Safely storing dried and cured herb

[GreenGold420]

Maybe you have a perpetual grow on your hands and have more herbs than you can process, good for you hopefully you dont live in a state where 10 plants are a misdemeanor, yet what they could produce would be a felony.
This is intended to store your harvests so if people come looking, they wont find the herbs and growing plants. Sometimes a few plants is a slap on the wrist when the bounty of them is a something somewhere that will hurt badly
I wont go in detail on locations to stash things. The idea is to store it where a human could not find it, and to encourage them to utilize drug dogs. Why drugs dogs? Because the packages will be genuinely smell proof.
The first step to this is to vacuum pack your herb using common known practices. Remember that the odor molecules will stick to EVERYTHING they come in contact with. The secret to this is triple packing small amounts in multiple bags in a sterile environment. Submersing the bags in water with a bit of soap will "wash" any odor molecules off the surface of the bags.
This alone will only be smell proof for a short amount of time. Odor molecules are charged and do an incredible job of permeating through the plastic, even under a "vacuum". The vacuum itself compacts the herb when in a bag. Breaking the trichomes and releasing more odor molecules, possibly mitigating the effects of the vacuum by releasing more concentrations into the bag
Then it dawned on me to make the pressure so high on the outside of the bag, that the molecules are forced back into the bag.
I triple vacuum packed some herb, then put it in a pvc tube. Capped the tube off and pressurized the vessel to 80 psi. It has been siting in the sun during the day for over a week. No sign of smell to my human nose. I would think that it would be physically impossible for the smell to travel through the 80psi. I wish I had a trained dog to do some test, but I dont. Does anyone have any ideas on this?

 

[Brooce]

Sounds very solid.
Ive got a question regarding how you sealed the PVC after pressurizing it..
Or did you continually pressurize it..?

 

[GreenGold420]

i used the threaded type cap on one end and installed a valve stem on it. The other end was a closed type cap. Pvc glue worked fine. A lil teflon tape in the male threads and she held air pretty well. I was think about a hollow log with a "door" on one end of the log. I could have a small hole to stick a pin through to unlock an interior lock. Then put my logs in a pile of many other logs

 

[reddy1]

seems like a worthy pursuit but if it becomes too difficult try burying it in the earth, at least 5 ft. deep. i doubt a k9 could smell that deep.

 

[deltronZER0]

i would say that 80 psi might be a little excessive, more than enough to turn your pvc into a giant pipe bomb with fragments that don't show up in xray.
I have pressurized pvc to 120 before, but discharged it almost immediately, and DEFINITELY didn't leave it in the sun, that makes me the most scared for you and yours

 

[GreenGold420]

yeah i charged it to that with the meter on the compressor, not with a gauge on the pvc. When I unhooked the compressor, some air inevitably came out. So I would say it might be at 50psi, plenty enough for a boom. But a week so far and no boom yet Plus I used Hi/low temp PVC....if that even helps any.
I have come to the conclusion that if you REALLY need to store some weight. slice a scuba tank in half, insert vacuum packed baggies, and weld it back together. 100psi should be relatively safe then....ya think?

 

[Sheep In Shoes]

I wont go in detail on locations to stash things. The idea is to store it where a human could not find it, and to encourage them to utilize drug dogs. Why drugs dogs? Because the packages will be genuinely smell proof.

Please cite your reference on this statement.

The first step to this is to vacuum pack your herb using common known practices.

Such as...?

Remember that the odor molecules will stick to EVERYTHING they come in contact with.

Including the vacuum packing devices and everything you handle in this procees. Such as the outsides of the last bags you use.

The secret to this is triple packing small amounts in multiple bags in a sterile environment.

No such thing unless you are in an extremely expensive and highly regulated environment.

Submersing the bags in water with a bit of soap will "wash" any odor molecules off the surface of the bags.

Cite your reference to this, thanks.

This alone will only be smell proof for a short amount of time. Odor molecules are charged and do an incredible job of permeating through the plastic, even under a "vacuum". The vacuum itself compacts the herb when in a bag. Breaking the trichomes and releasing more odor molecules, possibly mitigating the effects of the vacuum by releasing more concentrations into the bag.

So sctratch this whole method.

