Malawi Style Cob Curing.

[Tangwena]

cimry1 the time to make cobs is indeed the same as you would jar cure them at. Once you finish the vac cure you need to dry them, as they sweat in the bag, but no oxygen present stops the mold ( I think). Once you remove them from the vac bag they will be quite wet as they sweat big time in the cure.
It is therefore very important to again air dry them before storage in jars or any other method you like.
Once you remove them from the vac bag they have oxygen and they are wet!, great for mold. But if you have them in a cool, dark,dry place they will dry quickly from the out side (skin) in.
Unless you have them in a damp place they will dry fast, the maize leaf skin will dry first and then the cob inside. If you see the skin dry and crinkly after a day or two all is drying nicely and mould will not happen.
Spacejunks post above is a good example of what it should look like. Practice makes perfect and after a few runs you can tweak the cure to your taste.
This method is perfect for airy buds but dont let them dry out too much before cobbing as we all know they dry quickly.
They should feel sticky when you cob them.
The high is different to what you will be used to, more refined and clear. You will grow to love I am sure, viva la difference!
Tangwena

 

[cimry1]

Thanks a lot for so much information! I am very curious and waiting with anxious for my next harvest to try out this method.

 

[SpaceJunkOG]

Ok I'm back with a 1 month cured smoke report (not NEARLY enough for a proper evaluation considering this strain needs like 6months+ cure but i promised a report so i shall deliver said report!)

the strain i used to try my first Malawi Cob:
SWAZI GOLD #2 pheno (more pure NLD pheno)

^^^^that nug pic was with the flash on, and the bud does not actually look this "sparkly" / resinous in real life - the picture makes it look much higher quality than it really is.


1oz - dried to 65%RH and cured in glass jar for 1 month
1oz - dried to 65%RH, Tangwena Malawi Cob style wrap for 5 or 6 days total then jar cured at 62%RH for 1 month

I will be evaluating the Malawi Cob smoke vs the jar cured smoke.


(my first go at cob curing / what i'm evaluating here)

ODOR: while growing, this had a very strong Mango-carrot odor with a hint of spice, a hint of fennel, a hint of some other bitter herb or fruit, but after properly slow-dried, these smells all gave way to an overwhelming "sweet" smell, but with undertones of all the other spices & smells I mentioned. And then again, as Tangwena said, this sweet smell has been slowly giving way to a "hazey" / sweet smell as the bud continues to cure. Now, 1 month cured, both the jar and the cob smell mostly sweet and hazey. The cob has an additional smell though - one of sweet tea, it smells very similar to a good ACT when it's been brewed overnight, or like the Great White powder, to those who have used it, it's basically like a tea smell, sweet and floral.

HIGH: This has been the most difficult part for me - I smoke around 3 grams of pretty potent hybrids every day and so i have a huge tolerance, and this herb is MUCH lower THC content, i mean i would guess it's below 5% for sure. Landraces are not famed for their potency and this was a rather weak one THC-wise. I had to intentionally smoke less the past few days, then smoke some of this Swazi first-thing in the morning to be able to finally get a good grip of what the high is like. Here goes...
TRADITIONALLY CURED / JAR: well it took me 1 incredibly large, oversized joint to get a *decent* buzz off it, but that's me. It's a great buzz though - so clear headed, so positive, pro-active, motivating, there is just this sense of clarity (i keep coming back to this word) that i can't describe, that you don't get with modern hybrids. Despite the fact it's incredibly low potency, this is amazing herb.
MALAWI COB CURED: you can tell it's the same strain, but there are some definite differences, mainly: the cob is much more potent. One big fat joint and i was properly buzzed (as opposed to "decently buzzed" off the jar cured). HOWEVER: while this high retains that same aspect of clarity, there is an element of paralysis, or couchlock, that comes with it - but it's a more mental couchlock, not a physical one, and this mental couchlock leads down a tunnel to an almost psychedelic place. I would describe the high as very clear, and very introspective, somewhat sedating, but much more trippy and psychedelic. You are inside your head and you don't want to do anything or go anywhere else, just kinda sit and explore your head.
THAT SAID: I feel like I did not completely execute the cob procedure properly. I think there were a few aspects I could have nailed down more accurately, and so take my evaluation with a grain of salt, as this is the first time I've ever done this.

For my tastes: I like the jar cured stuff for daytime as i smoke constantly throughout the day and the cob would just ruin me (actually it just has, as i smoked it first thing after waking up today, and i'm a bit of a marshmellow now). BUT i think the cob would be absolutely ideal for my evening ritual, and i have a feeling it would be a great aphrodisiac too based on its effects, (I'm always on the hunt for good sex strains that the misses likes) so I think I would continue cobbing half my harvest and jarring the other half, for these landraces at least. And in the future I think my experiment would go better starting with a more potent product, this Swazi pheno was really weak to start.

This is all just a 1 month analysis. Be back in another 5 with hopefully a good 6month cure update.

 

[Tangwena]

Wow spacejunk that is a very in depth report. I am glad it made a difference that you could evaluate. Now imagine using primo tripping gear to begin with and thats what your aiming for.

Tangwena

 

[Lacocina]

Great thread Tangwena !


Thanks for the report space junk....

Have some really good Zamaldelica, golden tiger and Panama crosses to try this technique with.

