Malawi Style Cob Curing.

[Tangwena]

7 days

7 days

This bud is 7 days since it was cut. 5 days curing, now it just needs aging. Its fine now but in 2 or 3 months aging time it will be very strong. Even now its the sort of weed you take with a friend, and then take the piss out of him as he struggles to keep it together ha ha.
Smells like pine disinfectant and comes in huge waves each one bigger than the last, each overpowering you. Its no use if you cant let go, it doesn't matter it will take you anyway.

I wish you could smell it, its enough to get you off on its own.
Tangwena

 

[rod58]

^^ hahaha , i think you and i should catch up sometime and then you can pull the piss out of me ......

 

[Thule]

Allright, let's go through this one more time so I don't mess up anything

I'll dry the buds for only two days or so, to retain enough moisture. (I'm still working on this, what is enough?) I then place the buds in a warm place (32c is the best I can do) loosely wrapped in a plastic bag. This is when I should see sweating. I haven't seen any water condensing on the bags on my previous attempts although the buds were still moist. Is this a problem? After one or two days of sweating like this I will tightly wrap the sweaty buds with something air tight and place them back in the warm for a week or two.

This is what I've done with the small test buds so far, I'm going to try cobbing a small Nepalese main cola next and I'd love to get it to sweat properly.

 

[KiefRichards]

Is it Finland outdoor Nepal,Thule?

 

[Tangwena]

Allright, let's go through this one more time so I don't mess up anything

I'll dry the buds for only two days or so, to retain enough moisture. (I'm still working on this, what is enough?) I then place the buds in a warm place (32c is the best I can do) loosely wrapped in a plastic bag. This is when I should see sweating. I haven't seen any water condensing on the bags on my previous attempts although the buds were still moist. Is this a problem? After one or two days of sweating like this I will tightly wrap the sweaty buds with something air tight and place them back in the warm for a week or two.

This is what I've done with the small test buds so far, I'm going to try cobbing a small Nepalese main cola next and I'd love to get it to sweat properly.

Hi my friend have you got a propagation/clone box, or electric blanket for a bed, heat mat fot the plants, all these things are good to induce sweating if its not warm enough anywhere else. If the temps are cooler like 32c dry the buds for longer say 5 or 7 days and sweat/cure them for longer say 2 or 3 weeks at 32c. If you are not using a vacuum bag inspect them regulaly for mold or it may set in.
Tangwena

 

[ReikoX]

Do you sweat the buds then make the cob, or do you make the cob and sweat that before vacuuming?

 

[Tangwena]

Do you sweat the buds then make the cob, or do you make the cob and sweat that before vacuuming?

Hi my friend you can do either it depends what you want in the end product. If the buds are only dried for 2 or 3 days they have enough moisture already. If I dry the buds more till they are JUST smokeable I sweat the cobs to get fermentation started.
The cure in the vac bag can be done either hot or warm, the hotter the shorter time is needed. You can tell by the smell if its going well it should smell sweet.
Once you get it to a stage that you like from experience stop the sweating and dry the cob untill its dry on the outside but slightly moist inside in the centre. Then vacuum seal it again to age.
You cant go wrong and spoil the buds its just how you prefer the cob to be in the end.
To get a hard hash like cob dry the buds for between 3 and 5 days.
3 days for sativa airy buds 5 days for more solid buds. Then bind them up tight in the cob and vacuum seal it. Then leave it in a warm/hot place for 2 or 3 weeks.
Open it up after 2 weeks and see if its what you like if not reseal and vacuum for another week or two.
Or you can cut it in half and dry one and seal the other so you can compare the results.
Please note when first dried and smoked they tend to be very narcotic but after 2 or 3 weeks they loose the stone and start getting trippy. By 3 months aging they will be totaly awesome.
Tangwena

 

[Thule]

Hi my friend have you got a propagation/clone box, or electric blanket for a bed, heat mat fot the plants, all these things are good to induce sweating if its not warm enough anywhere else. If the temps are cooler like 32c dry the buds for longer say 5 or 7 days and sweat/cure them for longer say 2 or 3 weeks at 32c. If you are not using a vacuum bag inspect them regulaly for mold or it may set in.
Tangwena

No, nothing of the sorts. The radiators start going hot in the winter but at the moment the hottest place must be on top of the fluoro, so that's where the cobs went.

