Malawi Style Cob Curing.

[Tangwena]

... very very cool thread ... read the first half during the week, and will finish reading the rest over the next week, and then I will re-read it all again and make notes for future reference.

I stumbled across a slightly similar method many years ago (well before the internet, and well before I had ever heard of curing and sweating), when some freshly harvested weed was drying too quickly during very hot dry conditions. I put the buds into a plastic bag (puffed up with lots of air !!) to try and slow down the drying, and the next day found the bag was all moist (i.e. it was sweating). I panicked, took it out and dried it a bit more, and then put it back into the plastic bag ... same thing, it sweated again, and so I took it out and dried it again. And repeated a third time.

At that stage I was concerned I had stuffed up the buds, but after rolling a joint I found it was the most tasty, smooth and euphoric weed I had ever smoked... as did many friends. I experimented a couple of times over the next few years (without really knowing what I was doing), and found it was a fine line. From memory, if the sweat was too short, it would end up like hay ... and if the sweat was too long, it would end up moldy (because I had the bag fluffed up with air) ... but if I got it right, it was a place called heaven.

This thread with the vac bags absolutely nails it, and overcomes the shortcomings of my dodgy method.

I have just cobbed some of Ace's NepJam which I harvested a week ago. I am experimenting with four methods:
1. Normal jar curing.
2. Cob in vac bag to be sweated for a fortnight under warm conditions.
3. Cob in vac bag to be sweated for a week under cool conditions.
4. Buds dried to 70% moisture, and then placed directly into vac bag, with 95% of the air taken out.

Method 1 is obviously my base run to compare all the others against. Methods 3 and 4 are to see if I can replicate the tasty, smooth, euphoric weed I used to get with my dodgy sweat method. Method 2 is to push the potency a bit, and see the difference ... because NepJam is not a strong weed (compared to say Malawi or Golden Tiger), I don't see any need to push it too hard with the cob sweat.

Thanks Tangwena for enthusiastically and patiently bringing this information to everyone.

I believe it is a game changer ... and as others have indicated, probably explains the potency and appearance of some of the Thai sticks and Mexican / Columbian imports from the 70s and 80s.

Your on the money my friend after the one week, two week sweats, dry the cobs until the outside wrapper is dry to the touch and then reseal them in the vac bag for a month minimum.
Three months is perfect, then fully dry them to about 50% humidity for storage.
You will find the clarity and intensity of the high improves a lot from one month on. The smoking improves out of site clean and no coughing.
Please post pics of the cobs after sweating and after aging nice close ups I love looking at cobs and some members here have produced outstanding cobs over the years. Also pics of the buds before cobbing is very interesting as well.
Good on you for giving it a go you will not be disappointed.
PS make sure you remove all the air or you will get mold in the bag with the loose buds.
Tangwena

 

[harvestreaper]

Hi harvestreaper, its hard to tell from the picture because of the flash but it seems to getting there ok.
Did you have a sweet smell coming from the cob when you opened the wrapper?
What sort of weed did you use?
Post your pics in an album you create from the menu on the left of the screen when you click "my IC" ,once you have an album then go to reply/ "go advanced" and click up load file and select the picture from your album.
Its easy that way. Post a few more in natural light so we can see, it doesn't look too bad and should be ok if you keep your eyes open for mold.
Tangwena

thanks for your reply tangawena ..sorry i never got back have not been on the sight for a while ,,i did not vacum seal mine an it started to go moldy after a week but before that it went sweet as you mentoned an was real nice to smoke saved a few bits of the non moldy buds and they were certainly smoother,the bud was a sativa mongrel ,,father was nanan buouclou mother was a chiba /doors/ blue haze cross,,hopefully give it another wirl later this season and get some gems like you create ,, thanks again

 

[GET MO]

Welp, after 3-4 months, ate about .4 - .6 grams in a 00 capsule... All i gotta say is how much I ate was too much! It didnt kick in until like 2 1/2 hours after I ate it so i thought it didnt work, then that shit kicked in while i was drivin, i had to slow down. Shit had me on some other shit for the whole rest of the day, seein the molecules n fabric of the unniverse. Didnt help i was listennin to napolean hill talk about vibrations on an audiobook , or maybe it did? Lol! I want to try a smaller dose n see if i can find a functional level to this shit....

 

[Siever]

,,father was nanan buouclou mother was a chiba /doors/ blue haze cross,,hopefully give it another wirl later this season and get some gems like you create ,, thanks again

Sounds like a hell of a strain!

