Malawi Style Cob Curing.

[Baba Karuna]

Amazing looking cobs @Baba Karuna! I always appreciate seeing the cobs you create, the visual quality of them is quite stunning, and I suspect the effects are the same... thanks for sharing.

Thank you so much my friend. I feel very blessed to have access to a community like this where the value of fermented herb is truly understood and valued. Many thanks and praises to all of the contributors and many blessings to @Tangwena for starting this thread and educating us all

🪷Om Punyāham Om Punyāham Om Punyāham🪷

 

[Baba Karuna]

Corn husks Green or Dried?
Dried like for making tamales is easy enough.
If green is preferred, I can still maybe access some ears from a neighboring field?
I also have some ears frozen in the freezer.

I have used both and prefer them to be dry like when used for tamales

When I used fresh ones, some of the cobs smelled more earthy and less like the herbs terpenes. It only happened with a small number of cobs so it could have just been my situation.

🪷Om Śivamastu🪷

 

[funkyhorse]

While I doubt life will give the chance to grow again anytime soon, the biggest asset I got from this growing time is this cure. This cure I will be able to practice anywhere I go
I see a lot of bag waste. You are using a big bag for not so much weed. For 30 grams you can use a smaller bag or just cut a piece of it
I cut the bag smaller and it allows me to make small bags for canaries like the Phu Phan Purple bag I am testing now.
Sadly I wont be able to test all of the weed I made, my neighbours will enjoy it. They love this cure too, better than traditional brick cure

This is done with dry bud, as dry I could get in the wetlands. Dried with firewood during winter, the driest I get in winter is around 45%RH and bud is very dry
It doesnt matter how dry it is, when you compact the buds in the bag, the buds become brick
It doesnt matter shape. It makes brick and I think it makes some fermentation too even it is very dry, the terpenes change from the bud in jar cure. I like it a looooot better than fermented in the yoghourt maker, it beats banana bark cure or corn husk cure big time
Perfect every time when is vacuum sealed. It crystallizes no matter if small canary bud or big brick.
In big brick you get more crystals, I never saw crystals in real life
I would love to try one day a 2 year old brick cured like this

I posted this before and I post it again, many things dont make sense at all in the canna world.
One of them is the myth about jar cure. In real life I never saw anybody in the third world curing in jars
I am comparing same harvest side by side jar and vacuum bag and vacuum bag is the way. When smoking it burns smooth and curing like this vaping is excellent too.
Fermenting in the yoghurt maker is not for vaping, I dont like the taste of it at all

This knowledge you can take with you everywhere you travel, the vacuum bag cure is better than any traditional cure I have tried. It is very impressive how good this is for sativa bud. Even indicas get more interesting cured this way but I think indicas should be made hash as they always were in the traditional world and tested as hash, not as hashplant bud

 

[dilettante]

While I doubt life will give the chance to grow again anytime soon, the biggest asset I got from this growing time is this cure. This cure I will be able to practice anywhere I go
I see a lot of bag waste. You are using a big bag for not so much weed. For 30 grams you can use a smaller bag or just cut a piece of it
I cut the bag smaller and it allows me to make small bags for canaries like the Phu Phan Purple bag I am testing now.
Sadly I wont be able to test all of the weed I made, my neighbours will enjoy it. They love this cure too, better than traditional brick cure
View attachment 19080999

This is done with dry bud, as dry I could get in the wetlands. Dried with firewood during winter, the driest I get in winter is around 45%RH and bud is very dry
It doesnt matter how dry it is, when you compact the buds in the bag, the buds become brick
It doesnt matter shape. It makes brick and I think it makes some fermentation too even it is very dry, the terpenes change from the bud in jar cure. I like it a looooot better than fermented in the yoghourt maker, it beats banana bark cure or corn husk cure big time
Perfect every time when is vacuum sealed. It crystallizes no matter if small canary bud or big brick.
In big brick you get more crystals, I never saw crystals in real life
I would love to try one day a 2 year old brick cured like this

