Malawi Style Cob Curing.

[led05]

Fermentation and Decarboxylation

Fermentation and Decarboxylation

Chewing allows for buccal as well as sublingual absorbtion. This bypasses the liver and allows for a more rapid effect. Chewing for 20 minutes, then swallowing is probably why it comes on in waves.

I couldn't resist pressing a gram of my last cob into rosin. The effects were good, but weren't as complex as chewing it. It was like it lost something in the concentrate. Perhaps the same enzymes that cause the fermentation? I may have to revisit the rosin now that it has aged a few weeks.

The first time I tried chewing it, I was surprised that it wasn't bitter. I assume this is the same reason it turns brown.

I have wondered the same as to the "how" it works when just chewing but then thought a little more and figured fermentation must in some way be a process of Decarboxylation, and of course it is.......

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC395155/pdf/emboj00060-0027.pdf

http://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007%2F978-0-387-84796-2_4

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyruvate_decarboxylase

Science seems to always win, what can we do.....

That's why it works without the cooking etc....


I think the thing this process does most is not only decarboxylate but also preserves what the plant has in it at a point in time. Yes changes occur as the cure continues but when you add all this pressure AND fermentation it locks everything in and you have the plant near it's strongest time (near right at picking) and the beauty of this is it maintains that strength but then also allows for the natural change and break down of sugars during the slow cure to not only leave a strong end product but also a great tasting one - when done right of course...

If you Jar cure very well after 1-2 years the product is amazing, taste, effect etc but it certainly has lost some strength by that time IMO (quite a bit), this method seems to prevent that, in fact the opposite (the slow cure decarb/fermentation continues inside the moist centers). The Decarb process is also "contained" within the bag, the cure so nothing is lost, terpenes and everything else just stays along for the ride.


This is at a minimum a great preservation technique, at most the Best Preservation technique.... And that is only the start of its' benefits......


Now someone with a lab, the right tools and access to a number of heady NLD strains needs to get to work to figure out best times, temps etc in a more controlled way, our anecdotal accounts can only go so far, albeit enjoyable as heck to read and I'm sure ultimately firmly ground in accuracy and in fact science but nonetheless not "scientific" enough...

Tang, thanks again for turning people back on...

Cob On...

 

[ReikoX]

My lab tests showed no decarboxylation, but something else was going on there. The jar cured buds tested somewhere around 21% THCA and the cob cured buds where somewhere around during 27% THCA. Very little converted to THC during the process. I posted those results in this thread a while ago post #917.

Not very scientific, but not the results I expected either.

 

[led05]

My lab tests showed no decarboxylation, but something else was going on there. The jar cured buds tested somewhere around 21% THCA and the cob cured buds where somewhere around during 27% THCA. Very little converted to THC during the process. I posted those results in this thread a while ago post #917.

Not very scientific, but not the results I expected either.

I agree with the absorption in the mouth piece you mentioned also but think that's just a piece of it...

I remember seeing that as well and was surprised too. The increase in THC most likely is just things being compacted, concentrated down etc during process. Was the mass identical?

Either way though there's scientific article one after another supporting that in plant matter fermentation, decarboxylation occurrs, it certainly would lead one to believe that is happening here as well, perhaps your analysis didn't ferment much or at all... proven studies say decarb happens during plant fermentation which is exactly what we're doing here... not saying this is all that's happening but a piece to the puzzle as to how / why imo.

 

[Tangwena]

I agree with the absorption in the mouth piece you mentioned also but think that's just a piece of it...

I remember seeing that as well and was surprised too. The increase in THC most likely is just things being compacted, concentrated down etc during process. Was the mass identical?

Either way though there's scientific article one after another supporting that in plant matter fermentation, decarboxylation occurrs, it certainly would lead one to believe that is happening here as well, perhaps your analysis didn't ferment much or at all... proven studies say decarb happens during plant fermentation which is exactly what we're doing here... not saying this is all that's happening but a piece to the puzzle as to how / why imo.

Good post my friend and good reasoning as well, all I know for sure is the resins under a microscope turn varying colors from caramel amber through to black with this method compared to little or no change when dried and jarred.
Also when chewed you get the whole plant not just what was burnt or vaporised so you get elements not available from smoking or vaping, even hash or oil is not the same as you dont have the whole plant effect.
Its just a good traditional way of preparing cannabis (fermenting)
and chewing is just another way of enjoying this great herb but I agree there is still a huge amount of study to be done by someone with the time and money some day in the future.
Tangwena

 

[seeded]

Now someone with a lab, the right tools and access to a number of heady NLD strains needs to get to work to figure out best times, temps etc in a more controlled way, our anecdotal accounts can only go so far, albeit enjoyable as heck to read and I'm sure ultimately firmly ground in accuracy and in fact science but nonetheless not "scientific" enough...

