WET VS DRY Trimming

[imakandi]

Why do you type like this? It's very annoying to read and it conveys very little, if any, context.

because
i dry trim my smoke

wet trim is
damage your work
with more work
very smart

 

[Zomboy]

I always wet trim. I tried dry trimming and wasn't a fan. To each their own i guess. What works for one person will not necessarily work for another for a number of different reasons.

 

[Sconeofark]

I get the imak speak

If you have to run through acres of crop for bugs bird poop and oak leaves you want to process at harvest so you catch it all.

If you are craft growing smaller more manageable indoorsy plants, and want the best finish on flower, dry is best.

It all really depends on your application.

 

[Douglas.Curtis]

wet trim is
damage your work

This makes no sense.

Since everything is relative, please explain what you consider "Un-Damaged" flowers, and also what you consider 'damaged.' In my experience, cannabis is flexible and very difficult to 'damage' when wet. Conversely, the flowers are extremely fragile when dry. I even have a video clip showing the rain of trichomes, sparkling as they fall through a ray of sunlight, as a branch is dry trimmed.

I'm positive almost everyone on here would fail a doobie test of "guess whether this joint is rolled from wet or dry trimmed cannabis." Hint: Unless the dry trimmer is super meticulous (takes way too much time damaging fragile dry flowers, trying to clip every bit of leaf out), the dry trim always has more 'leaf' flavor.

 

[Mr. J]

I don't have time for leafy shit anymore. If I want flowers I only grow stuff with ridiculous calyx/leaf ratios that take a few seconds to trim dry or wet. If it's too good a plant to get rid of but it's a pain to trim I make water hash with the whole damn thing.

 

[TheForgotten]

As long as the slow dry is accomplished correctly, the end result is the same, minus trimming differences.

This is incorrect DC.

Plants with leaves left intact (leaves without petioles) are able to move fluids, sugars and chlorophyll better while drying, thus resulting in a better final product.
This allows for more curing to occur during the dry than would otherwise be possible, since potency decreases each day after drying, this is important.

There is a DJ Short article explaining how to do a great dry/cure.

 

[I'mback]

This makes no sense.

Since everything is relative, please explain what you consider "Un-Damaged" flowers, and also what you consider 'damaged.' In my experience, cannabis is flexible and very difficult to 'damage' when wet. Conversely, the flowers are extremely fragile when dry. I even have a video clip showing the rain of trichomes, sparkling as they fall through a ray of sunlight, as a branch is dry trimmed.

I'm positive almost everyone on here would fail a doobie test of "guess whether this joint is rolled from wet or dry trimmed cannabis." Hint: Unless the dry trimmer is super meticulous (takes way too much time damaging fragile dry flowers, trying to clip every bit of leaf out), the dry trim always has more 'leaf' flavor.

You sure like to argue, don't you? You stated your opinion, others are entitled to theirs as well.

 

[Mr. J]

If you're careful about it a dry trim is always going to be better. I'm saying this after years and years of wet trimming and having recently converted to dry trimming. I'm totally OCD when it comes to fucking with my resin from the point that the plants begin producing it right up until I smoke it, I don't touch my buds. Ever.

I handle everything so gently that I don't lose much if anything at all. I never cut a leaf, every single one is removed from the petiole up. A dry trim after they come off the line and before they go for a sweat gives me the best buds and also much higher quality trim than if I did it wet. Nothing gets smeared and very little ends up on the scissors. Takes more time and care but the end product is better.

 

[I'mback]

If you're careful about it a dry trim is always going to be better. I'm saying this after years and years of wet trimming and having recently converted to dry trimming. I'm totally OCD when it comes to fucking with my resin from the point that the plants begin producing it right up until I smoke it, I don't touch my buds. Ever.

I handle everything so gently that I don't lose much if anything at all. I never cut a leaf, every single one is removed from the petiole up. A dry trim after they come off the line and before they go for a sweat gives me the best buds and also much higher quality trim than if I did it wet. Nothing gets smeared and very little ends up on the scissors. Takes more time and care but the end product is better.

Because the majority of what I grow gets turned into mari pills, if its got trichs on it it gets jarred. I don't give a good God damn what they look like.

 

[Mr. J]

Because the majority of what I grow gets turned into mari pills, if its got trichs on it it gets jarred. I don't give a good God damn what they look like.

I like flowers and water hash so I try not to smear things. If I was squishing everything or using solvents then it wouldn't matter I guess. It's not really about the looks anyway it's about damaging resin glands, which makes them harder to collect.

 

[imakandi]

I'm totally OCD when it comes to fucking with my resin from the point that the plants begin producing it right up until I smoke it, I don't touch my buds. Ever.
...

