Curing for Dummies

[junglelover]

I need helpplease!

So I understand why I need to cure and most of the how's but a few things have me stumped.

Why do people sometimes do cardboard box before jars in the curing stage?

If I am using dehumidifying pouches why am I still cracking the jar two months in? Is it JUST moisture I am getting rid of or am I off gassing something else?

I've bought little humidity gauges for my jars which are hovering between 75 and 80% but the weed seems fine. Any tips for curing in humid air ( I have a dehumidifier pumping but with so many windows, it's hard to seal the room.

Thanks

 

[Pikey]

You're also releasing the remaining chlorophyll as it breaks down. RH of 75-80% is far too high for storage, definitely in the mold zone. Personally, I don't put my buds into cure until they are under 70% RH, preferably at ~65% RH

 

[Harry bootlace]

Yeah too high.

I dry usually hanging or in fruit boxes

When to jar ? I know all the info says when the stems snap clean. Personally I don’t really get this. I think that’s too dry. I go by the feel of the buds.
Which I guess is hard to explain.

Then jar up in mason jars ( 1 oz per jar)
With a Bodeva pack.

First few weeks I check every so often , crack the jar and smell, make sure nothings sticking to the edges or bottom.

If after a few weeks all going smoothly I forget about them.
( never had any go mouldy yet touch wood )

 

[junglelover]

You're also releasing the remaining chlorophyll as it breaks down. RH of 75-80% is far too high for storage, definitely in the mold zone. Personally, I don't put my buds into cure until they are under 70% RH, preferably at ~65% RH

It's a friggin dilemma! I put the fans on high and had the dehumidifier cranking when it was drying but there are only about three week a year here that humidity is under 65%. I "think" my weed is less wet than the air as small twigs snapped but yes, every time I open the jar I let higher humidity air in. What can I say, we live in the rainforest, it's just the way it is.

Every jar has a Boveda pack in it, should I just add more of them? I'll eventually Cryovacbut wanted to cure a bit longer.

 

[junglelover]

Yeah too high.

I dry usually hanging or in fruit boxes

When to jar ? I know all the info says when the stems snap clean. Personally I don’t really get this. I think that’s too dry. I go by the feel of the buds.
Which I guess is hard to explain.

Then jar up in mason jars ( 1 oz per jar)
With a Bodeva pack.

Thanks Harry. I have been wet trimming and leaving them in branches hung upside town on a laundry drier and that's working well but I can't get the air humidity below 75% even with the fans blasting and the dehumidifier going.

I also have cleaned all the walls and floors with teatree/clove oil etc and have essential oils puffing out of a dry diffuser to help with Mould in the air.

 

[Harry bootlace]

Not sure. I’m in Perth and don’t have that problem.

Probably when as dry as they will get. Put in jars with a couple of Bodeva packs and daily burping for a couple of weeks might be ok. (?)

Cardboard does help dry, they don’t have quite the same “bag appeal” as yanks say.
Turn regularly.

 

[Pixie]

Thanks Harry. I have been wet trimming and leaving them in branches hung upside town on a laundry drier and that's working well but I can't get the air humidity below 75% even with the fans blasting and the dehumidifier going.

I also have cleaned all the walls and floors with teatree/clove oil etc and have essential oils puffing out of a dry diffuser to help with Mould in the air.

I spread out a couple of kilos of Salt and that helped with the excess humidity

 

[veritas629]

Harry's advice is good and I also use the Boveda packs (62%). If you're in a high humidity area, and I am right now, than the Boveda type packs are real useful. Some people believe they absorb some of the buds' aroma, but that is not my experience and I'd rather lose some aroma as opposed to losing a whole moldy jar.

 

[itchybro]

i think the only reason you would possibly loose anything in jars is if you jarred buds not dry enough & the mold was already in play on your buds , one of the criteria that mold needs to flourish is adequate moisture

 

[Indy]

The reason I use a cardboard box is to balance the moisture out with the buds before it gets jarred up. Because sometimes the flower can be dry 'n yet the stem of the bud can be still quite moist. So over a couple weeks that balances out whilst keeping a eye on the humidity within the box.

Also, I rarely burp jars. This process seems to go someways of having to do it, imo.

But yeah, junglelover. In your humidity, that option is probably no good to you.

 

[Indy]

Any tips for curing in humid air ( I have a dehumidifier pumping but with so many windows, it's hard to seal the room.

Can you set the dehumidifier up in a small room like a laundry, study, etc.. ?

 

[HGO]

those boveda packs are really designed to be used after the curing process has been completed
once added they will keep the jar contents at around 62%
adding them earlier can fuck with the terpenes and curing process

 

[Sedge]

Can you set the dehumidifier up in a small room like a laundry, study, etc.. ?

Even a wardrobe.

 

[MLCBeaches]

Hi - I have used the Boveda 62 packs with mixed success - now use the reusable Terploc bags which are foolproof and give great results just dry by hanging with dehumidifier on for circa 10 days then dry harvest and put in bags set and forget no burping required

 

[Old fox]

Dry your flowers in the freezer. Harvest directly from the plant and let the freezer dry/cure the buds. Noticeably better final product than traditional air dried. Much better colour and bud structure, providing enhanced bag appeal.

 

[Stevil]

Dry your flowers in the freezer. Harvest directly from the plant and let the freezer dry/cure the buds. Noticeably better final product than traditional air dried. Much better colour and bud structure, providing enhanced bag appeal.

Can we get more detail on this i am intrigued?

 

[Old fox]

Can we get more detail on this i am intrigued?

There's a discussion thread on TSE called Freeze dried flowers. Have a look through there for starters.

 

[junglelover]

Dry your flowers in the freezer. Harvest directly from the plant and let the freezer dry/cure the buds. Noticeably better final product than traditional air dried. Much better colour and bud structure, providing enhanced bag appeal.

I'll give that a bit of a go today, another plant just got pulled. Only thing is the bait and ice freezer is the only place with room, may end up being a bit fishy

 

[junglelover]

those boveda packs are really designed to be used after the curing process has been completed
once added they will keep the jar contents at around 62%
adding them earlier can fuck with the terpenes and curing process

Eww, I thought they went in with the curing but regardless, even with Boveda humidity in the jar is hanging at 75ish.

Why do they mess with the cure? Too dry in dry climates?

 

[junglelover]

Can you set the dehumidifier up in a small room like a laundry, study, etc.. ?

I'm drying in a small room but it's not air tight. Ideally, next time around I'll tape up any gaps. I did feel in summer, the dehumidifier brought up the room temp a bit which is a trade off.

It's really just a not ideal situation but I am processing everyone's much appreciated suggestions and will apply what I can