Tang, thanks again for turning people back on...

Cob On...

I don't have access to a lab or anything to get hard numbers but in a few months when I next harvest I'll be attacking the cob method with a sous vide cooker as it'll make my experiments far more accurate. Slow cookers and yogurt makers work perfectly well but there's just no comparison to be made with a sous vide cooker that's got a range of 0-99c and is accurate to within 0.1c

 

[Levitationofme]

Yep Works great. Been using it for years

 

[48N]

Sous vide weed
Sous weed

 

[Tangwena]

The joy of sharing you guys rock, seeded and Levitationofme pushing the boundaries of getting high to the limit nice one my friends you guys are breaking new ground here, cant wait to see your cobs awesome work guys.
Tangwena

 

[Levitationofme]

Just over 24 hours ( I fell asleep)
Malawi Cobb was in the Pot in previous pic...

 

[seeded]

Just over 24 hours ( I fell asleep)
Malawi Cobb was in the Pot in previous pic...

[URL=https://www.icmag.com/ic/picture.php?albumid=71926&pictureid=1719201&thumb=1]View Image[/url] [URL=https://www.icmag.com/ic/picture.php?albumid=71926&pictureid=1719200&thumb=1]View Image[/url] [URL=https://www.icmag.com/ic/picture.php?albumid=71926&pictureid=1719198&thumb=1]View Image[/url] [URL=https://www.icmag.com/ic/picture.php?albumid=71926&pictureid=1719197&thumb=1]View Image[/url]

That looks fire. Literally so in the last thumbnail too

 

[Tangwena]

Just over 24 hours ( I fell asleep)
Malawi Cobb was in the Pot in previous pic...

View Image View Image View Image View Image

OMG thats a beauty, looks like it was scored on the streets of Malawi, let it age a bit and your going to trip my friend. Looks perfectly fermented by the colors nice job my friend 10/10. You will need a whole day free when you chew that baby ha ha
Tangwena

 

[beefalo bill]

It's just starting to warm up here, with our first week of multiple 90*F(32+*C) days. If I wanted to try the "car-cob cure", what sort of time/temp am I looking at? I know I can fully decarb in the car during the heat of summer (car temps in the 160-180*F or 80+*C range!) Aside from the plant going from green to dark brown or black, what are the other possible negaitve side effects of leaving in the car "too long?"

 

[Tangwena]

It's just starting to warm up here, with our first week of multiple 90*F(32+*C) days. If I wanted to try the "car-cob cure", what sort of time/temp am I looking at? I know I can fully decarb in the car during the heat of summer (car temps in the 160-180*F or 80+*C range!) Aside from the plant going from green to dark brown or black, what are the other possible negaitve side effects of leaving in the car "too long?"

Hi my friend, I left a green cob in my car for 7 days and nights in those temps last year.
It turned chocolate brown tasted like shit chewed but scared the shit out of me when I chewed some, super scary high totally fucked up and out of control tripped out high.
I prefer it with a 2 to 3 day sweat in the car, I forgot the 7 day cob was in the car but I am glad I now know what happens to the high.
The buds were from a clone of a plant I had cured with 3 day sweat previously and that was much more pleasant and is one of my favorite cobs. Still very strong but more friendly and more laid back high.
The brown cob had me hearing things not there, seeing things in the corner of my vision and feeling so detached from reality I didn't know what was real for 4 to 5 hours of intense waves of feelings, thoughts and visions. The high itself lasted about 10hrs from chewing 0.5g of cob.
I now dont take more than 0.3g to trip or 0.1g to just get high for 6hrs.
The short sweated cob is just as strong and the doses the same only you dont get the scary effects.
You can see the difference in color and texture, the golden short sweated bud is better tasting, smells awesome and I am sure smokes smooth and flavorsome.
I have been told the black cobs smokes so smooth its like inhaling menthol and you cant feel any smoke. But I dont smoke so I cant say for sure.

 

[seeded]

7 days for scary trip weed hey? I wonder what it would do to a naturally scary zamaldelica?

Thanks for the inspiration Tangwena

 

[ThaiBliss]