A dry trim after they come off the line and before they go for a sweat gives me the best buds and also much higher quality trim than if I did it wet. Nothing gets smeared and very little ends up on the scissors. Takes more time and care but the end product is better.

can put all this thread
in this 2 pargrahph
learn from this words

 

[Douglas.Curtis]

You sure like to argue, don't you? You stated your opinion, others are entitled to theirs as well.

I like clarity, which is what I was asking for in the post. It helps significantly to understand someone's details regarding their opinion. Context is amazingly helpful in discussions like this, don't you think? I, for one, would like to get to the bottom list of variables which affect the answer to this question.


Like this statement here...

I don't have time for leafy shit anymore. If I want flowers I only grow stuff with ridiculous calyx/leaf ratios that take a few seconds to trim dry or wet. If it's too good a plant to get rid of but it's a pain to trim I make water hash with the whole damn thing.

Completely puts your opinion in perspective Mr. J, thank you very much. Your personal choices have a rather large impact on what 'trimming' you do, so this bit of info helps quite a bit. I'm in the "this is what works best for my issues so far" camp, so choosing leaf/flower ratio is not a realistic option (yet). It's the reason I prefer HPS style flower formation, regardless of strain it will grow with a lower leaf to flower ratio vs. more blue/blurple spectrums. Trimming sucks, so the less per flower the better! lol

This is incorrect DC.
Plants with leaves left intact (leaves without petioles) are able to move fluids, sugars and chlorophyll better while drying, thus resulting in a better final product.

This I would definitely like to see more information on. Knowing the details of how everything moves as the plant dries would be great. Is this a theory based on living plants, or are there studies on this effect already done?


And then there's this little bit of context...

I handle everything so gently that I don't lose much if anything at all. I never cut a leaf, every single one is removed from the petiole up.

Ok this is great stuff, you used to wet trim and now you've converted. I love the opinions of people who have experience with both, thank you. The extra detail about your trimming preference brings up something I had not considered before, and it's something which can make a huge difference in your trimming opinions. I'm sensitive enough I clip the sugar leaves attached directly to the stem. (No petiole) So my question to you Mr J is, how neatly do you see yourself also removing the sugar leaves during your dry trim. I'm interested in testing the 2-stage method for compatibility with my preferences.

No matter how frosty, sugar leaves have a 'leaf' flavor to them for me and I clip them from the stem. This is a pretty big reason why my 'dry trim' gets hacked to pieces, I'm digging much deeper into the flower than most.

Then last, but certainly not least...

Because the majority of what I grow gets turned into mari pills, if its got trichs on it it gets jarred. I don't give a good God damn what they look like.

 

[Mr. J]

I'm sensitive enough I clip the sugar leaves attached directly to the stem. (No petiole) So my question to you Mr J is, how neatly do you see yourself also removing the sugar leaves during your dry trim. I'm interested in testing the 2-stage method for compatibility with my preferences.

I find that a lot of the leaves that were hiding in the bud when wet are actually accessible when dry and the bud shrinks away from them a bit. The ones that are right in there, I pull them off with my fingers with a little wiggle and they usually come out cleanly.

I only grow for myself these days and actually leave more leaf on than I would normally, so that final manicure happens immediately before smoking usually. I have a jar that I keep next to my smoke buds, and the sugar leaf goes in there to be made into hash later. Sometimes I'll spend the time to trim up a jar really nice if I want to show off.

 

['Boogieman']

Sugar leaves should be yellow and taste more like weed rather than grassy after a good cure. I trim them off and save for edibles but the few times I got lazy and smoked an bud with sugar leaves I honestly didn't notice any difference in taste.

 

[Douglas.Curtis]

I find that a lot of the leaves that were hiding in the bud when wet are actually accessible when dry and the bud shrinks away from them a bit. The ones that are right in there, I pull them off with my fingers with a little wiggle and they usually come out cleanly.

I slide the sharp tips of fiskar trimmers down to where they meet the stem and clip it there. I'm really not concerned about gently digging into the flowers when wet, and I assure you they look great and undamaged when dry. I hang branches after trimming (not individual flowers on a tray/screen), and the force of gravity tends to put everything back to looking normal as it dries.

Sugar leaves should be yellow and taste more like weed rather than grassy after a good cure. I trim them off and save for edibles but the few times I got lazy and smoked an bud with sugar leaves I honestly didn't notice any difference in taste.

My sugar leaves are well faded and do not taste grassy, and I'm well familiar with what you mean. 50% of the population has (up to) an average taste/touch sensitivity, so no worries. Leaf still has a distinct flavor to it for me, and now I'm wondering what happens as/after a petiole forms? I mean I really get in there and clip the 'leaves' which are barely distinguishable as leaves. The ones which are barely forming a petiole/stem.