I posted this before and I post it again, many things dont make sense at all in the canna world.
One of them is the myth about jar cure. In real life I never saw anybody in the third world curing in jars
I am comparing same harvest side by side jar and vacuum bag and vacuum bag is the way. When smoking it burns smooth and curing like this vaping is excellent too.
Fermenting in the yoghurt maker is not for vaping, I dont like the taste of it at all

This knowledge you can take with you everywhere you travel, the vacuum bag cure is better than any traditional cure I have tried. It is very impressive how good this is for sativa bud. Even indicas get more interesting cured this way but I think indicas should be made hash as they always were in the traditional world and tested as hash, not as hashplant bud

Hi @funkyhorse, this cure you are talking about is it properly dried material just vacuum sealed or what?

 

[funkyhorse]

is it properly dried material just vacuum sealed

Hi dilettante
Yes, just like that. Dried material as proper as I could and vacuum sealed in the vacuum bags
It ferments slowly naturally and terpenes are still very nice but different than jar cured, dry bud in vacuum bag makes brick with the properties of brick weed
Much easier than fermenting in the yogurt machine. For me better results but I dont chew

People report here in this thread that fermenting is better for chewing
I can report than bricking dry bud is better for vaping.
For smoking I dont think there is much difference if it is fermented or dry bud brick
I like this cure better than corn husk and banana bark

I hope it helps

 

[CDNINCA]

Part 2 First Cob
View attachment 19080889
View attachment 19080890
View attachment 19080891
I rolled it forward and then squeezed with my fingers. Rolled it back, tightened the roller, and then rolled it forward while squeezing.

I squished in the ends so that it would fit in the vacuum bag, maintaining that compression with my little fingers. View attachment 19080892 Here, I veered from the corn husk/parchment paper/ziploc wrappers.
These are authentic Crinklee cellophane 5"×5" sticky candy wrappers. They are not plastic.

They are recommended for wrapping and long-term storing of templeball hash. That's what I use them for.

This provides a somewhat see-through solvent/terpene barrier between the cob and the vacuum bag.
I'll be able to take it out, look at it, and change vacuum bags if necessary without losing as much sticky goodness.

I overlapped 2 of the cellophane wrappers and placed my cob preform in the middle.
At this point, I have squeezed down my flower bunch to about the size of a quarter or bit bigger View attachment 19080893 View attachment 19080894 I folded in the ends and wrapped the cob in cellophane, and placed it at the bottom of the bag.
Inserting the bag in the foodsaver, I manipulated it, turning the machines vacuum on but stopping short of sealing it 3 times, squeezing and encouraging an even compression on the cob.
View attachment 19080895 I ended with an evenly compressed 30 gram cob a little bigger than a nickel. It looks pretty good. I'm chuffed. View attachment 19080896

As you can see I took some advice here and some more advice over there. Added a little of my own. I'm really happy for my first one.

I want to thank Tangwena, Hombre, CDninca, Baba and all that have contributed to this great thread.

So, let me know what you think.
I have to decide if I'm going to cook it in my instant pot.

Nicely done @moose/MI, looks like you are well underway! One thing that I do, which probably doesn't really matter that much but I think it's helpful, is that I put some parchment paper/ corn husks/ whatever on the sushi mat first, then put the buds on it, then roll it up like you did. I don't want the beautiful sticky trichomes sticking to the sushi mat and getting left behind. I guess your way would make a pretty nice smelling sushi mat though which might not be a bad thing?
Cheers!

 

[dilettante]

Thanks for the explanation.

I gave some of my last year's cobs to other people and nobody chewes it or likes the taste after trying to chew.

I think I will do a broader range of moisture levels with this years harvest.

Was also thinking of cobbing old main buds from last year that I kept in jars and let become hay by not burping the jars enough.