@ KIefRichards, not exactly. I have some Nepal x Peru buds in the early tester but the next one is an Annapurna Nepalese I have crossed with my outdoor stuff, high cbd and very mild.

 

[Thule]

Hehe, I just though of using bergenia, or mountain ginseng leaves (and foil) to wrap the cobs. We don't get too much banana leaves or corn husks but we have plenty of these aromatic leaves fermenting so I think that might work

 

[Swamp Thang]

Due to the extreme humidity in my neck of the woods, I tried wrapping my experimental cobs with sheets of plain printer paper, rather than corn husks, so as to keep down the moisture levels as a mold preventative.

So I wound up rolling what looked like King Kong sized joints, tightly compressed in sticks about as thick around as a corn cob, which were then sweated as per the Tang Procedure, before being vacuum sealed for the cure over a few weeks.

The result was the sweet smelling, uncannily potent Malawi-style cob I was hoping to see, and can now improve with further trials using the modest harvest of Sativa buds I just pulled down and dried.

So, my trial and error bumbling does suggest that in a pinch, sheets of paper can stand in for corn husks, and produce comparable results to get the beginner cob maker into the game of chasing that ultimate, ethereal high all connoisseurs crave.

 

[EvilCartman]

This is the stringy type of cure, it retains the smell of the herb better than the hard cobs. It is well suited to airy sativa type buds.
Very terpy taste and speedy trippy high.
View Image View Image View Image View Image
Tangwena

Have you covered this type of cob in the thread, previously? If so, I must've missed it. I'd like to give this a go with some Thai that'll be coming down in a few days.

How does it differ from making a hard cob? I'm gettin' pretty good at those.

 

[Tangwena]

Have you covered this type of cob in the thread, previously? If so, I must've missed it. I'd like to give this a go with some Thai that'll be coming down in a few days.

How does it differ from making a hard cob? I'm gettin' pretty good at those.

Aha you want to try the next type of cure, this is more hands on than the hard compressed cobs, do not dry the buds too much I would leave them on the plant drying the whole plant or branches until the fan leaves are dry but not the airy buds. 3 or 4 days is enough, place the buds in a plastic bag for 24hrs in a warm/hot place. Then remove them and cob them up but do not over tighten the cobs, still tight but not pulled as tight as you can as with the hard cobs.
The next step the temp is critical it must be over 40c to sweat them properly. Leave the buds in the 40c plus for 48hrs or more.
Check them after 2 days to see if you have the right sweet smell happening, if you smell that sweet smell you can either re seal them for another 48hrs or semi dry the whole thing wrapper and all.
When the wrapper feels dry to the touch, which can happen quite quickly depending on how warm and dry the atmosphere is.
Reseal in a vac bag and leave for a couple of weeks to slow sweat at 40c or more.
For a tight cob you would re bind it here but for the stringy cob you do not.
After about a week open the bag and inspect the buds they should have no or very little green pigment left.
Once you see the color change to what you desire then dry them to a smoke able stage and seal them up to age. They can be smoked at this stage but will be very stoney, aging will loose the stone and get the speedy trippy high you seek.
The thing you are after is to ferment the airy buds until they yellow, then slow sweat them to age them.
Finally drying them before sealing them to age or smoking them.
As sativa buds are relatively quick to cure you need to be hands on with this cure and keep an eye on the buds. If they go past the yellowing stage they will turn darker and get stronger so no big problem, but if you are after the aromatic sweet tasting type of buds you need to be observant and catch them at the right time. This is the most difficult type of effect to get, but well worth the time and effort.
A simpler way is to leave them all loose in a vac bag in 40c and watch the color change, when it gets to what you are after open the bag and partially dry the buds, before either cobbing them or leave them in the vac bag and vacuum them to mature.
The cobbed buds in the maize leaf will taste better but the buds left loose in the vac bag will be just as strong.
There is no set times on this cure only temperature which must be over 40c its just catching the color change at the color you want. The result is amazing in both taste, smell and effect.
Tangwena

 

[Tangwena]

Due to the extreme humidity in my neck of the woods, I tried wrapping my experimental cobs with sheets of plain printer paper, rather than corn husks, so as to keep down the moisture levels as a mold preventative.

