after curing weed smells like hay?

[FileError404]

I think these drying racks are terrible idea, as you cut your buds from the stems already before drying. Yes they will dry much faster, at the cost of quality. I trim my plants on the stalk and hang up the entire plant.

Here is an excerpt that explains why:

All kinds of processes, like the transport of sugars inside the plant still take place, even when you cut it down. These processes will slowly come to an end while the drying progresses, but are the main factor for the end-taste of your smoke. That is the first reason why you don't want to quick-dry your weed. The second reason is the way that a plant dries. Plants are made up of cells and, as we all know, cells contain mainly water. Exposed to air, the (dying) plant's outer cells will dry out first but the above-mentioned processes will still transfer water from the inner cells to the dryer outer cells, thus causing the plant to dry equally all over. By removing the stalk and cutting off the individual colas, you prevent this natural process by taking away the extra moisture that would be drawn from the stem to the leaves and bud.

 

[wonderinalice]

my only suggestion is dry your plants as a whole plant...it's a bitch to trim but dries a lot slower and i think it helps the flavor a lot...and like twist said ...you gotta find that happy medium between too crispy and just right before putting in jars...

 

[nog]

depending upon when you want to harvest, but at least a week before you chop them remove about a two inch strip of bark round the entire main stem just above the growing medium (ring bark) this will slowley kill the plant, a lot of the chlorophyl will breakdown, cut and hang up as normal, the bud will be less green, less straw like smell.
they used to do this trick back in the 1970's in colombia around santa marta, and the weed was a very nice golden colour.

 

[Snowrally]

I just have a small medical grow and I use a huge box with lines run across it, it has a cardboard lid, temp and humidity gauge inside. It's perfectly dark in the box and I run 65 degrees F and 50% humidity. Takes 7-10days in those conditions for my modest sized colas. After that they get cut off the stems and placed into jars where they are burped for about a week (depending on feel for me) and then sealed for up to 6 weeks. :rasta2:

 

[StrongPimpin]

You use sweetner at all?

 

[MIgrow]

I just have a small medical grow and I use a huge box with lines run across it, it has a cardboard lid, temp and humidity gauge inside. It's perfectly dark in the box and I run 65 degrees F and 50% humidity. Takes 7-10days in those conditions for my modest sized colas. After that they get cut off the stems and placed into jars where they are burped for about a week (depending on feel for me) and then sealed for up to 6 weeks. :rasta2:

Sealing is the key to the Prize! Good advice.

 

[smokey79]

TEX can u clarifi that re greenhouse seeds, I thought it was only post 1997 after shantibaba left that ARJAN had only cutings to produce from, I thought that SUPER SILVER HAZE and great white shark, good few others were shanti's creations, I wondered how long they could maintain good quality without a mummy and daddy, I have grown SSH and thought was great smoke was good ten years ago when just started and given wasnt stinky till flower and nuthin like cheese an others but as it not good gettin caught where a am took it as bonus! and got nice results, was soil and as organic as possable 12/12 all way from seed and in hind sight was still one of best grown yet in fact going to nice seedbnk to get sum ssh for next grow, so is it not pre shanti leavin? or can they only maintain the quality so long? THINK Arj got far too good a deal dnt like him, not bought from grn house since I found out what a prick arjan was and got reduced germ rates too! thanks smokey

 

[mellokitty]

paper bags? really?
doesn't that leave a 'paper bag smell'?

 

[murryball]

I have had the same problem and I have found that how quickly something dries contributes to final smell. Things have to dry slowly and there is no universal timeline due to variation in climate. Stems bend and snap at the end of the bend. If you jar now you can burp here or close the jar for a day and leave it open for a day for about a 2 weeks.I find it important that the buds stay slightly moist at the start which you will see when they have been in a jar for a day. Gradually they will become drier over the two weeks and the smell will improve daily . After the burping seal the jars closed for another two weeks or longer. Check that the buds are dry because mold will take hold.

 

[John Smith Esq.]

paper bags? really?
doesn't that leave a 'paper bag smell'?

i thought the same so always went from hanging straight to pickle jars, i bought some brown 'take away' style bags to try, definitely recommend it, especially if you need to lengthen your drying times - no paper smell/taste and the weed was a lot more pungent and less like hay.

my bud always smelt of nothing until you break them nuggets up or grind them and the bags really helped with that.

 

[Seamaiden]

paper bags? really?
doesn't that leave a 'paper bag smell'?

Paper bags for the WIN! Seriously. I gave up fucking around with those God damned motherfucking dumbshit fucking fucking fucking Mason jars after my first grow. Fucking dumbshit dumbass fucking stupid Mason jars. I hate those things. Lost so much finished bud in those fucking jars. Paper bags for the win, seriously.