 

[moose/MI]

13 hours into my sweat at 104°

 

[Baba Karuna]

13 hours into my sweat at 104°
View attachment 19081224

Nice looking forward to seeing how this journey progresses. I have my instant pot running right now as well

🪷Om Vrddhirastu🪷

 

[moose/MI]

Nice looking forward to seeing how this journey progresses. I have my instant pot running right now as well

🪷Om Vrddhirastu🪷

I'm concerned I might have overdone the compression? 🫤

 

[Baba Karuna]

I'm concerned I might have overdone the compression? 🫤

I’m sure you’re fine, since you rolled it by hand via sushi mat it cannot be that tightly packed. I hand squeeze as hard as I can and they always come out perfect. I’ve seen members on here compress much harder that I do and their cobs come out perfect

The hand compression variations tend to make it easier to break the cob apart once it’s done and dry. Meaning it can be down without a knife. Harder compression just means that you may have to slice chunks off like you would do with Hashish

🪷Om Asya Karmaņah Puņyāham Bhavanto Bruvantu🪷

 

[moose/MI]

Ok, at the 13 hr mark it occurred to me I wasn't seeing any change and possibly I should take the rack out that I had the cob on.
Since it is just the warming function and set low (104°) I decided to take out the rack and lay the cob right on the bottom.

The timer just went off for the 24hr mark and I'm pleased that I can feel a little pliability. I can squeeze it and it's softer then a wine cork. springy.
I placed it back in and plan to run it til morning and have another look.

 

[CDNINCA]

Hey @moose/MI ,
I've never used an Instant Pot for this before so please ignore this if it makes no sense!

Can you fill the Instant Pot with water and use it as a Sous Vide? If so, get it to the temp you are aiming for and put the vacuum sealed cob in and use something to hold it down in the water for the desired amount of sweat time. I have done sous vide a few times and it works really well.

Anyway, maybe that's an idea worth exploring?

Also, if you just leave it vac sealed and in a warm 'ish space it should take care of itself. It might take a while but I've had really good luck doing that approach.

Cheers!

 

[moose/MI]

Hey @moose/MI ,
I've never used an Instant Pot for this before so please ignore this if it makes no sense!

Can you fill the Instant Pot with water and use it as a Sous Vide? If so, get it to the temp you are aiming for and put the vacuum sealed cob in and use something to hold it down in the water for the desired amount of sweat time. I have done sous vide a few times and it works really well.

Anyway, maybe that's an idea worth exploring?

Also, if you just leave it vac sealed and in a warm 'ish space it should take care of itself. It might take a while but I've had really good luck doing that approach.

Cheers!

Thanks

Yes, it can function as a pressure pot, sous vide, yogurt, rice maker.

I'll check it in the morning and if I don't feel it's moving I'll think about doing that.
I did get some relaxation of the rock hardness to a springy feeling.
Basically that's what I have now is a warmish controlled space.

I've used the Instant pot and vacuum sealer to make black garlic.
Similar procedures.

 

[Shua1991]

Going into the pressure cooker now, 24 hours on keep warm. Then open and sweat, the early flower samples are pleasant. I hope this takes the effects up a notch by new years.

 

[moose/MI]

I've been reading with interest the different experiences and opinions about the sweat and light or dark cob.
A couple of times, a long cure with no sweat was mentioned.

That made me think about a real sativa leaning pheno of Moby Dick I grew last year that dredged up a weed memory.
It smelled just like some box pressed Thai sticks we were getting in the late 70s, and I picked a few seeds out and grew them when I got a chance in 83.
Exactly!

I tried a long, slow cure on her, leaving the best colas on the stem.
I placed them in Grove bags at 70% with the tops left open.
My idea was to slowly bring them down to 62% -63% and hold them.

I was getting close and unknown to me. The girlfriend turned the furnace on for a few hours, and I shot right past to 60%. It's wasn't bad but lower than my plan.

I took my best wands and placed them in 1/2 gallon mason jars with a hygrometer and sealed them in the dark.
They haven't been opened in a year.

Slowly, the herb absorbed the residual moisture that was in the stems and after months returned to 63%.
And there, it remains having turned a wonderful golden red color.

I kept waiting for this pot to turn. Like the Thai weed, it reminded me of... I was hoping it was going to turn psychoactive after a 6-8 month cure.
Unfortunately, I had to take it early by at least 3 weeks when I harvested.
It's a nice daytime sativa, but it never turned.

