WET VS DRY Trimming

[medicalmj]

Thats funny about more leaf on dry trim, its almost never the case. You might be one of like a dozen people who really wet trim right and get every leaf off back in the nug. The problem is that most just shape the sugar leaves and hang the sticks (why its faster). With dry trimming you are breaking most of the leaves off back inside the nug, there is no other way to do it, that's where they break.

Ill have to try to remember to grab some pics of the same strain done wet (commercial, many many lamps) and dry (commercial, many lamps). You can definitely see that the dry is providing a tighter trim. The advantage to the wet is that you can bring in labor and chop the room over the course of a couple days, and when you are done, you are DONE, just debone and its over. Dry trimming in a way just doesn't lend itself to bringing in labor. really a huge part of the workload with dry trimming is chopping and big leafing.

Again, that's all really strain dependent. Some strains just beg to be wet trimmed, my lavender is one of them, you would be crazy to not just snip those extra like 5 leaves per nug after you big leaf and be done with it. Where the difference really shines in my opinion is in some of the broad leaf indicas that have a lot more leaf in there flower. Dry trimming them is just a thing of beauty.

Also not sure if I mentioned it in this thread, but I am having fantastic luck big leafing, hanging, deboning into turkey bags and then trimming at my own pace. I am seeing no disadvantages so far and it takes all the stress of timing out of the deal. I feel they might almost be stickier for longer than when I trimmed all before bagging. The extra stick might be due to the fact that its so much easier to time it right when your not trying to trim it all before bagging.

DUDE! What you said is literally all that needs to be said and I'm gonna highlight it for all:

1) ...more leaf on dry trim, its almost never the case.
2) most just shape the sugar leaves and hang the sticks
3) dry trimming you are breaking most of the leaves off back inside the nug,
4)(benefit of) wet is that you can bring in labor and chop the room over the course of a couple days
5) Dry trimming in a way just doesn't lend itself to bringing in labor
6) strain dependent

Yeah,

 

[ohenry]

Good morning!

We have trimmed hundreds of plants every way you can imagine. Trimming dry produces the smelliest and stickiest buds every time hands down.

I've seen "salad-bowl" trimmers destroy crops by rubbing the trichomes right off the buds.

Deleaf the plant as many have said before, removing all of the fan leaves. Then simply chop the entire plant and hang it. We hang 8-12 oz plants , whole, and let them dry for four-five days before cutting them off stocks and jarring them up for a cure. Dehumidifiers are essential and air flow is key.

Don't ruin those gorgeous flowers by trimming them while their still wet.

enjoy your sunday folks!

oh

 

[johnnyblazed]

I trim mine dry always smell really nice compared to wet trimmed

 

[Skunkbeard]

Wet trimming is gross and lazy....

 

[TheCleanGame]

Awesome comedy thread, both sides are hilarious! Keep it up!

 

[Skunkbeard]

If you wet trim and manicure all the flowers they lock in starches which don't fully convert to simpler sugars; resulting in a harsh, less flavorful smoke.

"Curing proceeds while the leaf is still alive, for until it dries, many of the leaf's life processes continue. Since the leaf's ability to produce sugars is thwarted, it breaks down stored starch to simple sugars, which are used for food. This gives the grass a sweet or earthy aroma and taste. At the same time, many of the complex proteins and pigments, such as chlorophyll, are broken down in enzymatic processes"

http://www.lycaeum.org/~sky/data/grow/c21.html

All you wet trimmers out there keep up the awesome work!

 

[flat9]

Sigh...

... seriously, any chance of ridding of the fanboy-ism and instead just focusing on facts?

 

[medicalmj]

If you wet trim and manicure all the flowers they lock in starches which don't fully convert to simpler sugars; resulting in a harsh, less flavorful smoke.

"Curing proceeds while the leaf is still alive, for until it dries, many of the leaf's life processes continue. Since the leaf's ability to produce sugars is thwarted, it breaks down stored starch to simple sugars, which are used for food. This gives the grass a sweet or earthy aroma and taste. At the same time, many of the complex proteins and pigments, such as chlorophyll, are broken down in enzymatic processes"

http://www.lycaeum.org/~sky/data/grow/c21.html

All you wet trimmers out there keep up the awesome work!

That's an interesting site as it covers a variety of techniques including some that would never be done in the current Western cannabis culture.

I once grew tobacco and found it had to be cured much differently than the green kind bud I enjoyed. I think the article's version of "ferment" is along those lines. My green tobacco was harsh but very potent. I built a little curing box for the tobacco and alas, I had that sweet brown leaf tobacco for which I had been looking.

So curious, anyone curing their weed like tobacco and turning it brown?

 

[Midwest Toker]

I always prefer to wet trim, easier and less damage to trichs

 

[mendo-local]

My dad used to make me wet trim our weed. Could never figure out why he wanted to wreck it so bad. Fast -forward 12 years, he denies the whole thing. Acts like he invented dry trimming.

