Malawi Style Cob Curing.

[Maple_Flail]

Definitely will keep everyone posted.

crock pot decided to plateau over night at 43*c, I ment to only give it 12 hrs, but it got just over 13 kuz reasons.

the ambient is a little lower 23*-24* under the heater so i'm likely going to go 10 days.

both cheese cloth and parchment were damp after the sweat so i moved on. I'll bo doing another larger cob tonight. I'm aiming for the 2oz range before compressing to have a nice chunk

 

[bugman52]

ive tried 2 times to do a cob , the first time i think the weed was too dry, the secont time it sweated a little , im gona try again ,i think ill get it right next time

 

[Tangwena]

Definitely will keep everyone posted.

crock pot decided to plateau over night at 43*c, I ment to only give it 12 hrs, but it got just over 13 kuz reasons.

the ambient is a little lower 23*-24* under the heater so i'm likely going to go 10 days.

both cheese cloth and parchment were damp after the sweat so i moved on. I'll bo doing another larger cob tonight. I'm aiming for the 2oz range before compressing to have a nice chunk

That big pic I posted of your cob looks spot on I think you have the knack alright. Keeping it sealed and warm as you are doing should get a good cure if everything goes well it will be sticky and terpy.
Managing my cellar of cobs going back to 2017 is one of my passions.
Just like bottles of wine they need opening drying or airing to manage the moisture levels.
You will find each cure will be different and how you manage the aging after a good cure is the secret to perfect cures.
Follow your nose, eyes and sense of touch. But best of all follow the high its quite scary how they change.

 

[Tangwena]

ive tried 2 times to do a cob , the first time i think the weed was too dry, the secont time it sweated a little , im gona try again ,i think ill get it right next time

Try again for sure once you get it right it will get you hooked and its so much fun getting blown away by the results of all your own work its very empowering.

 

[grayeyes]

Chewing cob sounds so exotic. I once put a cured bud of SSH in a hot cup of tea and was high for 4-6 hours. Apparently the hot liquid released the THC. I can only imagine what cob material would do in hot tea. Can't wait to try it.

 

[JoeGrows420]

Looking good my friend depending on how wet it is when you open it will dictate how much you need to dry it.
The smells right now will not be too intense the real pong comes in the coming weeks.
The process will have been started by the sweating now you need to regulate the moisture content of the cob.
Dry the outside to the touch how long this takes depends how wet it is, better a little too dry than too wet for the next stage.
Your custom made temp control should enable you to get a top drawer cure.
Fingers crossed here for a stellar result its all looking great from here.

As for making it last I urge you to stop smoking and start chewing cob. Half a gram chewed lasts all day long and makes an ounce last forever.
I regularly use 0.2g thats 5 doses per gram my last harvest was 300g plus dried and cured ha ha. You do the maths its about 4 years worth at the rate I use it.
AND I'm high as a kite all day everyday.

I have a theory about smoking that it causes a huge tolerance build up and after 40 years of smoking and not getting the high's I was after.
I can now get as high as I want whenever I want.
But you will need to wean your system off the smoke. Once your tolerance is back to zero you can start to enjoy highs you only dreamed of from cannabis.
It took me about 3 months to loose my tolerance from a lifetime of smoking.
I started chewing 0.75 to 0.50g but as my tolerance adjusted to the chewing from smoking I now only need 0.2 to 0.3 depending on the strain potency any more and I over dose and spend the day drifting in and out of morphia. I prefer to be bouncing off the walls with energy which is what happens when I get it right.

Tang,

I really appreciate all the individual help you've given me on my first cob-making experience!!

After 5 days of sweating, I opened the cob up this morning and dried the exterior with a paper towel. I then placed it in my drying tent which maintains an environment of 15.5° C at 60% RH.

I did all this before leaving for work today and am hoping the 12 hour drying duration won't be too much. The cob was quite wet when I opened it, so hopefully it'll be okay.

I know you said not to expect much as far as smells go at this stage, but buddy I'll tell ya!! Smells have marginally gotten better already, so I know I'm in for a treat

I do have another question; if I get home and find my cob suitably dry and ready for the curing stage, should I reseal it and put it back in my temp controlled incubator, or just reseal it and toss it in a drawer, per say?