 

[SpaceJunkOG]

Wow spacejunk that is a very in depth report. I am glad it made a difference that you could evaluate. Now imagine using primo tripping gear to begin with and thats what your aiming for.

Tangwena

exaaaaactly. gotta start with a strain that's more conducive to cobbing next time. I think i could've let it sweat another 2 days or so as well and gotten a more profound effect.

learning through experience.

 

[Tangwena]

Hi spacejunk for a first attempt that was very good mate, but I can see your on the right track. Geting a good strain and fine tuning the sweating, is spot on you will get a real deal experience from the cobbing. You can get the result to look like hash and kick your arse.
I have some Malawi cob that knocks you out for 15 to 20 minutes of dreaming but like you are in the dream, it feals real, then you come round and nothing is normal for about 5 hours way too strong.
My Zamaldelica is the same first 15 mins you lie on the floor and get inside your head dreaming and then you wake up on speed its very very strong.
I now want to make GT cobs and of course my new grow of Panama crosses.
Lacocina I wish you every success with those dynamite strains, they are exactly what I would use. You need to start with kick arse high and then it takes you further like oil or butter its more refined. The bud is the raw material you use to make the real deal.
I also like the jar cured as well for a different effect, thats why I do half half. Sometimes you want to be able to function properly ha ha
Tangwena

 

[Lacocina]

Thank you Tangwena,

I liked the Golden Tiger and got lucky with one of them being what I call a red strain pheno that reminds me of a 70's thai. Crossed that with a Bay 11 for a shorter grow time, coming out exceptional, best cross so far has been some Panama x Bay 11

Did some Zamaldelica crosses with Candyland and also the Golden Tiger red pheno that came out with a strain that is in continual flower .. Smells of Vanilla and sweet burnt rubber if that makes any sense.. Started flowering in June and is still going strong with 4' spears.... Aces landrace genetics are a good source for unique differences and trippy outcomes.

 

[ReikoX]

This is very unique and interesting. Since I'm on my first grow now, I plan on doing a traditional cure. In the near future I will give this a go.Thanks for sharing.

 

[HerBnGorE(illa)]

I do not have a vacuum sealer, so what would be a good way to achieve the anaerobic conditions?? I saw it stated that the natives buried their cobs. Could I just grab a 3 gal pot with some soil, sand, or coco and bury the cob inside? Any ideas??

...basically, what kind of things would you try if you didn't have the vacuum sealing technology?

 

[Tangwena]

Hi Herbn you could try wrapping them in clear cling film type plastic, the kind you wrap food in. I know traditionally the villagers used to bury them but the conditions have to be right and I never had success with that method.
But really its worth investing in a vacuum sealer they are cheap enough and good buds are not.
Tangwena

 

[SpaceJunkOG]

This is very unique and interesting. Since I'm on my first grow now, I plan on doing a traditional cure. In the near future I will give this a go.Thanks for sharing.

i think you're smart to do traditional at least the first grow or two, the cob curing kinda requires some knowledge of traditional curing to get it right.

i wouldn't have been able to execute it nearly as well if i didn't have lotsa practice drying & jar curing, in fact i'm pretty sure I would have ruined that ounce of herb. :/

Then again it's all about experimentation and having fun so do whatever you feel!

 

[woolybear]

Just harvested, going to the store to get me a cob! Hopefully they still have em

edit: got me a cob and the leaf things! got me bud at 68%, by tomorrow it should be good to go.

Going to try with about 1/4 oz, so a week at most in the sweat I reckon.

Got a vacuum sealer already

 

[Tangwena]

Hi Wooly a quarter will be way to small try an ounce you cant go wrong if you follow the instructions. I promise its easy and so rewarding. I am flying high on some Zamaldelica cob right now and its awesome getting heaps done ( I think).
Tangwena

 

[woolybear]

Hi Wooly a quarter will be way to small try an ounce you cant go wrong if you follow the instructions. I promise its easy and so rewarding. I am flying high on some Zamaldelica cob right now and its awesome getting heaps done ( I think).
Tangwena

Allrighty I'll try it tomorrow with a more. Let me say though it is a very simple process readers, not hard at all to do.

 

[idiit]

in cigars one facet of properly aged cigar is a white ash.

tangwena, do you notice any difference in ash color of cob cured smoke?

 

[Tangwena]

Hi idiit I cant say I have ever checked I will have to spark one up and check. But I will also need a jar cured bud to compare, not that it matters you can taste and feel the difference which is all i care about.
Back later with your answer.
Tangwena

 

[Tangwena]

Hi idiit I tried the smoke test and by the time I tried the jar cured bud it didn't seem to matter I couldn't tell the difference to be sure. But I lost most of yesterday haha.
Tangwena

 

[woolybear]

i didn't end up using a whole zip, but did run into a pointer:

- if using a cheap commercial home vacuum sealer, seal the cob 2-3 times per all four sides. My first attempt lost its vacuum after 24 hours

- i undid my cob, checked for mold (none), rebound it and revacked. Will go to the drying step in 1-2 days!

 

[woolybear]

just open up he vac sealed cob for the final dry. the cob/weed thing is definitely more fragrant than when i put it in!

i would say the smell has a abit of a cheesy tone, kind of like a white cheddar cheeseits smell. no rot no dusty mold smells.

undid the binding and am putting the cob in the dark for a week or so of drying.