Once again, I would be willing to bet that most all the weed from this years cup was dry trimmed.why? Because the weed turnes out better.

 

[Skunkbeard]

Lol, m-local that's a funny story.

Midwest Toker....yes if one were to try and shape/ manicure their flowers the way people do when they wet trim, then you're absolutely correct there would be an enormous amount of damage to the trichs. My flowers end up looking 'homegrown' and not super tightly trimmed. It takes me 4-6hrs on average to trim and jar a pound of dry flower. It's a meticulous process but the end product is well worth the time IMHO. Also, I end up with zero scissor hash because I'm not shaving the flowers; cut at the base of the stem and for leaf material imbedded in the bud I simply trim off the excess protruding and leave the rest. If grown properly and flushed thoroughly the tiny sugar leaves will taste delicious, nothing leafy flavored. I try to handle everything as little as possible. Jarred flowers end up looking nearly identical to the way they were when the plant was still standing. But if you're looking for what's easiest and fastest then wet trimming is the way to go.

Med Mj, yes that's an interesting site. There's a heap of information on the net regarding tobacco curing and a lot of it overlaps with cannabis. I think brick from Mehico is often cured similarly to tobacco which results in that ammonia smell that no one likes. In any case it's all very interesting.

 

[johnnyblazed]

I have wet and dry trimed and think they retain more smell and flavour when trimmed dry

 

[medicalmj]

...if you're looking for what's easiest and fastest then wet trimming is the way to go.

Yeah^
It's all about the situation and the tradeoffs.

 

[neville hz]

Hi

Ive only ever wet trimmed but after reading this topic I want to convert or at least try a dry trim to help with the overal taste and smell...but my situation may make it awkward or not even possible...could anyone suggest how I can go about it after reading the below..

My plants are quite tightly packed in a tent...so when fully flushed I normally take off the top level of buds and let the lower get light for up to a week to let them finish/harden up slightly.
I normally wet trim and put them in a drying net outside of the tent...hanging them would require space that I dont have unfortunately...

Could I place sections of the plants in the drying net and trim later?
Maybe cut off the buds and put them in the drying net and trim later?
Is hanging essential?

Any tips are appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[theother]

Hi

Ive only ever wet trimmed but after reading this topic I want to convert or at least try a dry trim to help with the overal taste and smell...but my situation may make it awkward or not even possible...could anyone suggest how I can go about it after reading the below..

My plants are quite tightly packed in a tent...so when fully flushed I normally take off the top level of buds and let the lower get light for up to a week to let them finish/harden up slightly.
I normally wet trim and put them in a drying net outside of the tent...hanging them would require space that I dont have unfortunately...

Could I place sections of the plants in the drying net and trim later?
Maybe cut off the buds and put them in the drying net and trim later?
Is hanging essential?

Any tips are appreciated.

Thanks.

If you create a controlled environment (mid to low 60's) and steady 55-60% rh you could probably the tops first (maybe don't put them in a net but just hook them to a drying line. It's easier to get all the hang time you need out of a whole plant but I'm sure you could do it with just tops first. Maybe don't big leaf them leave as much on there as possible to slow them down. Big leafing just makes it easier when you do the final finger trimm but the wounds on the plant do speed the process, hanging the plant whole makes up for this. Really controlled environment is gonna be your friend.

 

[Skunkbeard]

Nev hz, I feel hanging flowers in small cut-up sections is the best way to go. If you cut the buds off the stems also removing the big fan leaves the flowers are going to dry out too quickly. I try and aim for a minimum of 5 days of drying and a max of 9. Anything that's still wet to the touch after day 7/8 and one runs the risk of mold. Anything dry in less than 5 days isn't going to taste right/ cure properly. Slow and steady wins the race. I'm also not a fan of laying the flowers down on a net, it ends ups flattening the side they're laying on and produces a commercial bud aesthetic. De-leaf the big fan leaves, cut branches in small workable sections and hang them. Hanging whole plants fan leaves and all I feel takes too long to dry and those big leaves/ large cola stems end up imparting flavor in drying....my two cents.

 

[neville hz]

hmmm thanks a lot....I was hoping you would give me advise that includes the use of my 5ft net as I dont really have space to hang dry it all....if i did I would and always used to do as you suggest and hang stem by stem...just never tried dry trimming before.

So assuming I dont mind the aesthetics of partly flattened bud from it lying on the nets is there any other reason not to cut wet, take off big leafs and place in the net to dry...5-10 days later dry trim?

 

[Skunkbeard]

I imagine it would work out just fine and dry up properly for you to dry trim a week or so later. Good luck!

 

[neville hz]

I'll give it a go and let you know later - thanks...roll on better smelling and tasting Chronic and Warlock from Serious Seeds.

 

[neville hz]

So my conclusion is that my chronic definately smelt better after dry trimming however it was a pain in the backside trimming the stuf from underneath. One of bonus is the trimmings are ready to go straight into the bubble bags