 

[Tangwena]

Welp, after 3-4 months, ate about .4 - .6 grams in a 00 capsule... All i gotta say is how much I ate was too much! It didnt kick in until like 2 1/2 hours after I ate it so i thought it didnt work, then that shit kicked in while i was drivin, i had to slow down. Shit had me on some other shit for the whole rest of the day, seein the molecules n fabric of the unniverse. Didnt help i was listennin to napolean hill talk about vibrations on an audiobook , or maybe it did? Lol! I want to try a smaller dose n see if i can find a functional level to this shit....

View Image

Awesome my friend I always say you have to get out of it to get into it ha ha.
Try chewing into dust about half that dose it will come on faster and slightly different effects.
Because it hits you gradually you have more time to adjust. I have cobs where 0.1g chewed gets me high as a kite for 8hrs so be cautious with dosage, I use a scale to measure it as overdosing is easy.
Also dont drive on anything over 0.3g of a good cob its very hard to concentrate.
Welcome to the new world its kinda like Alice in Wonderland on the right strain.
Tangwena

 

[seeded]

Welp, after 3-4 months, ate about .4 - .6 grams in a 00 capsule... All i gotta say is how much I ate was too much! It didnt kick in until like 2 1/2 hours after I ate it so i thought it didnt work, then that shit kicked in while i was drivin, i had to slow down. Shit had me on some other shit for the whole rest of the day, seein the molecules n fabric of the unniverse. Didnt help i was listennin to napolean hill talk about vibrations on an audiobook , or maybe it did? Lol! I want to try a smaller dose n see if i can find a functional level to this shit....

View Image

I tried getting away from chewing by stuffing gel caps full of cobbed bud and it's just not the same. You miss something by not chewing it and once you go back to having a chew you'll stop taking the capsules and put up with any tastes or discomfort because of the difference in quality. Honestly it's night and day so I can't wait to hear how you go having a chew on that delicious looking cob you've cooked up as it already sounds damn near lethal

 

[led05]

Your on the money my friend after the one week, two week sweats, dry the cobs until the outside wrapper is dry to the touch and then reseal them in the vac bag for a month minimum.
Three months is perfect, then fully dry them to about 50% humidity for storage.
You will find the clarity and intensity of the high improves a lot from one month on. The smoking improves out of site clean and no coughing.
Please post pics of the cobs after sweating and after aging nice close ups I love looking at cobs and some members here have produced outstanding cobs over the years. Also pics of the buds before cobbing is very interesting as well.
Good on you for giving it a go you will not be disappointed.
PS make sure you remove all the air or you will get mold in the bag with the loose buds.
Tangwena

I really think the initial sweat is nothing more than a prep, the 1-3 month slow / cool cure while still wet is what does the magic here... The initial sweat can take many forms, some try and do it faster or more slowly but really it's a matter of not screwing it up before you need a wee bit of patience, ideally 3 more months to make things right before drying and storing....

"Just Set it and forget it", damn infomercials - Ha

A good vac sealer goes a long way too, Foodsavers are OK, Westons a heck of a lot better for near similar price - night and day VAC difference, they have an accessory attachment too, aka a 1/4" tube hole for clever food saver Jar Sealer gadget

 

[led05]

I tried getting away from chewing by stuffing gel caps full of cobbed bud and it's just not the same. You miss something by not chewing it and once you go back to having a chew you'll stop taking the capsules and put up with any tastes or discomfort because of the difference in quality. Honestly it's night and day so I can't wait to hear how you go having a chew on that delicious looking cob you've cooked up as it already sounds damn near lethal

Is it just me or does it taste really good to chew, I enjoy it, if anything the only worry I have is the strength of it and placing it in my gums much like one would a tobacco pack, I was never a chewer but it seems similar....

Tang, you ever get any mouth sores or anything putting it in the same place or do you just chomp away? I wonder if the gums can get "raw" if you will, some of the cobs I've chewed on are like fire and it seems it could cause this....you have many more years chewing than I...?

I quit drinking not too long ago and the taste is a guilty sin, if you will

 

[led05]

Welp, after 3-4 months, ate about .4 - .6 grams in a 00 capsule... All i gotta say is how much I ate was too much! It didnt kick in until like 2 1/2 hours after I ate it so i thought it didnt work, then that shit kicked in while i was drivin, i had to slow down. Shit had me on some other shit for the whole rest of the day, seein the molecules n fabric of the unniverse. Didnt help i was listennin to napolean hill talk about vibrations on an audiobook , or maybe it did? Lol! I want to try a smaller dose n see if i can find a functional level to this shit....

