Let's talk about what a proper cure is?

[runyoned18]

Again, I will use myself as an example. I will wait until I start seeing the trichs start to turn amber before I Harvest. I cut the branch at the base and will hang the plant overnight before I start to trim it. I will then trim the bud to the best of my ability and hang them in the dark with a small fan going to circulate the air a little. Now at that point it usually takes about five days roughly to dry. I would like to extend that time if I could. Once they have dried, I usually will snap a branch to test the dryness. This is my first question to everyone. Should you wait until the branch snaps dry or do you go by what the bud feels like and if so, what are you looking for. I know at times the outside of the bud can feel dry but still maintain moisture inside. Once the branch snaps and the bud feel dry but not crumbly, I place the bud into a quart jar and fill it about 2/3 full. The first couple of days I will open the lids about every 4 - 6 hours then do it about 2 to 3 times a day and then once a day after about a week while still watching if the bud during this time does not get to dry. Once the grass smell is gone, I will burp them a couple of times a week. So please tell me if I am doing this right or if there is a better way or even a better container to cure your buds. P.S thanks for all the feedback

on how to tell when the buds are ready to harvest,

 

[pute]

Lots of different opinions on how to do this. You seem to be pretty much dialed in as to my technique. To me the dry/cure is just as important as everything you've done prior to this. I like a good 30-day dry/cure. Good luck.

 

[Flower]

I generally hang in a dark cool basement closet for 2 to 5 days.
Then, I trim, and the buds go into a brown paper bag until I decide they are dry enough for a jar.
Once in the jar, they are burped until I feel they are where they need to be.
I then add a 62% humidity pack to the jar and store it in a dark cabinet.

 

[MechaniMan]

Yes let's,

 

[Hippie420]

Always give 'em the sniff test when you burp the jars. Your nose will pick up on any ammonia type smell. If ya get the slightest whiff of it, dump the jars back out and let the buds open air dry for a few hours/overnight. At this point, mold is your enemy. YMMV.

 

[CrashMagnet]

I'm the heretic of the bunch. Three days drying time, then into the food dehydrator at 110 degrees for three hours. Another five days in mason jars burping daily, then store in a kitchen cabinet or fridge.

 

[Hippie420]

^^^Burn the witch!

 

[oldfogey8]

Chop and trim right after chop. Leaving buds on their branches. Hang in dark tent with a circulating fan not blowing on them and the exhaust fan drawing out the air. Once the ecterior of the bud ‘feels’ dryish(usually 4-6 days), I clip the individual buds off of their branch and into paper bags. They sit in the closed paper bags for several more days to slowly allow the interior moisture to even out thru the buds. Eventually they will feel dry again on the outside and into mason jars with a humidity gauge. With the lids on I monitor humidity. If 70% or over, they go back into the paper bags, until they feel dry on the outside. If 65-70%, I will leave the lids off the jars for a few hours(depending on ambient humidity) then lid up again. Repeat until <65% rh. Once under 65%, I will burp for 10-15 minutes a couple of time a week for about a month until <60%. I store long term with #62 Boveda packs. The buds turn golden brown over time. I am smoking 2019/2020 Golden Lemon and Triple Grape now. Occasionally I break out 2018 Mimosa.

 

[runyoned18]

As everyone can read many ways of doing the dry and cure. I just watched a video of a big grower using rubber maid totes just filled until the bottom was covered. He would flip them over once in the morning and once at night. left the top off if there was any moisture. Thanks for all the ideas and ways to cure.

 

[pute]

I'm the heretic of the bunch. Three days drying time, then into the food dehydrator at 110 degrees for three hours. Another five days in mason jars burping daily, then store in a kitchen cabinet or fridge.

Never heard of that. Hmmm.....seems to me that it would hurt the taste and smell. But to each his own.

 

[Hippie420]

As everyone can read many ways of doing the dry and cure. I just watched a video of a big grower using rubber maid totes just filled until the bottom was covered. He would flip them over once in the morning and once at night. left the top off if there was any moisture. Thanks for all the ideas and ways to cure.

Only problem I can see with doing it that way is knocking off a lot of trichomes when flipping. Still wouldn't be as many as one of those bowl trimmers would do, though.
I never did trim too close. If you look at 'em, the sugar leaves have as many trics as the buds do.

 

[pute]

Only problem I can see with doing it that way is knocking off a lot of trichomes when flipping. Still wouldn't be as many as one of those bowl trimmers would do, though.
I never did trim too close. If you look at 'em, the sugar leaves have as many trics as the buds do.

Sugar leaves have chlorophyll and are harsh and hot on the back of the throat.

This is how I trim.

 

[Hippie420]

Sugar leaves have chlorophyll and are harsh and hot on the back of the throat.

View attachment 301122
This is how I trim.

Yeah, but you're a damn perfectionist! I snip 'em, but not too close. That, and I'm lazy.

 

[SubmarineGirl]

Sugar leaves have chlorophyll and are harsh and hot on the back of the throat.

View attachment 301122
This is how I trim.

That’s a nice trim Pute. A perfect bud trim like that explains why your hands hurt mid trim. I think your hands are intense. Pretty bud

 

[pute]

Thank you SubG. Denver is a very competitive market....ya gotta do what ya gotta do to be competitive.

 

[CrashMagnet]

Never heard of that. Hmmm.....seems to me that it would hurt the taste and smell. But to each his own.

The few people I've had test it were unable to tell the difference between the food dehydrator buds and the ones I cured "correctly". I did both with the last harvest, so they were buds from the same plants. Of course, I didn't mention the added flavor of the spider mites : )

 

[gmo]

You're on track! 5 days is about what it takes most of mine to get to the jarring state, as well. 30 days to me is the absolute MINIMUM. I have some in jars that has been curing since November 2021 and it is just getting better and better.

 

[pute]

You're on track! 5 days is about what it takes most of mine to get to the jarring state, as well. 30 days to me is the absolute MINIMUM. I have some in jars that has been curing since November 2021 and it is just getting better and better.

Do you have that in a freezer? I have some that old and it is stored in a dark tent at 60F and is fine.

 

[runyoned18]

Well, you could take the rubber made tote theory a little farther. What would happen if you built a screen with let's say 8-inch legs but mounted the screen in the middle at 4 inches then air could get to the underside of your buds in the rubber made tote to help equal out the drying plus maybe by putting another screen somehow over the buds to stop them from moving you would only have to flip it over nice and smooth with not even bumping the buds to keep your trichs on the buds. plus, with the size of the rubber made tote you would not have to burp them as much. I could be wrong, but it is a thought. You know what I will build one and take pictures of it. in the next few days. Only one way to find out if it works. I would think it would work if you had a pretty big grow.

 

[runyoned18]

The few people I've had test it were unable to tell the difference between the food dehydrator buds and the ones I cured "correctly". I did both with the last harvest, so they were buds from the same plants. Of course, I didn't mention the added flavor of the spider mites : )

Hey, a little extra protein goes a long way. lol