Harvest, hang to dry leaving all leaves on. Once (relatively) dry, break up but don't debone just yet, again leaving all leaves on, put into paper bags. Turn the bags or make sure you don't pack them too full or you're sure to end up with flats. Leave for one month minimum, then begin sampling. If it's where you want it, you know what to do. If not, like my Kush Cleaner, then leave it be for more curing.

With the Kush Cleaner I ran last year, first month into cure it smelled like fuel, I hated it and so I tossed all but one cutting I'd taken. Good thing I saved one, because two months into the cure that fuel turned to lemon essence, which is still very noticeable several months down the linen (harveyed in October, and I'm still trimming this stock and still loving it).

I defy you to break a paper bag. Just try it! Now, defy me to break a Mason jar, I've already beaten you to the punch. I've never lost a single bud to mold in bags, lost well over a q/p that first grow to mold in the fucking fucking McFuckoff Mason jars.

 

[mellokitty]

will have to remember to try this next time.

i have a love/hate relationship with mason jars myself. although this has more to do with home canning casualties than anything. last year i lost half my organic peaches to breakage in the fucking pressure cooker (you know, AFTER i did all the work. might as well have let them rot for all the fun it was.)

i'm a 'hang to dry with the leaves on' as well (we seem to be a dying breed) (right up to and including my man, who trims wet like everyone else i know), but i go straight into zipzags (<- they're like expen$ive ziplocs that are actually smell-proof) with repeated breathings and burpings.

 

[CalcioErba2004]

Jars are for storage only...Hang dry whole plants for at least 7 days preferably 10 to 14 days. De leaf them at chop(only big water leaves). Humidity should be around 40% and temps need to be in the 60s. Darkness is key as well as air movement although direct airflow is not recommended. Trimming is dependant upon grower. I like to wait a few days after chop to trim em down and hang them back up. Don't try to rush this process and you will get awesome results.

 

[hiboy]

I like trimming tight right when harvested. I have tried the other way, taking only big leaves off, drying, then tighten them up but what i noticed is brown leaves that you really cant cut tight and get them out when they have shrunken inside the buds, trichomes, etc.
hiboy

 

[Yodas Master]

Jars are for storage only...Hang dry whole plants for at least 7 days preferably 10 to 14 days. De leaf them at chop(only big water leaves). Humidity should be around 40% and temps need to be in the 60s. Darkness is key as well as air movement although direct airflow is not recommended. Trimming is dependant upon grower. I like to wait a few days after chop to trim em down and hang them back up. Don't try to rush this process and you will get awesome results.

+1 The lower the temps the better...If your pot smells green its because your environment is too hot causing your plant to dry to quickly...Your plant didnt smell like that when it was growing right...The key is low temps and humidity around 40-50%..Goodbye chlorophyll smell..:anim_09:

 

[hiboy]

So its good to have humidity around 40-50%?

 

[dextr0]

A perfect cure every time
http://www.icmag.com/ic/showthread.php?t=156237
+70% RH - too wet, needs to sit outside the jar to dry for 12-24 hours, depending.

65-70% RH - the product is almost in the cure zone, if you will. It can be slowly brought to optimum RH by opening the lid for 2-4 hours.

60-65% RH - the stems snap, the product feels a bit sticky, and it is curing.

55-60% RH - at this point it can be stored for an extended period (3 months or more) without worrying about mold. The product will continue to cure.

Below 55% RH - the RH is too low for the curing process to take place. The product starts to feel brittle. Once you've hit this point, nothing will make it better. Adding moisture won't restart the curing process; it will just make the product wet. If you measure a RH below 55% don't panic. Read below:

Obviously, the product need time to sweat in the jar. As such, accurate readings won't be seen for ~24 hours, assuming the flowers are in the optimal cure zone. If you're curing the product for long-term storage, give the flowers 4-5 days for an accurate reading. If the product is sill very wet, a +70% RH reading will show within hours. If you see the RH rising ~1% per hour, keep a close eye on the product, as it's likely too moist.

EDIT: It is interesting Sea says her strain smelled better after long cure. If she leaves in bag for a long while i have to believe the rh is lower than 55.

 

[hiboy]

Dextro thanks for that info. Are those readings (%) from the whole room that your in or are in or are you measuring from inside a container. Me thinks its the room

 

[dextr0]

Inside container.
Ive also done a few tests myself with different strains that come into town and I like the way they taste and smell. I usually get a reading of 60 or 65.

U dry as slow as possible without getting mold of course. In dark, bla,bla,bla. This rh is in jar to keep product curing but not a humidity where mold can grow. So u do dry until the rh gets to 67-68 how ever many days that takes to get a nice slow dry. In 3-5 days u throw in jar check humidity. Work from there. When rh hits a constant 60 u can jar up and let fully cure.

 

[hiboy]

Interesting dex,
so when its in the room open air and it gets to say 60% then it can be jarred, burped bla bla bla and should be ok for no mold issues. But definitely keep a close eye on it every half day>?