So I wound up rolling what looked like King Kong sized joints, tightly compressed in sticks about as thick around as a corn cob, which were then sweated as per the Tang Procedure, before being vacuum sealed for the cure over a few weeks.

The result was the sweet smelling, uncannily potent Malawi-style cob I was hoping to see, and can now improve with further trials using the modest harvest of Sativa buds I just pulled down and dried.

So, my trial and error bumbling does suggest that in a pinch, sheets of paper can stand in for corn husks, and produce comparable results to get the beginner cob maker into the game of chasing that ultimate, ethereal high all connoisseurs crave.

Hi my friend yes any breathable covering, I have used brown paper even muslin type cloth or cheese cloth would work fine. I only use maize because its traditional and I like the taste its not absolutely necessary, its all about the fermentation.
Tangwena

 

[Boss Cocky]

G'Day Tangwena,

I've seen you mention before that the cobs work best with a substantial amount of herb. I'd like to try out the cobs but I'm always growing out my plants as small as possible. Would it work to cut a small piece of husk or some other material to make a mini cob?

 

[Tangwena]

G'Day Tangwena,

I've seen you mention before that the cobs work best with a substantial amount of herb. I'd like to try out the cobs but I'm always growing out my plants as small as possible. Would it work to cut a small piece of husk or some other material to make a mini cob?

Hi man the best way to find out is give it a go, big is better but if it sweats and is cured correctly I see no reason for it not to work. Best of luck my friend.
Tangwena

 

[Boss Cocky]

Hi man the best way to find out is give it a go, big is better but if it sweats and is cured correctly I see no reason for it not to work. Best of luck my friend.
Tangwena

Thanks, mate. I'll give it a go. Definitely won't have enough to fill out a full cob especially as I started blooming these plants 7 weeks ago when temps were still a bit cold, so they are only 2/3rds the size of those grown in the regular season. Hopefully if I keep the proportions similar it will give comparable results.

 

[Dropped Cat]

G'Day Tangwena,

I've seen you mention before that the cobs work best with a substantial amount of herb. I'd like to try out the cobs but I'm always growing out my plants as small as possible. Would it work to cut a small piece of husk or some other material to make a mini cob?

Here is the first cob I did:

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showpost.php?p=7380477&postcount=118

Just under eight grams rolled in the corn husk.

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showpost.php?p=7404002&postcount=124

 

[Thule]

Here is the first cob I did:

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showpost.php?p=7380477&postcount=118

Just under eight grams rolled in the corn husk.

https://www.icmag.com/ic/showpost.php?p=7404002&postcount=124

Mine came out looking pretty much like that one, albeit even smaller so I won't bother taking pictures It works just the same if you do things right..

And if you don't, things can go wrong as Tangwena warned. Two out of five testers turned out to have mold on them, I must have wrapped them too wet and my cobs aren't 100% airtight. Placing them on the lamp worked alright.

I'm yet to test them. What is clear at this point is that this method can make fluffy outdoor buds look very smokable

 

[ChaosCatalunya]

Mine came out looking pretty much like that one, albeit even smaller so I won't bother taking pictures It works just the same if you do things right..

And if you don't, things can go wrong as Tangwena warned. Two out of five testers turned out to have mold on them, I must have wrapped them too wet and my cobs aren't 100% airtight. Placing them on the lamp worked alright.

I'm yet to test them. What is clear at this point is that this method can make fluffy outdoor buds look very smokable

So, do you think that good curing can bring more to a mediocre bud, than it can to the best buds ?

 

[Thule]

So, do you think that good curing can bring more to a mediocre bud, than it can to the best buds ?

No, wouldn't put it like that. But it will make fluffy sativa buds look much better.