View Image

I wanna tie a bunch of those (pic) around my mailbox, something about this photo is so welcoming

 

[Tangwena]

I tried getting away from chewing by stuffing gel caps full of cobbed bud and it's just not the same. You miss something by not chewing it and once you go back to having a chew you'll stop taking the capsules and put up with any tastes or discomfort because of the difference in quality. Honestly it's night and day so I can't wait to hear how you go having a chew on that delicious looking cob you've cooked up as it already sounds damn near lethal

Spoken like a true believer my friend and you are so right.
Also Get Mo I was laughing so much, not at you but in an understanding sort of, been there too sought of way, I forgot to compliment your damn near perfect cured cob.
Beautiful work my friend thats what we are all looking for.
Tangwena

 

[Tangwena]

Is it just me or does it taste really good to chew, I enjoy it, if anything the only worry I have is the strength of it and placing it in my gums much like one would a tobacco pack, I was never a chewer but it seems similar....

Tang, you ever get any mouth sores or anything putting it in the same place or do you just chomp away? I wonder if the gums can get "raw" if you will, some of the cobs I've chewed on are like fire and it seems it could cause this....you have many more years chewing than I...?

I quit drinking not too long ago and the taste is a guilty sin, if you will

I have cobs that taste as good as they smell and some more fermented that smell and taste shit.
But the high makes you not care what they taste like.
Def no mouth problems chewing the cobs I chew every day for the last 10 years and apart from a bit of skunk breath when I chew skunk nothing bad to report.
I was in super market a while back after chewing some skunk and all the stoner type people were looking over their shoulders but couldn't figure out where the smell was coming from. Def not the old pensioner in front of them so who had the skunk ha ha.
I love it.
Tangwena

 

[Tangwena]

I really think the initial sweat is nothing more than a prep, the 1-3 month slow / cool cure while still wet is what does the magic here... The initial sweat can take many forms, some try and do it faster or more slowly but really it's a matter of not screwing it up before you need a wee bit of patience, ideally 3 more months to make things right before drying and storing....

"Just Set it and forget it", damn infomercials - Ha

A good vac sealer goes a long way too, Foodsavers are OK, Westons a heck of a lot better for near similar price - night and day VAC difference, they have an accessory attachment too, aka a 1/4" tube hole for clever food saver Jar Sealer gadget

You hit the nail on the head my friend the initial sweat is everything after that the aging and drying. It takes all three to make a good cob.
Tangwena

 

[canna.ballistic]

Your on the money my friend after the one week, two week sweats, dry the cobs until the outside wrapper is dry to the touch and then reseal them in the vac bag for a month minimum.
Three months is perfect, then fully dry them to about 50% humidity for storage.
You will find the clarity and intensity of the high improves a lot from one month on. The smoking improves out of site clean and no coughing.
Please post pics of the cobs after sweating and after aging nice close ups I love looking at cobs and some members here have produced outstanding cobs over the years. Also pics of the buds before cobbing is very interesting as well.
Good on you for giving it a go you will not be disappointed.
PS make sure you remove all the air or you will get mold in the bag with the loose buds.
Tangwena

Thanks for the feedback Tangwena. I will send pics through, as well as comments on the different processes I'm trying, so as to further the information in this thread.

Can you also comment on the differences you have found between aging the bud in a vac bag for 1 to 3 months (i.e. after the 1-2 week cob sweat), compared to doing the aging in a jar.

I suppose I'm trying to expand on led05's earlier post where he says the aging in the vacuum bag is where the magic is. Have you found that aging in a vac bag (i.e. no air) cures the bud differently from the jar method (i.e. exposed to air) ?

If there are improvements, does this mean that curing in vac bags is preferable to jar curing, even when not doing any cob sweating beforehand ? In fact, I will put some of my recently jarred bud into a vac bag over the next couple of days to see what differences I can observe in the curing.

 

[led05]

I have cobs that taste as good as they smell and some more fermented that smell and taste shit.
But the high makes you not care what they taste like.
Def no mouth problems chewing the cobs I chew every day for the last 10 years and apart from a bit of skunk breath when I chew skunk nothing bad to report.
I was in super market a while back after chewing some skunk and all the stoner type people were looking over their shoulders but couldn't figure out where the smell was coming from. Def not the old pensioner in front of them so who had the skunk ha ha.
I love it.
Tangwena

stoner people, yet you were the one no one would think of.... ?

Point being, all types, all walks love this plant my friend, including the cob master pensioner !!

 

[Tangwena]

Thanks for the feedback Tangwena. I will send pics through, as well as comments on the different processes I'm trying, so as to further the information in this thread.