Thank you so much for your theory on smoking tolerance. I feel like I've hit a wall the past couple years, all the highs being flat/unexciting.
I am now cutting Afghani genetics out of my grows (just recently started an Ace Malawi and Zamadelica) and definitely plan on giving your cob-chewing regiment a go!

I'll post cob pics when I get back home

Joe

 

[Tangwena]

Tang,

I really appreciate all the individual help you've given me on my first cob-making experience!!

After 5 days of sweating, I opened the cob up this morning and dried the exterior with a paper towel. I then placed it in my drying tent which maintains an environment of 15.5° C at 60% RH.

I did all this before leaving for work today and am hoping the 12 hour drying duration won't be too much. The cob was quite wet when I opened it, so hopefully it'll be okay.

I know you said not to expect much as far as smells go at this stage, but buddy I'll tell ya!! Smells have marginally gotten better already, so I know I'm in for a treat

I do have another question; if I get home and find my cob suitably dry and ready for the curing stage, should I reseal it and put it back in my temp controlled incubator, or just reseal it and toss it in a drawer, per say?

Thank you so much for your theory on smoking tolerance. I feel like I've hit a wall the past couple years, all the highs being flat/unexciting.
I am now cutting Afghani genetics out of my grows (just recently started an Ace Malawi and Zamadelica) and definitely plan on giving your cob-chewing regiment a go!

I'll post cob pics when I get back home

Joe

Hi my friend all is good but be aware that wet compressed buds can get mold if allowed to be exposed to the air for too long.
Yes once it is resealed you should keep it warm in the incubator unless your ambient temp is around 30c.
Indicas have always been used for hash, sativas are far better for cobbing as you get a greater range of effects.
IMO hybrids of the two cause the high to get jumbled up and tend to get boring and flat at least to my mind.
Soaring energetic euphoric highs are what I like and good sativas have it, every strain has something special to offer none are the same.
Cure a dozen good sativa strains and you will have a dozen different effects my stash has a high for any occasion I cant live without it.

 

[Tangwena]

Chewing cob sounds so exotic. I once put a cured bud of SSH in a hot cup of tea and was high for 4-6 hours. Apparently the hot liquid released the THC. I can only imagine what cob material would do in hot tea. Can't wait to try it.

There is no end to how you can play with good cobbed buds my friend.
If i'm after a quick short trip 3 or 4 hours I chew the piece until it is just dust with no flavor then spit out the remains. I get a cerebral rush of a high that fades away after a few hours to nothing.
If I swallow the chewed wad of powder or put it into a cup of tea after chewing it I get a deep long lasting stoned high that lasts 6 to 8 hours.
I love spitting the chewed wad of cob into a cup of tea to swallow the remains but its just as easy to wash your mouth with water and swallow it that way.
By changing the way you consume it along with the amount you chew you can get a range of effects and durations.
One word of caution its easy to have too much once your tolerance is adjusted to the effects so less is more.

 

[funkyhorse]

Good Evening Tangwena
This is the last batch of naturally fermented banana bark bricks outdoor
And these ones are the biggest I made so far, I guess practice helps with confidence in the technic
This is Congo 2 42grs, you can clearly see the bark wet through the scotch tape. It is an indicator it is done

Congo 3 cob, 82 grams of fresh material

THH21 and Congo 2 above. Congo 3 below for comparison. After a couple of days drying will see what kind of changes might occur at colouring of the cobs

THH21 with 45 grams of fresh material is more compact and came out heavier than the other 2 cobs. Over 80% humidity at the moment, I need the sorounding humidity to get below 70% in order to get the outer of the bricks dry for longer cure, so they will stay drying as long as needed

The window weather for naturally fermenting at my place is over. I will try now on the yoghurt maker, hopefully I will get better results than previously after this experience. I feel it needs to go the opposite way of the natural fermentation and let it dry enough to the point of bud leaves dry to the touch but stems must still be flexible. I feel the bud must go through a pendulum of effects and states in order to get the best fermentation possible.
So this week when I get the resinous leaves of lower buds from the first female Seedsman Haze MadMac repro dry to the touch, I will try my luck with the banana bark and the yoghourt maker. The smell of this Seedsman Haze is simply amazing, the best organoleptic properties of all the plants I had so far. Spicy smells, this is like ganja should smell. I will give this brick a 6 hour treat at the yoghourt maker unless you indicate/suggest more hours hoping to retain some of this incredible fragance and get a decent fermentation at the same time.
Happy Sunday everyone

