# bud won't burn. ash goes hard



## kaotik (Dec 1, 2008)

ok, my plants look good. nice and crystally, and nice buds.. 
it will not burn though.. almost like it's chemically (that was my first assumption) but i know that's not the case.

i took a few down already, and they were horrible. won't burn. 
like the ash is too heavy and smothers the cherry out. you light it, get 1 quick puff, then the ash is solid and you have to knock it off then light it again for another quick puff.
even in a pipe.. it turns into something that resembles the remains from a vaporizor.

i thought chemicals.. but now this last plant i have has been getting nothing but water for 4 weeks.. i thought it would be ok now, but noticed 1 bud was getting a bit of bud rot, so i took it down and dried the unaffected area.. and it's the same as the others were.

 i really don't understand why it's like this? i've never experienced this before (had chemically bud before, but even then, it wasn't anywhere near this bad)
must be something other than chem's.. but what?

they were older seeds.. but i can't see that being a factor.. you'd think if they were bad, they'd just not grow. (not grow, look normal and not burn)
was feeding with MG.. but i mean 4 weeks is well long enough for chems to be gone. (did have a few shots of shultz bloom boost. but again, have had plenty time for that to not be a factor)
non nuted soil (i know someone would ask) 


been curing some now, but it's not getting any better (i usally don't bother curing. just dry, then sweat, then dry and smoke.)


humour me, any factors _at all_ that you can think of/know of/heard of/ heck i'l even take myths. what cause hard black solid ash.
(the pot looks great, but what good is that if it's unsmokeable)

i'll be taking it down soon, just thought i'd ask if there was maybe anything i could do to try to get something salvagable from this crop.. looking like it's all going to be turned into hash or oil  such a waste


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## Thorn (Dec 1, 2008)

I had this same problem with 1 of my LR2s and also with a lot of bought buds. Never really knew why though :S anyone got any expertise?


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## Wiseguy_Chef (Dec 1, 2008)

its not dryed? what else could it be.


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## kaotik (Dec 1, 2008)

Wiseguy_Chef said:
			
		

> its not dryed? what else could it be.


don't have a clue man.. i'm completely baffled. (and it is dried.. heck, i even dried some to the point it crumbles.. still no dice)

everyone i talk to says chemicals.. and i'd say the same. but i don't see how it could be now.
i know salts from the chems can cause hard black ash.. but how could it be? 4 weeks of only water with 2 somewhat flushes (just heavy watered, not really 'flushed').. you'd think that'd be plenty to clear up the remaining chems.. unless the soil is garbage or something? (shouldn't be though, bought from a local nursery)

i don't know. (and that's the worse part.. if i screw something up, i can deal with that.. i know what to correct next time.. this i have no clue.)


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## aslan king (Dec 1, 2008)

some folk recommend flushing the plant two weeks before harvest. This remove nute and salt build up.


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## slowmo77 (Dec 1, 2008)

i would bet its not dry enough to smoke yet.. i've noticed this when smokin samples from plants that i did a quick dry on. the out side is dry but the inside still has moisture. jme


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## gettinggray1964 (Dec 1, 2008)

me too, i got some A.I. that was kinda like that, smokes good now.... did your soil have any time release nutes in it?????


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## Mutt (Dec 1, 2008)

should hang em about 1-2 weeks depending on the size of em. 
takes me at least 3 weeks to bust into a bud and start toking. 
I read that you don't "bother" curing.
You are cutting yourself so short on the full potential of the bud. Tis a pity that you don't have the patience. bud gets much much better over time. 

Had some juicy fruit x Champagne dried and cured a month and didn't like it 6 months l8r was some of the best herb i ever smoked. sometimes it just needs extra time to really show itself off.


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## kaotik (Dec 1, 2008)

Mutt said:
			
		

> should hang em about 1-2 weeks depending on the size of em.
> takes me at least 3 weeks to bust into a bud and start toking.
> I read that you don't "bother" curing.
> You are cutting yourself so short on the full potential of the bud. Tis a pity that you don't have the patience. bud gets much much better over time.
> ...


 
it's nothing against curing, or not having the patience.. i've just found sweating it once or twice made it perfect for me. (besides, when you have a lot, it sits for a while and ages anyway.)
it's just how i've always done it, and it always turned out nice.


and i dunno bout wetness slow.. it's perfectly dry throughout.
 i've smoked wet bud, and this is different.. it's not like it doesn't want to burn. it's like the ash is choking the cherry out.. it's a very hard ash (i mean literally a rock hard ash.. for smokers, you know when you use those snuffers to put your butts out? the ash goes just like that) 

it did dry too quick, i know it did.. but it still shouldn't be this bad. (and i'm betting this next stuff that will dry normally, will still have the same results as these. i'll gladly eat my hat if i'm wrong though.. as i'll have the muchies from some killer bud  )


thanks everyone for reading/replying so far though.. i honestly don't really expect to find an answer, but thought i'd see what more experienced growers say causes a solid ash.