Then it dawned on me to make the pressure so high on the outside of the bag, that the molecules are forced back into the bag.

OK, that's it, you're through.

 

[Dr. Buddington]

Why be such a dick. Sheep? Any system with different concentrations of same molecule on opposite sides of a permeable membrane will move towards equalizing the ppm on both sides. If one side is pressurized it would stop the molecular transfer.
Pressurized PVC is pretty sketchy, however if the right pressurized vessel was used (steel drum perhaps?) this method could work pretty well. You would also have to have a valve on the pressure vessel, so you would be able to safely release the pressure before opening it up.
It would probably be safer and easier to say put the bud in warm glass jars and seal the lid well, thereby creating a vacuum as jars cool and then put the said jars in a large metal can that you preheated as well and seal the can in a canning machine. This way you have double vacuum, impermeable membranes and no chance of explosion!
BTW I have a commercial hand operated canner that I bought for $150 and I buy 8 1 gallon metal cans for $10, so its pretty cheap.

 

[GreenGold420]

sorry sheep there are no references as NOONE but me has done it, as far as i know. You are right about contaminating the surfaces and all but this is a EXPERIMENT! So jump in the sea and wash some of that sand out please.
With enough preparation I dont see why making a sterile environment would be so impossible, we do modify rooms to grow plants. Im sure we are smart enough to build a sterile room.
A small "paintball" style HPA tank cut in half, filled with vac packed herbs, welded back together, and pressurized.
As far as stray molecules go Sheep, Do you think it would be impossible to wash a steel tank? Nothing impossible BUB! Ill kiss urs... you lick mine!

 

[igrowone]

there is the opposite method of thwarting of dog detection
that is, if you can live with a 'small' bust without it becoming a federal case
idea is to smell up the whole place with the sublime odor, a bit of tincture in a bit of water
spritz with a spray bottle at your location to create so many false positives that fido has a coronary as he(or she) goes from false lead to false lead

 

[Sheep In Shoes]

sorry sheep there are no references as NOONE but me has done it, as far as i know. You are right about contaminating the surfaces and all but this is a EXPERIMENT!

Nothing wrong with experimentation as long as it is labeled as such. Thanks for that.

So jump in the sea and wash some of that sand out please.
With enough preparation I dont see why making a sterile environment would be so impossible, we do modify rooms to grow plants. Im sure we are smart enough to build a sterile room.

There are ISO standards for "sterile" rooms. Which ones do you wish to meet?

As far as stray molecules go Sheep, Do you think it would be impossible to wash a steel tank? Nothing impossible BUB! Ill kiss urs... you lick mine!

I think you haven't a clue how to sterilize a steel tank to any known standard.

Without using the ISO standards or some other known, tested standards, you can't begin to claim sterility. Much less test for sterility.

Btw, sterility is a control process not just a construction set.

 

[GimmeShelter]

seems like a worthy pursuit but if it becomes too difficult try burying it in the earth, at least 5 ft. deep. i doubt a k9 could smell that deep.

True they may not be able to smell 5 feet deep but how many times have you heard of dogs searching and uncovering a body feet below surface. These guys claim the k9's can detect many feet under the ground

http://www.rcips.ky/k_9.htm

Nothing wrong with experimentation as long as it is labeled as such. Thanks for that.
There are ISO standards for "sterile" rooms. Which ones do you wish to meet?
I think you haven't a clue how to sterilize a steel tank to any known standard.
Without using the ISO standards or some other known, tested standards, you can't begin to claim sterility. Much less test for sterility.
Btw, sterility is a control process not just a construction set.

Maybe sterile was the wrong word for the OP to use. However we use the word sterile in college and high school chemical labs when certainly they are not. There are helpful and constructive ways to go about a civilized conversation. Telling people they don't have a clue comes off as arrogant and when you belittle someones thread by telling them that it's a control process and not a construction set, it sends the wrong message. We aim to be helpful here at IC and I feel your posts may scare away others from the forums.

GreenGold you have a very interesting idea and I am excited to see what we can come up with. Im sure we can modify and make this into a great method for long term storage. Be safe and happy growing

 

[Sheep In Shoes]

Maybe sterile was the wrong word for the OP to use. However we use the word sterile in college and high school chemical labs when certainly they are not.