Hi my friend, I left a green cob in my car for 7 days and nights in those temps last year.
It turned chocolate brown tasted like shit chewed but scared the shit out of me when I chewed some, super scary high totally fucked up and out of control tripped out high.
I prefer it with a 2 to 3 day sweat in the car, I forgot the 7 day cob was in the car but I am glad I now know what happens to the high.
The buds were from a clone of a plant I had cured with 3 day sweat previously and that was much more pleasant and is one of my favorite cobs. Still very strong but more friendly and more laid back high.
The brown cob had me hearing things not there, seeing things in the corner of my vision and feeling so detached from reality I didn't know what was real for 4 to 5 hours of intense waves of feelings, thoughts and visions. The high itself lasted about 10hrs from chewing 0.5g of cob.
I now dont take more than 0.3g to trip or 0.1g to just get high for 6hrs.
The short sweated cob is just as strong and the doses the same only you dont get the scary effects.
You can see the difference in color and texture, the golden short sweated bud is better tasting, smells awesome and I am sure smokes smooth and flavorsome.
I have been told the black cobs smokes so smooth its like inhaling menthol and you cant feel any smoke. But I dont smoke so I cant say for sure.
<a href="https://www.icmag.com/ic/picture.php?albumid=67486&pictureid=1614898" target="_blank">View Image <a href="https://www.icmag.com/ic/picture.php?albumid=67486&pictureid=1606537" target="_blank">View Image <a href="https://www.icmag.com/ic/picture.php?albumid=67486&pictureid=1606534" target="_blank">View Image <a href="https://www.icmag.com/ic/picture.php?albumid=67486&pictureid=1710648" target="_blank">View Image

I remember Colombian Black looked like black hash. You could only tell they were buds from the stem and the seeds. In a shipment, there was always a few kilos that were special. I'm starting to think the special ones were kilos that were stacked close to the heat of the ship's engine. LOL.

I'll always remember pilfering a joint from my brother's stash. I smoked it with my friend and his older brother as he drove us to go see the movie M.A.S.H.. As we arrived to the theater, he was gripping his wheel in his cab-over Dodge hippie van exclaiming "wow, that joint hit me like a hammer!" I don't know how I got my body to the theater seat. My limbs weren't under traditional control. I somehow floated through the ticket acquisition and glided to my seat on will power alone, totally discombobulated.

Good Times,

ThaiBliss

 

[Tangwena]

I remember Colombian Black looked like black hash. You could only tell they were buds from the stem and the seeds. In a shipment, there was always a few kilos that were special. I'm starting to think the special ones were kilos that were stacked close to the heat of the ship's engine. LOL.

I'll always remember pilfering a joint from my brother's stash. I smoked it with my friend and his older brother as he drove us to go see the movie M.A.S.H.. As we arrived to the theater, he was gripping his wheel in his cab-over Dodge hippie van exclaiming "wow, that joint hit me like a hammer!" I don't know how I got my body to the theater seat. My limbs weren't under traditional control. I somehow floated through the ticket acquisition and glided to my seat on will power alone, totally discombobulated.

Good Times,

ThaiBliss

Hi TB sounds like me every time I smoked a good Malawi cob back in the day. I used to think that was the way grass effected you all the time until I left Africa and landed in England.
It would be interesting to try some of your buds compressed into a block sealed in a vac bag and exposed to 40 to 50c for a week.
I bet they turn black and once dried and smoked changed the high up a gear or two.
Candy bar from your back yard.
Tangwena

 

[Tangwena]

7 days for scary trip weed hey? I wonder what it would do to a naturally scary zamaldelica?

Thanks for the inspiration Tangwena

Hi seeded I have grown Zamaldelica twice, well 3 times if you count a revege.
I had 2 different phenos the latest Malawi leaning pheno is still aging but looks great, nice chunky red buds, smells like a good weed should funky pine and though is still early hits you very hard but more of a creeper
The first pheno which was small round buds from the 2013 release is my favorite its 3 years old now and comes on as I chew it, very fast like half a microdot of LSD makes me very energetic but in a tripped out way, no paranoia very cock sure of myself and very unpredictable I can never remember anything the next day like my memory of the trip was deleted.
Good for a party or clubbing or a festival where you want to go all day.
I prefer the short sweat 1 or 2 days at 40c the darker cobs can be to narcotic but if you like your trip inside your head then its the way to go.

 

[beefalo bill]

I can't give rep or thumbs up or whatever just yet, and refuse to go on a random post spree just to get to where I can, but I wanted to thank you for all the info you've put forth, Tangwena.

 

[led05]

I can't give rep or thumbs up or whatever just yet, and refuse to go on a random post spree just to get to where I can, but I wanted to thank you for all the info you've put forth, Tangwena.

I totally second that but can now give rep and will continue to do so for the Tang !!

cob on

 

[Tangwena]

Thanks guys all I do this for is to turn on people like yourselves who love the weed and growing. I was getting sad looking at wonderfully grown beautiful buds that were just being dried and jared. They never unlock their true potential treated like that.
Especially the sativas they need the fermentation and aging to bring out their trippy side.
Its not easy to get it 100% right first time but even half right is an improvement and practice will reward you ten fold when you try a cob thats been fermented well you will be hooked forever. The Africans know what they are doing when preparing dope, well most of them you still get crap sometimes but the experienced guys turn out caviar nothing is better in my opinion and I have tried a lot of dope in my time.
Tangwena