Drying Racks vs. Hanging

[paulycali]

Need some input here farmers:

If you have done a side by side experiment with the drying racks and the hanging process please share your info

From your experience what were the end results when using a drying rack compared to the normal hanging process?

Do these drying racks work?

Thanks farmers :)

 

[qupee]

lil of both ;-)

I made a drying tent out of a GrowLab GL60.

Plants hang at first, and once they are trimmed they sit on screen racks (I voted for racks tho).

I don't hang them for any specific amount of time. Some get trimmed within a day, others not for several days. Overall, it's usually 7-10 days before the stems snap, sometimes longer if it's extra cool.

Here's a little YouTube vid showing my setup.

[YOUTUBE]KXqa7MwhuzM[/YOUTUBE]

 

[GreenThumbBill]

C. Combination of both. Drying racks for the machine trimmed buds I wholesale and hanging for the hand trimmed buds that me and my friends/patients use.

 

[paulycali]

Thanks guys!

Are people skipping the hanging process and placing them directly on the racks after a harvest and wet trim? Is that what these racks were intended for? Skipping the hanging process...

 

[mrbong73]

I like to hang for a few days, then trim off most of the large leaves and cut the buds off the branches and put on screens for a few days depending on humidity.
ramble, ramble, ramble...

 

[paulycali]

Are drying racks supposed to allow the grower to skip the hanging process?

Basically trim buds wet and place on drying rack. No hanging at all?

PLEASE ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS. DO NOT RAMBLE ON ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE. THANKS

 

[GreenThumbBill]

Drying racks are usually for buds that have been cut off the main stem already. I would never lay a trimmed branch of buds flat onto a drying rack.

 

[paulycali]

Drying racks are usually for buds that have been cut off the main stem already. I would never lay a trimmed branch of buds flat onto a drying rack.

Thats what i thought. I figure they would get damaged for sure laying on a flat surface

So basically instead of placing them in paper bags for a day or two after hanging you would instead use the drying rack instead of the paper bags. Is this correct?

I think i am catching on

I almost thought these were intended to skip the hanging process and after trimming wet you place your buds onto the rack to dry

Thanks GreenThumbBill :)

 

[Emithsuk]

You can skip hanging and trim wet and then put on the rack to dry. Have tried hanging as well and can't tell a difference so far.

 

[GreenThumbBill]

Thats what i thought. I figure they would get damaged for sure laying on a flat surface

So basically instead of placing them in paper bags for a day or two after hanging you would instead use the drying rack instead of the paper bags. Is this correct?

I think i am catching on

I almost thought these were intended to skip the hanging process and after trimming wet you place your buds onto the rack to dry

Thanks GreenThumbBill :)

As with most aspects of growing there are no hard and fast rules on how to dry and cure other than DO IT AS SLOW AS POSSIBLE. And, I personally believe you should dry in the dark. But at the end of the day, it's all about personal preference.

I always place buds in brown paper bags before jarring.

MY routine is: trim, hang branches of hand trimmed, put machine trimmed loose buds in drying rack. Then, when they are ready, I put the buds that were in the hanging rack into brown paper bags since they dry faster than the stuff still on branches. Usually by the time the hanging branches snap the machine trimmed is ready to be jarred and I cut the hand trimmed bud of the branches and place it into the drying racks for a day or two before putting it into brown paper bags and then finally jarring it. I burp all my curing meds 2-3 times a day for about a week or two before smoking.

Works for me.

 

[wonderinalice]

The racks are for wet trimming ,machines etc. The buds will dry faster on screens , with what i think is a lower quality . Hang drying whole branches/plants will take longer to dry, but i think makes for better quality. Screen drying makes for tighter buds which the clubs deff like more on the outdoor. I've never dried whole branches on screens though, only nugs after they have been trimmed. Also trimming wet then putting on screens will usually need a little trimming when its dried . If you got bulk screens are a great alternative. Sliding screen doors make great drying racks from lowes etc.

 

[paulycali]

Thanks guys! Very much appreciate the info

 

[j wizzle]

youre not putting the white urkles on drying racks are you?? will kill any quality bud for sure. it will destroy the shape and remove much of the frost

 

[baba G]

You can skip hanging and trim wet and then put on the rack to dry. Have tried hanging as well and can't tell a difference so far.

