Malawi Style Cob Curing.

[Tangwena]

So... had anyone tried flue curing some ganja? One could hang the whole plant in a kiln and have uncompressed buds.

Anyway, my point here is the plant is kept alive long enough to cannibalize chlorophyll and all that then dried between 145-165 as I understand it. That's the same temperature used to pasteurize substrates for mushrooms. Helps specific bacteria colonize and prevent infection. It makes a smokeable product with tobacco, anyway.

I'm wondering how this extra hot sweat temperature would affect the marijuana. I imagine, at the least it would be ready for aging immediately - or close. Then you could compress it if you'd like. Or it could start compressed. But "tighter cobs ferment faster" and "hotter temps ferment faster."

Since we should be safe from pathogens ( same temperature restaurants keep food) it seems like loose buds should help balance the high temp.

I'm gonna experiment along these lines when I cut the next plant down. I definitely overdried this last one. Obviously, I'm gonna follow the instructions, also. I just wanna know what happens. It would be very comforting from a health standpoint.

Anyone have any thoughts?

I used to buy cobs in Africa that smelt strongly of wood smoke.
In those days I thought it was just where the cobs were hidden from authorities but now I believe they were possibly cured there from what I have read.
I would personally worry about drying too fast if it was a whole plant but wrapped up cob style they would maybe dry slower.
Keep us posted on your experiments there is more than one way to skin a cat as they say.
Lots of pics and close ups would be the icing on the cake.

 

[oldworld]

I used to buy cobs in Africa that smelt strongly of wood smoke.
In those days I thought it was just where the cobs were hidden from authorities but now I believe they were possibly cured there from what I have read.
I would personally worry about drying too fast if it was a whole plant but wrapped up cob style they would maybe dry slower.
Keep us posted on your experiments there is more than one way to skin a cat as they say.
Lots of pics and close ups would be the icing on the cake.

I thought about smoking it as well. Maybe one day I'll have enough to spare for that experiment. A lot of homegrow tobacco guys use a crockpot inside an insulated box to flue cure. It implies only the heat from the fire would reach the curing tobacco (ganja).

Anyway, I'll be cobbing the first attempt. I'm just gonna try an extra high temp sweat, and see how palatable that is compared to the more standard temperature.

 

[Kimes]

I can't find discussion about the benefits of eating cob cannabis and why it is effective without decarboxylation..?

Someone please point me to the right path, I'm lost with this..

 

[Hombre del mont]

I can't find discussion about the benefits of eating cob cannabis and why it is effective without decarboxylation..?

Someone please point me to the right path, I'm lost with this..

Over the course of this thread, that question had been raised several times. I don't recall having read any actual evidence, as to whether it has decarbed or not, But, it works every time!, And the effect is different from edibles made from the same weed that had been decarbed in the conventional Western way.

It's a leap of faith...I remember my first time...but once you've tried it, i'm pretty sure that you'll be doing it more and more.

I'm just about to ingest some original haze.

Edit. The first flavour to fit my mouth was Nutmeg, followed by camphor/mint.

 

[Hammerhead]

Anything high in THCa will convert to THC over time. The oxidation process does this. Any heat along the way also converts and ferments. You do not need a lot of heat. These microbes work best to convert cannabis sugars Brettanomyces, Lactobacillus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Pediococcus.

The fermentation process involves several steps, including inoculation, primary fermentation, secondary fermentation, and aging. The first step is inoculation, where the microorganisms are added to the cannabis product. Inoculation can be done using a starter culture, which contains a high concentration of the desired microorganisms, or by using a spontaneous fermentation method, where the microorganisms present in the environment are allowed to ferment the cannabis product.

The primary fermentation stage involves the conversion of sugars into alcohol or organic acids. This stage can take anywhere from a few days to several weeks, depending on the type of microorganism used and the desired flavor and aroma profile. The secondary fermentation stage involves the continued breakdown of sugars and the creation of complex flavors and aromas.

Aging is the final stage of the fermentation process, where the cannabis product is left to mature for a period of time to allow the flavors and aromas to develop fully. This stage can take anywhere from a few weeks to several months, depending on the type of product being fermented.