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## Muddy Paws (Dec 1, 2008)

Grind it up very fine or make ISO hash. Hope it turns out okay for ya...I hate having 2 oz of something I don't like


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## blancolighter (Dec 1, 2008)

Buy a vape! I can vape weed two days after the chop and get nothing but the flavor and THC, no more problems like this!


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## Thorn (Dec 1, 2008)

alright to buy a vape if you can afford one!!!

Mutt gave best knowledge here. I don't believe it is cause its not dry enough at all. And I don't think it was a nute problem, unless you soil had slow release ferts? Its really baffling, but i would like to know about this as the same thing has happened to me. I mean when it happened with the bought buds i brought it up on here and asked everyone...most people said it was because it was coated stuff...It probably was, I know that now. But there is obviously no way it could be that with our homegrown. Still i'm glad i'm not the only one.

See how that other plant turns out


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## Dewayne (Dec 1, 2008)

hmm the only time i've had this problem is because the bud was not dry. well first i plucked it immaturely to "test" my bud which is a definate do not do for growers...it doesn't get you anywhere it just wastes bud to it's potential. 

but when i finished the plant, hung her up until the stem snapped with a crackle, had a 1 month cure, it smoked so great. 

and IMHO....drying and curing makes the bud 70% better. it really helps with the even burn, smooth taste, and even the looks 

i would like to knwo how the bud does with a full, proper dry/cure.

~Burn One~
Dewayne


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## kaotik (Dec 2, 2008)

i do have some curing now (been in about 2 weeks).. but i don't know.. i sweated these first (twice), is it pointless to cure them after sweating?

so far it's not making any change.. i think these are going to be ones that have to cure for months before anything (if anything) changes.

taking the rest down this weekend, so if there's anything anyone suggests to do to them while still growing..


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## Mutt (Dec 2, 2008)

Sweating is a form of curing. but more of a comm op procedure. Not really for us that like really good bud. IMO The reason why is it does generate heat. and its proven that heat does in fact decrease potency. But if you got a buttload of plants then time is you enemy. but if your growing personal its like oven drying or sun drying to me....a no no for good buds.
Read through the link below. there are many ways to dry and cure. but really, the best results i had came from hang drying then go into curing jars for a period of time. Sweat curing i never tried myself. Water curing would be good for plants that had probs (bugs n stuff) or chems sprayed on em.
Air curing was pretty good.
but the DJ Short method by far gave me the best smoke. 
Time and patience gave me the best results. Which is the air dry jar cure method. A lot of chemical process still happen even weeks to sometimes months that occuring during the jar cure. where the other methods are more for speed and turn around. IMO (water cure excluded). The air cure worked well, but i think a slower drying process did better. (even after hung dry it will take time to fully dry and this is where you want to keep it slow without having it mold). I skip his paper bag step (dj short) didn't see much point in it. more chnce of mold and loss of some trichs in the bag.
http://www.marijuanapassion.com/forum/showthread.php?t=11352



> taking the rest down this weekend, so if there's anything anyone suggests to do to them while still growing..


don't water anymore. but if you can leach em this week with distilled water then let em dry out in the pot and harvest next week. If your window for harvest will allow it. just a suggestion.


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## Growdude (Dec 2, 2008)

What is a sweat cure?


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## Mutt (Dec 2, 2008)

Growdude said:
			
		

> What is a sweat cure?


Its in the link in my previous post


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## pcduck (Dec 2, 2008)

:yeahthat: and a whole lot more. I always just hung and stuffed it in a jar, played with it daily, then smoked it.worked great


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## Dewayne (Dec 2, 2008)

yep i'm with grow dude, i was like sweat curing? don't even sound like something i'd do. honestly mason jars work great for me, i take them out for 3 seprate 15 minute time frames onto wax paper daily.

the thing with curing is two weeks doesn't look like it did anything to your eye, because you're looking at it daily, too small of a difference to notice so each update to your eye is too small too n otice so you just see the beginning, to the final. pictures would prove different. trust me i've done this. 

watch, take a picture when you're done drying, to when you're two weeks into curing, three weeks, four weeks....you'll see the difference.

good luck!