Except for the flattened buds!! I prefer hanging only and then when ready to schuck off the branches they go into turkey bags and get vented in them for a few days...If you dry it well enough while hanging you don't need the paper bag part. When they go off the branch into the turkey they remoisten nicely and then cure up with proper breathing. I used to go with the paper bags but that is a pain in the butt with that many paper bags all over and being in paper bags tends to collect crystals in the paper bag...

baba G

 

[phenotyper]

For headstash, hand trimmed and hung to dry on the stem with fans and major leaves removed. For other plants, into the spinpro, then onto a drying rack. The quality difference is pretty marginal IMHO. The only thing that matters is getting them in the jar for that 70->55% RH shift, and not damaging the hell out of the buds while on the drying rack. I usually turn my rack over instead of pulling all the buds out, I find this is a good way to minimize flat spots and crystal damage is minimal.

 

[baba G]

Headstash for all!!

For headstash, hand trimmed and hung to dry on the stem with fans and major leaves removed. For other plants, into the spinpro, then onto a drying rack. The quality difference is pretty marginal IMHO. The only thing that matters is getting them in the jar for that 70->55% RH shift, and not damaging the hell out of the buds while on the drying rack. I usually turn my rack over instead of pulling all the buds out, I find this is a good way to minimize flat spots and crystal damage is minimal.

Hey phenotyper: It's interesting you mention their isn't much of a quality difference between those two methods, but I gotta ask why then do you do your headstash differently than the rest?
I treat the whole harvest as headies and wouldn't treat any nugs diff because I'm keeping them.
I think the whole package should be treated equally and if you can I prefer to pass on the same quality I'd keep.

I do understand if you've got so much herb you need machines and all, but I can't imagine that helps drive the price up...

baba G

 

[qupee]

youre not putting the white urkles on drying racks are you?? will kill any quality bud for sure. it will destroy the shape and remove much of the frost

Not to single you out personally, but I don't understand how people are fucking up their buds so much on a drying rack.

:sign0065:


Only the biggest top colas get any flat, and then even that is limited to part of one side (and ime goes at least part way back to round after a bit in jars).

And losing trichomes? What, are you people shaking your racks around and screening the buds or something? I would lay bets that I loose more trichomes onto the glass of my jars than from laying buds on screens.

 

[el boyo]

it depends if you are at your joint on daily basis or have a schedule and do work on certain days.. we go twice a week to work and the system runs itself.. if we were to rack dry, flattened buds for sure.. if you are there every day and can rotate the buds daily.. you are all good.. sometimes over maintenance can be a downfall.. whatever works for you is whats best..
i personally hang dry, i like the slower dry and all the buds are always in pristine condition..

 

[baba G]

Not too hammer on you phenotyper, cause I love your contributions to the site...but If you prefer that "headstash" nug treatment, I'd guess others would prefer it too if they saw the difference.
I do understand if it's not feasible but I don't see super dank flooding the market and honestly I've seen super dank on peoples plants and it didn't translate to the final packages as well as it could have. That said, I've never seen your product Phenotyper so please excuse that analogy if your sporting the super dank...

In response to qupee I just feel the most even dry comes from hanging as nothing is pressed up against the nugs. I also feel you can fit a lot in a room when hanging, and I prefer to have my floor space versus setting up screens. If one has a nice sliding rack system that would retain floor space that's efficient and crafty, but I again I would only hang dry And I've done both methods of drying.

"why ask why smoke bud dry!!" Was my most used quote in highschool...lmao

baba G

 

[Capulator]

Hang first. As the plant dries, the large fan leaves will envelop the flowers. This slows the drying process so sugars can be processed (taste/smell/harshness). Do this in the dark, and keep a good fan on them for a couple days. Mine hang for a week before I chop em up and brown bag them.

This is when you can use the drying rack. It is a substitute for a brown bag.

You can grow great herb, but if you don't take the time to dry it right, it will never reach its full potential. Nobody prefers herb that smells like a lawn.