My questions are: What do you think? These wands in the jars.
Do you think it's cobbed by time?
Should I wrap some in a corn husk and cob it?
Maybe vacuum some like funkyhorse mentioned?
Looking for options.
I was planning and washing it to make hash.
But I thought maybe I'm halfway there? ️

 

[Baba Karuna]

Hey @moose/MI ,
I've never used an Instant Pot for this before so please ignore this if it makes no sense!

Can you fill the Instant Pot with water and use it as a Sous Vide? If so, get it to the temp you are aiming for and put the vacuum sealed cob in and use something to hold it down in the water for the desired amount of sweat time. I have done sous vide a few times and it works really well.

Anyway, maybe that's an idea worth exploring?

Also, if you just leave it vac sealed and in a warm 'ish space it should take care of itself. It might take a while but I've had really good luck doing that approach.

Cheers!

When using the instant pot I prefer to fill the inside with water and use a heavy plate on top to weigh the cobs down. I notice a more through color change and overall nicer quality of the finished product when using the water. I have tried it without water and the cobs in the top of the pile didn’t get as much heat. Since I tend to pack the pot as much as I can, the water is essential to ensure complete and even heating.

🪷Om Vedasamrddhirastu🪷

 

[moose/MI]

When using the instant pot I prefer to fill the inside with water and use a heavy plate on top to weigh the cobs down. I notice a more through color change and overall nicer quality of the finished product when using the water. I have tried it without water and the cobs in the top of the pile didn’t get as much heat. Since I tend to pack the pot as much as I can, the water is essential to ensure complete and even heating.

🪷Om Vedasamrddhirastu🪷

Well that's 2 votes for water.

I only have the one cob right now going.
I put some water in the bottom and weighted it down.
24hrs @ 104° sound about right?

 

[Onboard]

My questions are: What do you think? These wands in the jars.
Do you think it's cobbed by time?
Should I wrap some in a corn husk and cob it?
Maybe vacuum some like funkyhorse mentioned?
Looking for options.
I was planning and washing it to make hash.
But I thought maybe I'm halfway there? ️

As long as they haven't started to fade to "less than pleasurable", I don't see why it would hurt their shelf life if you compress them under vacuum now. And who knows the boundaries of this craft anyways?
Maybe it still got some cobbing potential still in it too. I think the resin content (and quality of the resin) affects the window of "cobbability" a lot (and how well it stores in the jar, too).
Personally I de-stem carefully first, as stems are a good staring point for mold.

But if they have already faded to "un-inspiring", cobbing won't likely make them un-boring again. After all, oxygen plus whatever other aerobic processes, have had their time to eat away at them for a while.

Having done enough such experimentation myself, with mostly underwhelming results.

 

[moose/MI]

Another slow cure question. Or maybe just some thoughts.

Last year out of nostalgia I made some Thai sticks like I did in the early 80's with a bamboo shade from the big box.
The supply started drying up but people were still convinced pot wouldn't grow here. So it had to be imported.

Hadn't made one in 40 years!
I thought it turned pretty good.
It was out of the Moby Dick that didn't quite go long enough but I was hoping would turn in the cure.

Since I was reading this thread but a little too late to try the cob. I made some more sticks up. One from a more modern hybrid Snowcaine by Twenty20.

The two originals I cured in Grove bags but three I vacuum sealed before they were totally dry. Resilient enough to form the stick. 63%?
Originally I used the vacuum to help form them and wouldn't seal them.
However I just left those 3 sealed as an experiment.
They didn't mold but probably didn't have enough moisture to turn.
If indeed that is one of the pillars that this concept is built around.

I haven't gotten into them yet. But the post by funkyhorse and some others about a "colorful " cure, better look and taste than the black, etc. got me thinking about them again.
Especially the no sweat long cure ideas.

I have read accounts of people who believe the pressing of the sticks, bundling/ wrapping for shipping and the long trip to their destination created a cure/flavor/high that hasnt been repeated.
Something like they found when sherry in oak casks benefited from a long slow journey on the water on a steamship. They started shipping it out and right back to themselves on purpose .
Something about the sloshing around in the casks.
I chopped a plant this morning so I'm pretty busy. Excited to make my next cob.

I'll try and open these up and report back in a couple days.