Cannabis fermentation is an essential process for the production of high-quality cannabis products. The use of appropriate microorganisms, careful monitoring of the fermentation process, and quality control measures are essential in ensuring the safety and consistency of the final product. By following these essential techniques for successful cannabis fermentation, producers can create unique flavor and aroma profiles, increase the potency and bioavailability of THC and CBD, and produce high-quality cannabis products that meet the needs of consumers.

 

[G.O. Joe]

It makes a smokeable product with tobacco, anyway.

I'm wondering how this extra hot sweat temperature would affect the marijuana.

That's for cigarettes - there is little to no heating for cigars.

For the weed, people on weed forums - not including myself - would be saying that you're evaporating terpenes and only an idiot would do that.

I don't recall having read any actual evidence, as to whether it has decarbed or not

Surely someone in a legal state has tested the THC/THCA ratio before/after, under the conditions buried somewhere in this thread some hundreds of pages and thousands of posts back?

Whether decarbed or not, it's safe to say it gets you high for the same reason smoking Mexican brown did back in the day - it doesn't take that much THC to get you high.

Anything high in THCa will convert to THC over time. The oxidation process does this.

It should be mentioned that THCA is oxidized to CBNA, and you can't have sugars without converting starch into them first. Proteins and tannins are also broken down in addition to chlorophyll.

Conversion of THCA to other things from various non-chemical processes would make a great biochem study and I'm not sure that it's been investigated enough by non-chatbots.

 

[Hammerhead]

It should be mentioned that THCA is oxidized to CBNA, and you can't have sugars without converting starch into them first. Proteins and tannins are also broken down in addition to chlorophyll.

Conversion of THCA to other things from various non-chemical processes would make a great biochem study and I'm not sure that it's been investigated enough by non-chatbots.

The neutral cannabinoids, like Δ9-THC and CBD do not occur at significant plant concentrations. Still, they are readily accessed by nonenzymatic thermal decarboxylation when exposed to light or heat via smoking or baking. I couldn't find anything regarding CBNA psychoactivity, everything comes back as CBN. CBN doesn't do anything for me. THCA has no psychoactive properties until it is heated or oxidized. It's a big deal getting around current laws. It can be sold legally.. Most sources refer only to the conversion to THC. I did find this paper that talks about CBNA.

The biosynthesis of the cannabinoids - PMC

Cannabis has been integral to Eurasian civilization for millennia, but a century of prohibition has limited investigation. With spreading legalization, science is pivoting to study the pharmacopeia of the cannabinoids, and a thorough understanding ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Cannabis Fermentation guides can be found all over the net. I've never tried using yeast. This is designed more for cannabinoids. I think it's worth trying.

 

[G.O. Joe]

The neutral cannabinoids, like Δ9-THC and CBD do not occur at significant plant concentrations. Still, they are readily accessed by nonenzymatic thermal decarboxylation when exposed to light or heat via smoking or baking.

We are not talking about the living plant, or decarboxylation from heat.

 

[Hammerhead]

We are not talking about the living plant, or decarboxylation from heat.

I'm not sure what your point is?. Are you saying that THCA doesn't convert to THC using heat?. Converting THCA to THC needs heat or time from everything I've read.. The plant doesn't need to be living. I don't care about anything not psychoactive or if it doesn't add something to the experience.. The same principles apply to brick weed. The more THCA the better.

As for fermentation, I've only tried the standard used for cobing in this thread.

 

[Tangwena]

I'm not sure what your point is?. Are you saying that THCA doesn't convert to THC using heat?. Converting THCA to THC needs heat or time from everything I've read.. The plant doesn't need to be living. I don't care about anything not psychoactive or if it doesn't add something to the experience.. The same principles apply to brick weed. The more THCA the better.

As for fermentation, I've only tried the standard used for cobing in this thread.

I think what he said was there is no heat as such and the plant is dead. Compared to changes that occur on the living plant or those induced by adding heat to already harvested buds.
Either way its a mute point as there are no scientific studies that I'm aware of that have been done on cob cured bud.
I dont know how it changes the high or anything else just praise the canna Gods it does and enjoy the results every day.
Speaking of which I had a great afternoon fishing in my boat on a mix of different Mulanje cobs some made from mine and some from Green Mountain seeds Mulanje.
WOW the water looked like oil everything was moving in slow motion haha.