 

[Tangwena]

Brother that cure is spot on i can find no fault in my eyes. What you are proposing to do is exactly what I would think to do we are on the same wavelength.
With the yogurt maker you are doing exactly what I would do easy and slow with those Haze buds they are delicate and as you say the smell is good to retain if possible.
Try a few different combinations of moisture and sweating times use your intellect you already have an idea from past experience what you are after the smell will guide you to your goal.
You have something invaluable in your quest, past knowledge of what you want it to be like. You can only get that from your past experience.
The drying and aging is the cherry on top of the cake my friend and something tells me you will find that as well you have the gift for sure.
I am loving seeing your posts its the next best thing to doing it myself you are doing great work making works of canna art, more power to you brother.
When i lived in Zimbabwe we used to score cobs that looked just like yours from Mtoko on the border with Mozambique it was very stringy and aromatic super tasty and very very smooth to smoke.
i would say the product was dried and aged from the stage you are at now as it was dry enough to smoke but that exact same texture and look.
I still remember sucking on the unlit joint for ages it tasted that good unlit.
I wish I lived near you my friend we would have a lot to talk about I'm sure.

 

[JoeGrows420]

Hi my friend all is good but be aware that wet compressed buds can get mold if allowed to be exposed to the air for too long.
Yes once it is resealed you should keep it warm in the incubator unless your ambient temp is around 30c.
Indicas have always been used for hash, sativas are far better for cobbing as you get a greater range of effects.
IMO hybrids of the two cause the high to get jumbled up and tend to get boring and flat at least to my mind.
Soaring energetic euphoric highs are what I like and good sativas have it, every strain has something special to offer none are the same.
Cure a dozen good sativa strains and you will have a dozen different effects my stash has a high for any occasion I cant live without it.

I yearn to one day have a bank of cobs like you do brother

Here's my cob after 12 hours of drying:

​
Here's the same cob again, prior to the initial sweat:

​

I was worried I over dried it, but upon cracking it in half I found it suitably moist enough to carry out the cure.
No mold, so I definitely got lucky!
Back in the incubator it goes for another 5 days!

I'm having a blast being part of this thread!

Also, well done Funkyhorse, your cob looks amazing!

Joe

 

[Tangwena]

I yearn to one day have a bank of cobs like you do brother

Here's my cob after 12 hours of drying:

​
Here's the same cob again, prior to the initial sweat:

​

I was worried I over dried it, but upon cracking it in half I found it suitably moist enough to carry out the cure.
No mold, so I definitely got lucky!
Back in the incubator it goes for another 5 days!

I'm having a blast being part of this thread!

Also, well done Funkyhorse, your cob looks amazing!

Joe

Cool my friend sorry if I alarmed you but it can and does happen. I have had a few friends over the years that have had bad luck leaving them out for too long and I didn't want that to happen to you.
You should be good now but its something to be wary of next time. a little dry is fine at this stage and can make for some electric cures one day when I have more buds I will do an experiment with drier buds.
They usually take a lot longer to cure but you can get some very nice golden cures that way.

 

[JoeGrows420]

Cool my friend sorry if I alarmed you but it can and does happen. I have had a few friends over the years that have had bad luck leaving them out for too long and I didn't want that to happen to you.
You should be good now but its something to be wary of next time. a little dry is fine at this stage and can make for some electric cures one day when I have more buds I will do an experiment with drier buds.
They usually take a lot longer to cure but you can get some very nice golden cures that way.

No worries at all my friend, it's constructive criticism like that which helps most, especially for the long run!
Next time I'll do the drying process on an off-day of work so I can keep a close eye on it.

I am already looking forward to all the cobs ill make in the future, particularly Vietnamese Black and Vietnamese Laughing Grass.

It is quite exciting to think I'll experience those special strains in a way that possibly no one else has experienced before!