I'm too aggressive for dry trim. lol

 

[TheForgotten]

I like clarity, which is what I was asking for in the post. It helps significantly to understand someone's details regarding their opinion. Context is amazingly helpful in discussions like this, don't you think? I, for one, would like to get to the bottom list of variables which affect the answer to this question.


Like this statement here...

Completely puts your opinion in perspective Mr. J, thank you very much. Your personal choices have a rather large impact on what 'trimming' you do, so this bit of info helps quite a bit. I'm in the "this is what works best for my issues so far" camp, so choosing leaf/flower ratio is not a realistic option (yet). It's the reason I prefer HPS style flower formation, regardless of strain it will grow with a lower leaf to flower ratio vs. more blue/blurple spectrums. Trimming sucks, so the less per flower the better! lol


This I would definitely like to see more information on. Knowing the details of how everything moves as the plant dries would be great. Is this a theory based on living plants, or are there studies on this effect already done?


And then there's this little bit of context...

Ok this is great stuff, you used to wet trim and now you've converted. I love the opinions of people who have experience with both, thank you. The extra detail about your trimming preference brings up something I had not considered before, and it's something which can make a huge difference in your trimming opinions. I'm sensitive enough I clip the sugar leaves attached directly to the stem. (No petiole) So my question to you Mr J is, how neatly do you see yourself also removing the sugar leaves during your dry trim. I'm interested in testing the 2-stage method for compatibility with my preferences.

No matter how frosty, sugar leaves have a 'leaf' flavor to them for me and I clip them from the stem. This is a pretty big reason why my 'dry trim' gets hacked to pieces, I'm digging much deeper into the flower than most.

Then last, but certainly not least...

.
Great post DC, I hope i didn't come across as too harsh....

 

[Douglas.Curtis]

Thanks, and you're good with me. Your post actually clarified a few things for me. I understand now why a lot of growers are just fine with dry trimming, and why our opinions are all over the board here. lol

 

[TheForgotten]

.
Thanks DC, i'm enjoying reading your posts, you are very well informed and highly intelligent....

Try my dry technique sometime, if you are semi organic or fully organic, it smokes cool and smooth, leaves the grayest of ash, and tastes amazing the first day it's totally dry....

 

[Mr. J]

I slide the sharp tips of fiskar trimmers down to where they meet the stem and clip it there. I'm really not concerned about gently digging into the flowers when wet, and I assure you they look great and undamaged when dry. I hang branches after trimming (not individual flowers on a tray/screen), and the force of gravity tends to put everything back to looking normal as it dries.


My sugar leaves are well faded and do not taste grassy, and I'm well familiar with what you mean. 50% of the population has (up to) an average taste/touch sensitivity, so no worries.

Leaf still has a distinct flavor to it, and now I'm wondering what happens as/after a petiole forms? I mean I really get in there and clip the 'leaves' which are barely distinguishable as leaves. The ones which are barely forming a petiole/stem.

I'm too aggressive for dry trim. lol

This is the trade off I think. If you're too aggressive then you might lose less resin with a wet trim, even though it's getting all over the scissors and smearing around on the trim. In my case I'm very gentle and I think I lose less resin with a dry trim, and whatever falls off is intact resin glands that I can collect later because I trim over my pile of trim. Then I can make water hash later.

I think I might have even less non-flower matter on my bud simply because I can snap those sugar leaves right off cleanly. You can't do that with a wet trim, you need to cut somewhere and inevitably leave a tiny bit of it on the final product.

 

[Douglas.Curtis]

.
Thanks DC, i'm enjoying reading your posts, you are very well informed and highly intelligent....

Try my dry technique sometime, if you are semi organic or fully organic, it smokes cool and smooth, leaves the grayest of ash, and tastes amazing the first day it's totally dry....

Thank you, and I'm actually going to see about testing it as soon as I can.

This is the trade off I think. If you're too aggressive then you might lose less resin with a wet trim, even though it's getting all over the scissors and smearing around on the trim. In my case I'm very gentle and I think I lose less resin with a dry trim, and whatever falls off is intact resin glands that I can collect later because I trim over my pile of trim. Then I can make water hash later.

Definitely a trade off, yes indeed. Crazy how there are so many differences. I love scissor hash from a filtered air grow. Amazing stuff, and one of the rewards I appreciate for accomplishing trimming. The sugar leaves are clipped last, over their own pile for hash and extracts. I know what you mean.

I think I might have even less non-flower matter on my bud simply because I can snap those sugar leaves right off cleanly. You can't do that with a wet trim, you need to cut somewhere and inevitably leave a tiny bit of it on the final product.

It sounds like you dry to a lower RH than I do, but I'm going to test it.