 

[G.O. Joe]

It's clear that I'm saying that pot which has not been decarbed or cobbed contains THC as such, and furthermore any curing process is not going to preserve THCA.

To illustrate, a table from the self-explanatory "Determination of the relative percentage distribution of THCA and Δ9-THC in herbal cannabis seized in Austria" is presented:

Sample / %THC / %THCA / %THC rel / %THCA rel.
1 1.32 11.64 10.19 89.81
2 1.99 7.62 20.71 79.29
3 3.60 11.37 24.05 75.95
4 4.11 13.76 23.00 77.00
5 2.64 11.94 18.11 81.89
6 1.95 18.78 9.41 90.59
7 3.17 12.33 20.45 79.55
8 1.02 15.82 6.06 93.94
9 1.66 9.74 14.56 85.44
10 2.17 12.2 15.10 84.90
11 2.21 13.32 14.23 85.77
12 2.11 16.18 11.54 88.46
13 1.50 19.77 7.05 92.95
14 3.36 10.14 24.89 75.11
15 3.71 12.23 23.27 76.73
16 1.54 5.03 23.44 76.56
17 4.47 13.74 24.55 75.45
18 5.23 17.42 23.09 76.91
19 3.87 20.98 15.57 84.43
20 0.48 21.56 2.18 97.82
21 2.90 16.01 15.34 84.66
22 1.82 7.16 20.27 79.73
23 3.18 17.09 15.69 84.31
24 3.79 20.30 15.73 84.27
25 1.11 18.14 5.77 94.23
26 0.90 17.77 4.82 95.18
27 1.32 16.13 7.56 92.44
28 5.22 16.11 24.47 75.53
29 1.62 20.48 7.33 92.67

Note that even when 90% of the THC content is THCA, there is generally plenty of free THC, and very few samples are less than 1% THC.

 

[Hammerhead]

It's clear that I'm saying that pot which has not been decarbed or cobbed contains THC as such, and furthermore any curing process is not going to preserve THCA.

To illustrate, a table from the self-explanatory "Determination of the relative percentage distribution of THCA and Δ9-THC in herbal cannabis seized in Austria" is presented:

Sample / %THC / %THCA / %THC rel / %THCA rel.
1 1.32 11.64 10.19 89.81
2 1.99 7.62 20.71 79.29
3 3.60 11.37 24.05 75.95
4 4.11 13.76 23.00 77.00
5 2.64 11.94 18.11 81.89
6 1.95 18.78 9.41 90.59
7 3.17 12.33 20.45 79.55
8 1.02 15.82 6.06 93.94
9 1.66 9.74 14.56 85.44
10 2.17 12.2 15.10 84.90
11 2.21 13.32 14.23 85.77
12 2.11 16.18 11.54 88.46
13 1.50 19.77 7.05 92.95
14 3.36 10.14 24.89 75.11
15 3.71 12.23 23.27 76.73
16 1.54 5.03 23.44 76.56
17 4.47 13.74 24.55 75.45
18 5.23 17.42 23.09 76.91
19 3.87 20.98 15.57 84.43
20 0.48 21.56 2.18 97.82
21 2.90 16.01 15.34 84.66
22 1.82 7.16 20.27 79.73
23 3.18 17.09 15.69 84.31
24 3.79 20.30 15.73 84.27
25 1.11 18.14 5.77 94.23
26 0.90 17.77 4.82 95.18
27 1.32 16.13 7.56 92.44
28 5.22 16.11 24.47 75.53
29 1.62 20.48 7.33 92.67

Note that even when 90% of the THC content is THCA, there is generally plenty of free THC, and very few samples are less than 1% THC.

lol, it wasn't clear to me. It's why I asked. I think we are talking about different things. Of course, there is THC. There will be more THC after THCA is converted. Heat causes THCA to lose a carbon atom and convert it into THC. THC will convert to CBN using heat, age, and oxidation.

Total Potential THC = (THCA% * 0.877) + THC%
The percentage of THCA is multiplied by 0.877, which accounts for the difference in molecular weight between THCA and THC. This number, 0.877, is sometimes referred to as the conversion factor. After the multiplication, add the current THC percentage to find the total potential THC percentage

To clarify, here’s what each term represents:

THCA%: The percentage of THCA present in the cannabis product as indicated by lab testing.