Can you also comment on the differences you have found between aging the bud in a vac bag for 1 to 3 months (i.e. after the 1-2 week cob sweat), compared to doing the aging in a jar.

I suppose I'm trying to expand on led05's earlier post where he says the aging in the vacuum bag is where the magic is. Have you found that aging in a vac bag (i.e. no air) cures the bud differently from the jar method (i.e. exposed to air) ?

If there are improvements, does this mean that curing in vac bags is preferable to jar curing, even when not doing any cob sweating beforehand ? In fact, I will put some of my recently jarred bud into a vac bag over the next couple of days to see what differences I can observe in the curing.

I am no scientist and I dont pretend to understand why or how this works, only that it does and I love the results.
The jar cured, that is in a mason jar with the air removed and then sweated, removes a lot of water from the buds as they shrivel which collects in the bottom of the jar.
You can keep an eye on the color change to the buds,but once you reach the desired color the buds need to be removed and gently dried for long term aging/storage.
The product has bag appeal and nice terps smell. The high is more racy and clear once aged.

The vacuumed bag also works the same in that you can see the change in color and the buds need drying slowly before revacuuming for aging and long term storage. This method produces nice smell, taste and a strong clear high.

The cobbing method can produce anything from a hashish like consistency and smell, to a more rank non cannabis type smell on the longer/hotter sweats. This method produces the most radical changes to both smell and effect.
Anything from strong and lysergic to deep and trippy narcotic type highs.
Cobs give you the greatest range of effects and can get extremely strong with the right strain and cure.

I always do the 3 types of cure on my harvest of any strain to try and find which cure brings out the forbidden fruit from that strain.
Once I find the type of high I want. I grow that plant again and delve further into the cures I have found work the best.
Doing this you can get outstanding highs from the same plant.

Of course its a never ending quest like growing and just when you think you have found the holy grail someone betters it. Thats why I ask people to post their pics of their cobs and keep a note of how they were produced so we can all share and learn from each other.
Once bitten by the cob cure bud you become obsessed with it and slide down the rabbit hole of a new universe where anything is possible.
Tangwena

 

[seeded]

It's been about 2 months since I cooked up the brick and split it up to cure with 62%, 69% and 75% boveda packs so nows about a good a time as any to report my results.

75% on top, 62% bottom left, 69% bottom right

The 62% has maintained the best terp profile by far. You can tell it's been fermented but over the past month the hazy tea tree oil ssh stink came back like mad and you can really taste it too. It burns/irritates my mouth the worst but it kicks stronger and has more body to it too. It has a shorter creeper high making it feel more intense and it's been dropping the waviness in favor of a constant kick so you expect to come down a but you only drop a little and then it goes right back up again. It's steamrolled me more than once but in small doses it's fantastic.

The 69% stuff isn't as flavorsome or instantly strong as the 62% buds but the high is drawn out by an extra 20 mins or so. The wavy feeling is still there a fair bit with a creeper come down that takes a while to notice and then it slams you again once you realize that you're not really sober. It does that twice and then gradually wears off leaving me quite tired for around an hour and then I'm right as rain. I like it a lot but the 62% is much better.

The 75% gear has lost most of it's flavour but holy hell is it smooth. The others burn a bit but the 75% buds are as fiery as a carrot and the first burp after eating it has me bellow out a plume of tea tree terps every time. I can very much relate to this comment from Tangwena.

I was in super market a while back after chewing some skunk and all the stoner type people were looking over their shoulders but couldn't figure out where the smell was coming from. Def not the old pensioner in front of them so who had the skunk ha ha.

High wise it still has some body but it's wavy as hell and mostly focused in the head. It never lets me think I'm really sober but it has me questioning how high I am until it slowly peaks again so I've given up caring and just enjoy it now. Not only does it last longer than the others it also makes time move insanely quickly compared to the 62% stuff (69% is in the middle) and with it feeling more sativa it's great for boredom and depression too.