To say that all this cobbing business has increased my love for growing would be an understatement! I may not have tried my first cob yet, but I believe in the process so much after going through this whole thread that I believe it all to be true.

Joe

 

[Guest]

what breeder, is that snowhigh gear?

 

[JoeGrows420]

what breeder, is that snowhigh gear?

Yes indeed!
I recently snagged a small collection!

 

[funkyhorse]

Nice collection there Joe!
Now that I succeeded to solve the vacuum problem, method seems to work smothlessly
This is a 10 hour fermentation on the yoghourt maker of Seedman Hz MadMac repro, fem 1 and in the picture is after 24 hours drying and ready to be sealed again for long term cure. Banana bark is simply amazing

The fermenting smell coming out from the brick made in the yoghourt maker is different from the smell of the brick done with the natural method fermenting, so I think a distinction must be made between both methods and should be called hot or cold fermentation
Results are the same with both methods?

 

[Tangwena]

Nice collection there Joe!
Now that I succeeded to solve the vacuum problem, method seems to work smothlessly
This is a 10 hour fermentation on the yoghourt maker of Seedman Hz MadMac repro, fem 1 and in the picture is after 24 hours drying and ready to be sealed again for long term cure. Banana bark is simply amazing

The fermenting smell coming out from the brick made in the yoghourt maker is different from the smell of the brick done with the natural method fermenting, so I think a distinction must be made between both methods and should be called hot or cold fermentation
Results are the same with both methods?

Very interesting observation it will be interesting to hear your verdict on the cured and aged cobs.
At first years ago i used to do them without heat the natural way and still do, but without the banana bark so there is a difference I'm sure.
My next grow will be African weed so I will do a side by side Banana bark and Maize husk with and without heat. Now you have got me keen to grow more pot ha ha.
I like the results you are getting my friend. I wouldn't be surprised if the banana bark is special aid to the cold curing, thanks so much for sharing your observations.
Its moments like these that I live for brother thats another brick in the wall.

 

[BigBlack]

Dear Tangwena: I'm reading this entire thread. I'm convinced to do this cob cure on some Sinai and Lebanese soon to chop. Thank you so much for the information. This question may be answered somewhere already, but 300 is alot of pages to read the whole thread ... have you ever tried to extract the cob cured gear with solvent like alcohol or butane? for medical purposes, alot use medibles and first extract the buds. but i wonder if you've ever extracted the cob cured buds? thank you in advance!

 

[Tangwena]

Dear Tangwena: I'm reading this entire thread. I'm convinced to do this cob cure on some Sinai and Lebanese soon to chop. Thank you so much for the information. This question may be answered somewhere already, but 300 is alot of pages to read the whole thread ... have you ever tried to extract the cob cured gear with solvent like alcohol or butane? for medical purposes, alot use medibles and first extract the buds. but i wonder if you've ever extracted the cob cured buds? thank you in advance!

Hi my friend absolutely yes for many years while I lived in Africa and more recently when I starting making cobs in my new country of residence 35 years ago.
The oil made with any solvent of your choice, from cobs is superlative and another level of high altogether.
Of course I'm talking about sativa cobs I have no experience with Indicas.

It was my go too medicine for a couple of years, some badly purged oil smeared on a cigarette paper sprinkled with ground up cob rolled up like a Swiss roll.
It was guaranteed to put you on another planet for 4 or 5 hours and was very addictive. I had a bad habit and only kicked it when I got to England and could only find blocks of hashish, buds being hard to find there for me at least, in the late 70's.
The hash oil was very narcotic and made me sleepy compared to the Malawi cob oil which was like crystal meth ha ha.
The high from a well cured cob is different from the high from the same buds just jar cured.
The high from strong sativa buds cob cured and aged is very unique.
So it follows as you would expect that a good solvent extraction will also have a unique high.
I usually get a 4.5 to 5/1 extraction ratio by weight 5 ounces of cob to 1 oz of oil.
The oil and or buds do not need to be decarbed before or after extraction they are just fine as they are.
I hope that helps and best of luck in your endeavour.

 

[Tangwena]

Some pics of a little Malawi Gold plant grown by a friend another 7 or 8 weeks should see the buds filled out nicely.