Then let me suggest that you put your education to use and use the correct terminology.

There are helpful and constructive ways to go about a civilized conversation. Telling people they don't have a clue comes off as arrogant and when you belittle someones thread by telling them that it's a control process and not a construction set, it sends the wrong message.

It sends the message that they are wrong, cannot support their statements and should be summarily dismissed until they can.

As one addicted to reality I would rather have facts than rely on opinions, informed or otherwise, which range all over the map. It's only your life and liberty that is at stake but, of course, it is yours to either squander or protect.

 

[RESINvention]

Hey GreenGold420, I think this idea is very clever, especially if you implement it in a triple sealed system like so:

First Bag: loosely seal the first bag around your bud, making sure NOT to compact or compress it / vacuum seal it.

Second Bag: Instead of vacuum sealing, pressurize this bag. Place a toothpick between the two layers of plastic before heat sealing, creating a small hole. Insert a basketball pump needle through this slot and start pressurizing with a pump to desired level. Carefully apply pressure to the hole as you remove the needle. Tape up the ends of the plastic pieces while holding the hole shut (maybe another person to help?). Reseal with heat seal after the tape is in place and no air leaks.

Third Bag: Vacuum seal this bag really well, compressing the 2nd bag nicely.



Advantages: This method potentially compresses odors inward to the first bag. Also, the first bag is not squished or compressed as much, preventing the excess loss of essential terpenes/terpenoids, and early oxidation of THC when the trichomes are smashed upon vacuum squishing.

Excellent exposure GreenGold, thanks for the ideas

 

[gaiusmarius]

i like the idea. the most important thing is to use new disposable gloves for every step. also maybe doing the vacuum packaging on the balcony or some other place where you haven't smoked. make sure you use brand new bags. you could even wipe each bag down with alcohol before adding the next layer of plastic. in order not to crush the bud you could use a new Tupperware and then vacuum pack it and then do the air pressure layer etc. i think the log is a good idea as long as you seal it well enough to stop the smell being detectable for dogs. not sure how hard that is.

 

[Sheep In Shoes]

Let's assume that the OP has found the a practical odor control system which has defied scientists and major international crime families for decades. How are you goint to test the proof of concept?

No POC testing, no facts. No facts, you have nothing.

 

[GreenGold420]

Let's assume that the OP has found the a practical odor control system which has defied scientists and major international crime families for decades. How are you goint to test the proof of concept?

No POC testing, no facts. No facts, you have nothing.

You are true......I have no way of testing the effectiveness. That doesnt mean I have nothing. It means I have no way to test for effectiveness. BTW.....Im not wrong until you Prove so. You share the burden if you wanna prove me wrong. Im not wrong just cause your the shit!

 

[Dojo]

sheep you got a method? sounds like your an expert

 

[GreenGold420]

I could figure out the back calculation to determine emission of odor molecules. This doesnt really apply though. Odor molecules cant transfer through a "true" vacuum. No air coming in, no smell going out.
A simple vacuum sealed bag wont work alone. Air will find equalization through tiny tiny pores in the material, bringing odor out with it.
This simply boils down to making sure the final vessel is safe under pressure and that the outside is clean of small molecules.

Using a distraction to the dogs is a great idea, if leo ever brings them in. The idea would be that it is hid well enough a human could "never" find it, forcing a k9 to search. K9s only advantage is there nose, as they are not smart enough to "think" about where it could be hidden.

Hey Sheep, if just me and you where waking through the woods and saw a pig flying would it matter what the other "explorers" havent found in centuries?

 

[Ur Humbl Nr8tor]

If you wish to use a pressurized container for storing your medicine, might I suggest a standard soda keg. These are routinely used in the home beer craft industry and can be obtained used for very little money. Make sure to check and replace any faulty o-rings, valves, etc. then do soap and water test under pressure to make sure it holds. The top is usually large enough to have easy access into the 'belly' of the container. Any gas could be used for pressurizing, but Nitrogen is fairly inert and usually available for home brewing enthusiasts. If you had a 'keg-o-rator' set up with several tap brews and then your false keg in the back, not only would it throw off OP, but would keep your med's nice and cool for as long as you need to store them.

Good luck!