I'm torn between the 62% and 75% cure. The 62% has a better flavour and feels considerably stronger at first but the 75% buds have a trippier high, go down easier and lasts a good 45 mins to an hour longer. The 69% buds are a nice middle ground but it feels like a commercial compromise where something special has been lost along the way which might change with time but I'm doubtful and more interested in testing the extremes rather than finding something average anyway. I've really got to do more testing but if I had to pick a winner for the ssh brick cure right now it would go to the 75% buds for the extra time and trippyness. I'd miss the 62% buds if I were forced to only have one though

 

[Tangwena]

Hi seeded nice report and something I had never thought to do. I would go with the trippier every time but the tasty one also has a time and def a place.
My trippiest cobs are the least best tasting so that fits.
Love your photos it still looks awesome i cant wait to see your next excursion armed with the new knowledge I can see you blowing your mind as they say some time very soon.
Thank you for an awesome thinking report we need more people like you.
Tangwena

 

[canna.ballistic]

I am no scientist and I dont pretend to understand why or how this works, only that it does and I love the results.
The jar cured, that is in a mason jar with the air removed and then sweated, removes a lot of water from the buds as they shrivel which collects in the bottom of the jar.
You can keep an eye on the color change to the buds,but once you reach the desired color the buds need to be removed and gently dried for long term aging/storage.
The product has bag appeal and nice terps smell. The high is more racy and clear once aged.

The vacuumed bag also works the same in that you can see the change in color and the buds need drying slowly before revacuuming for aging and long term storage. This method produces nice smell, taste and a strong clear high.

The cobbing method can produce anything from a hashish like consistency and smell, to a more rank non cannabis type smell on the longer/hotter sweats. This method produces the most radical changes to both smell and effect.
Anything from strong and lysergic to deep and trippy narcotic type highs.
Cobs give you the greatest range of effects and can get extremely strong with the right strain and cure.

I always do the 3 types of cure on my harvest of any strain to try and find which cure brings out the forbidden fruit from that strain.
Once I find the type of high I want. I grow that plant again and delve further into the cures I have found work the best.
Doing this you can get outstanding highs from the same plant.

Of course its a never ending quest like growing and just when you think you have found the holy grail someone betters it. Thats why I ask people to post their pics of their cobs and keep a note of how they were produced so we can all share and learn from each other.
Once bitten by the cob cure bud you become obsessed with it and slide down the rabbit hole of a new universe where anything is possible.
Tangwena

Thanks for the detailed response, Tangwena ... very useful information that will assist everyone ... I like the idea of doing the different types of cure for each harvest to see what you prefer from each plant.

So when you cure in the mason jars, it sounds like you also remove the air (I assume you have a special lid for the jar that attaches to the food saver) ?

I presume this means you no longer air cure / burp with the jars at all ... did you find that removing the air from the jar resulted in a better taste or a stronger high or a quicker cure ?

I would imagine that you could put the buds into the jars at a higher moisture content, and then place the jars in a warmer place without the risk of mold due to the vacuum in the jar.

 

[canna.ballistic]

Seeded, great post and great information ... thanks !!

So aiming to cure in the low 60s appears to retain the best flavour and terp profile whilst maintaining a strong high ... whereas a cure in the mid 70s results in a longer trippier high but with a loss of flavour.

Easy to split a sweated cob up and then cure half at either extreme so as to ensure a supply of bud which provides each effect depending on mood and need.

 

[seeded]

Hi seeded nice report and something I had never thought to do. I would go with the trippier every time but the tasty one also has a time and def a place.
My trippiest cobs are the least best tasting so that fits.
Love your photos it still looks awesome i cant wait to see your next excursion armed with the new knowledge I can see you blowing your mind as they say some time very soon.
Thank you for an awesome thinking report we need more people like you.
Tangwena

Thanks mate and I'm more than happy to share but I just blew everything I had and then some on a decent camera so the experiments using a sous vide cooker for precise temperature cooking, cooking at specific humidity levels using all the different boveda packs, etc. I hoped to do at my next harvest aren't going to go ahead as planned. I'll still be able to do some work like testing the temperature as my yogurt maker can be set at different temperatures but it's accurate to within 2c instead of 0.1c like a sous vide cooker, I have less than half of the available boveda packs, etc. so the tests are going to be both inaccurate and incomplete but I should at least be able to take a good pic or two along the way for you though

Seeded, great post and great information ... thanks !!

So aiming to cure in the low 60s appears to retain the best flavour and terp profile whilst maintaining a strong high ... whereas a cure in the mid 70s results in a longer trippier high but with a loss of flavour.

Easy to split a sweated cob up and then cure half at either extreme so as to ensure a supply of bud which provides each effect depending on mood and need.

My pleasure but if you want to experiment with the highs you'd be better off playing with the temperature and cooking times as they're far more effective than controlling the humidity after the fact. The higher the temperature and the longer you cook it the more indica it feels and the opposite is also true for sativa traits too. It'll give you immediate results and then afterwards you can use the humidity packs to fine tune the highs to your tastes.

Good luck with it and I hope you share your results