) it preserves the cannabinoids better than any other method available to me c) there is no odor and I attribute that in part to low temps d) it doesn't require any extra space or power usage e) the freezer is already sitting in my kitchen!

After I took them out, I then went to Simons method, where I put them in jars with a Hygronometers, till I was satisified, only needed the his method for a week. Cause I was worried about a " thaw" or whatever.

My result is outstanding
And the aroma is actually stronger now in my Jars. I just made sure to keep the jar enviroment proper as well till it was ready for a long dark cure

What I liked was, the very low maintenence, the error on my part has caused " hay" in the past. This was a cool process for me. I think its a good stepping stone.

Exactly! I use hygrometers after they come out of the freezer to make sure the moisture content is just right, usually takes just a couple days until they're ready to be sealed for long term storage.

I don't necessarily believe freezer curing is the ultimate way to do it but I have found that it is the way that works the absolute best for my current situation. I see it as a stepping stone as well. Until the laws change to allow me to grow in my backyard, during the summer, enough marijuana to last me the year... all my growing is just stepping stones



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[TripleDraw27]

Hell yea dude

Thanks for showing me this

 

[eloquentsoution]

having just read the first post and none of what is in between, let me tell you of a bad winter where i lost power to my garden and froze both veg and bloom rooms to crispy in my perpetual grow. i cried while my patient and i put propane heat to them and restore the light. the loss....about 1/3 to 1/2.

but something really interesting happened. the two girls closest to harvest had wonderful aroma and flavor, with kick ass head! (i cannot confirm as i no longer feel euphoria with cannabis.)

with that said, perhaps there is founding to this information. yes?

 

[thinkin]

freezer cure

freezer cure

Still not sure if i am making a mountain out of mole hill.
Or just spoiled with initial awesome taste.

Jus'Plain'Gill-

specs- this batch went into the freezer before stem snap. 2 days instead on normal 4. (visitors)

open cantainer in freezer till bud smoked well which took awhile cause it was so wet. +6 weeks Then, closed the jar.


Tripledraw

burping- no. i left the buds on the frisbee for an hour or two.
seem to have lost a significant amount of taste.

-I'll jar a bunch and leave out of freezer. see if taste is retained.


i'll report back in a few days

 

[jus'plain'gill]

Hell yea dude

Thanks for showing me this

You're welcome my brother

having just read the first post and none of what is in between, let me tell you of a bad winter where i lost power to my garden and froze both veg and bloom rooms to crispy in my perpetual grow. i cried while my patient and i put propane heat to them and restore the light. the loss....about 1/3 to 1/2.

but something really interesting happened. the two girls closest to harvest had wonderful aroma and flavor, with kick ass head! (i cannot confirm as i no longer feel euphoria with cannabis.)

with that said, perhaps there is founding to this information. yes?

Awesome (and crappy) story! Very interesting results and I do believe it. I left some lower buds on a Kali Mist and let them go and go and go... Probably finally cut them at 16-18 weeks, no water or light for the last 4-5 weeks, crazy buzz from those few bowls worth. There is most definitely something to the freeze curing, you jut achieved it in a non-conventional way

Still not sure if i am making a mountain out of mole hill.
Or just spoiled with initial awesome taste.

Jus'Plain'Gill-

specs- this batch went into the freezer before stem snap. 2 days instead on normal 4. (visitors)

open cantainer in freezer till bud smoked well which took awhile cause it was so wet. +6 weeks Then, closed the jar.


Tripledraw

burping- no. i left the buds on the frisbee for an hour or two.
seem to have lost a significant amount of taste.

-I'll jar a bunch and leave out of freezer. see if taste is retained.


i'll report back in a few days

Me personally, I would let my buds dry until the stems snap a little. You said you put them in after 2 days instead of your normal 4, that could be one issue. Also, do I understand that you store your buds in the freezer as well? I don't believe there is anything wrong with this but it will, with no doubt, decrease the aroma of your pot at that moment. Terpenes (a major source for the odors of marijuana) are much more active/pungent as the temperatures rise while the opposite is true for cold temps, this is why a warm grow room is stinky whereas frozen buds lack much of a smell. Feel me?

I love the feedback, you guys rock, keep it coming!



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