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## Dewayne (Dec 2, 2008)

mutt, you said that dj short method gave you the best. i remember reading about his cures...is his the paper bag method where you lay the buds in there and turn them and rearrange them daily?

also do you have a direct link for this?


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## Growdude (Dec 2, 2008)

Mutt said:
			
		

> Its in the link in my previous post


 
Thanks I read it now I know how they make brown weed, I wont be doin it.


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## kaotik (Dec 2, 2008)

my sweat isn't really like the one mentioned in that link (that sounds pretty gross actually) i never have them change colour..
i just hang them till they're dry, then put them in a plastic bag for a day and draw out the inner moisture (that's all i'm doing is drawing out the moisture) then dry them again and if they look good fine, if not sweat once more.
i usually end up with nice puffy perfectly dry weed that smokes great.

better than just drying, but i'll admit probably not quite as good as curing.


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## pcduck (Dec 2, 2008)

kaotik said:
			
		

> i just hang them till they're dry, then put them in a plastic bag for a day and draw out the inner moisture (that's all i'm doing is drawing out the moisture) then dry them again and if they look good fine, if not sweat once more.
> i usually end up with nice puffy perfectly dry weed that smokes great.




I have done it that way too, and it has turned out good.
Maybe you just need to wait and let dry longer.
Sometimes those real hard nugs take time.


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## Mutt (Dec 2, 2008)

Dewayne said:
			
		

> mutt, you said that dj short method gave you the best. i remember reading about his cures...is his the paper bag method where you lay the buds in there and turn them and rearrange them daily?
> 
> also do you have a direct link for this?



CLICK
I do skip out on the paper bag step. go from drying to jars.


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## andy52 (Dec 2, 2008)

I've Never Used The Paper Bags Either.to Me A Waste Of Time.if Dried Long Enough,all Ya Are Doing Id Drying It Out More.the Jars Are The Stage That Gives That Perfect Cure.with The Right Humidity.jmo


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## Wiseguy_Chef (Dec 2, 2008)

Mutt said:
			
		

> Had some juicy fruit x Champagne dried and cured a month and didn't like it 6 months l8r was some of the best herb i ever smoked. sometimes it just needs extra time to really show itself off.


 
i smoked some juicy fruit my boy grew. OMG i fell in love.  (with the chronic not my boy lol!!!)


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## andy52 (Dec 2, 2008)

sheet i love all good smoke that gets me high and not burn my throat out.i smoke cigs.,why i bought a volcano too.


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## leafminer (Dec 2, 2008)

Yeah, sweat curing. This is something I tried once many years ago, as per description. It is a bad method IMO. I modified it to include spraying with brandy but it was still not good, the leaves did become hard. I reckon that's yer problem right there. If you want a reasonably quick cure just pack in manila brown envelopes and leave to dry in a cool closet or drawer. Better, follow the tips found here.


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## Mutt (Dec 2, 2008)

Did you use any like superthrive or anything like a carb booster or something?
Sounds like it uptook something that strain just didn't agree with.
Oh wasn't saying your patience 
I sorta push that for others reading too. 

Only thing i can think of at this point is a chem or something that made it behave this way. Did you have to treat for mites or anything?
If it doesn't work right...could go with a water cure to flush out any chems or something.

I don't know whats up with my edit button.
but was saying..before my post was 3/4 gone. 
your pretty much doing the air dry jar cure method kaotic. just using plastic bags instead. but with the jars you have some free air and is easier to toss them around. 

If you could post up what you fed them the last 3 weeks. that would help.


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## kaotik (Dec 2, 2008)

last 3 weeks?... nothing.
they've been on water for like.. 5 weeks now (lol) (took the others down at 2 weeks on water, and they were nasty.. so left these last 2 on water since)
they were getting MG 15-30-15, and got like 2 or 3 shots of shultz bloom boost (10-54-10)

they should be very clean.
 maybe (judging by these replies) it is the drying/curing part that's messing them up.. i dunno, guess we'll see how they are after a 'proper' dry.


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## Thorn (Dec 4, 2008)

what do you mean they were 'nasty' after 2 weeks?



> sheet i love all good smoke that gets me high and not burn my throat out.i smoke cigs.,why i bought a volcano too.



Lol andy..you love all good smoke and yet you smoke cigs? haha hehe... I used to smoke cigs but quit almost 2 years ago, don't miss em. In fact, I don't see the point in tokin on anything unless its got some good herb in it :hubba:


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