THC%: The percentage of already decarboxylated THC present.

Anyway, I can't add any more info on this than I've already done. Anyone interested can look it up..

 

[Tangwena]

Over the top of my head brother.
I think I may have discovered something.
A hit of Mulanje x Malawi/Ethiopia Hermie seeded and a little early. Crazy makes me think of a Billy Idol song about tripping on a bus ha ha.
Then 4 hours later a tiny amount of Mulanje Gold mixed with Mulanje very dense flavor like some good hash chewing.
Anyway I spat the chewed up ball into my coffee and I'm speed tripping need to go do something anything I'm game ha ha. Fuck this shit is good.

 

[Nextgeneration73]

The neutral cannabinoids, like Δ9-THC and CBD do not occur at significant plant concentrations. Still, they are readily accessed by nonenzymatic thermal decarboxylation when exposed to light or heat via smoking or baking. I couldn't find anything regarding CBNA psychoactivity, everything comes back as CBN. CBN doesn't do anything for me. THCA has no psychoactive properties until it is heated or oxidized. It's a big deal getting around current laws. It can be sold legally.. Most sources refer only to the conversion to THC. I did find this paper that talks about CBNA.

The biosynthesis of the cannabinoids - PMC

Cannabis has been integral to Eurasian civilization for millennia, but a century of prohibition has limited investigation. With spreading legalization, science is pivoting to study the pharmacopeia of the cannabinoids, and a thorough understanding ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Cannabis Fermentation guides can be found all over the net. I've never tried using yeast. This is designed more for cannabinoids. I think it's worth trying.

So a just harvested bud has THCA which is non psychoactive but as it's dried it eventually turns to THC which is psychoactive correct? Or does it need more or less heat? Also does tight sealed up vaccume curing extend and intensify that process? And what would happen if the cure is not done somewhere where it's boiling hot? I'm asking because I'm still very confused about all this.... I'm just wondering what a person could do if he can't find a place with hot temperature around him?

 

[oldworld]

So a just harvested bud has THCA which is non psychoactive but as it's dried it eventually turns to THC which is psychoactive correct? Or does it need more or less heat? Also does tight sealed up vaccume curing extend and intensify that process? And what would happen if the cure is not done somewhere where it's boiling hot? I'm asking because I'm still very confused about all this.... I'm just wondering what a person could do if he can't find a place with hot temperature around him?

If you want to cob cure, it needs to be heated. If you want to convert thca to thc, that happens when you light it on fire to smoke. You don't need to worry about it.

 

[Nextgeneration73]

If you want to cob cure, it needs to be heated. If you want to convert thca to thc, that happens when you light it on fire to smoke. You don't need to worry about it.

Mine's been in cure for a week now after a three day dry, but what do you (like everyone else) mean by heat it? I'm on my travel obviously but I still sometimes find time to open icmag

 

[ilovegrowing]

If you want to cob cure, it needs to be heated. If you want to convert thca to thc, that happens when you light it on fire to smoke. You don't need to worry about it.

I dont heat my cobs, just vacuumsealed and aged and they are working great! I dont know what it is, maybe oxidation or bacterial fermentation, but its really effective.

 

[wuluz]

Today I sniffed some pistons again after a long time. Mazar and Zenith followed by Auto Zamaldelica smell divine

 

[oldmaninbc]

I dont heat my cobs, just vacuumsealed and aged and they are working great! I dont know what it is, maybe oxidation or bacterial fermentation, but its really effective.

I vacuum seal my buds when dried and lightly cured then freeze them.

What are the differences in your finished product? Is your finished product just stored on a shelf and what length of time are you talking about? I am curious about your method.

 

[ilovegrowing]

I vacuum seal my buds when dried and lightly cured then freeze them.

What are the differences in your finished product? Is your finished product just stored on a shelf and what length of time are you talking about? I am curious about your method.

Basically the same like tangwenas method, just without the heat in the sweat. Im trying different methods. But i think the most important thing is, that they are still wet enough. I had good success with a 4/5 days dry, stems still bendy not cracking. Vacuumseal for 12/24 hours (the wetter and hotter, the faster/slower it is) up to some days..
Watch for a change of colour.
Open it, dry it to the touch and then seal for long term. 3 months up…