BUD WASHING SOLUTIONS: GLARING PROBLEM WITH LEMON JUICE AND BAKING SODA SOLUTION

[CLYD_ILEY]

I've heard of three different solutions for bud washing: 1) hydrogen peroxide, 2) lemon juice and baking soda, and 3) a mixture of 1 and 2. My question is regarding the lemon juice and baking soda mixture. I understand the reasons for using both lemon juice and baking soda on their own, but wouldn't a mixture of lemon juice (citric acid) and baking soda (bicarbonate base) react to make a neutral solution of carbon dioxide and sodium citric, that is if lemon juice and baking soda is added in equal amounts mol for mol. So, for instance, if there was more citric acid than bicarbonate then the resulting solution would be slightly acidic with a little leftover citric acid, or vise-versa if there was more bicarbonate to start with. Simple acid-base chemistry, right? Well, if I am correct here, then the reasons for using the lemon juice or baking soda as themselves in solution would be complete hooey, correct? If added in equal amounts mol for mol, then neither would be present during the wash because they would react and become something completely different when you mix the solution, yeah!?

So, I guess what I'm actually asking is if there is anyone else on here who noticed this fatal flaw in one of the most widely recommended bud washing solutions. And if you did, do you know whether or not the peroxide solution works as advertised? This solution seams legit for the application but correct me if I'm wrong, thank you.

P.S. And if you must know, the reasons I'm washing is because it's an outdoor grow and I've been dealing with bud worms and a little mold here and there.

 

[Peat_Phreak]

The bro science concept behind dunking in lemon juice and baking soda is "scrubbing bubbles, dude".

It's also a good way to make your buds taste like salty lemons.

 

[MIGrampaUSA]

Salty Lemons? Interesting concept.

I wash my outdoor harvests every year. I don't use baking soda and I don't use lemon juice. I use H2O2 and water in one bucket and plain water in the other. In honesty, a quart of 3% H2O2 mixed in with a 5 gallon bucket really doesn't have much antimicrobial properties left at all. A couple of washes in plain water might accomplish what I'm attempting to do.

I'm trying to do one thing only ... clean the bud from all the pollutants thats in our outside air. I see bug debris in the rinse water and it turns a bit gray so there is stuff on the buds I don't want to smoke.

I don't dip my buds into active chemical reactions ...

 

[PipeCarver]

I've heard of three different solutions for bud washing: 1) hydrogen peroxide, 2) lemon juice and baking soda, and 3) a mixture of 1 and 2. My question is regarding the lemon juice and baking soda mixture. I understand the reasons for using both lemon juice and baking soda on their own, but wouldn't a mixture of lemon juice (citric acid) and baking soda (bicarbonate base) react to make a neutral solution of carbon dioxide and sodium citric, that is if lemon juice and baking soda is added in equal amounts mol for mol. So, for instance, if there was more citric acid than bicarbonate then the resulting solution would be slightly acidic with a little leftover citric acid, or vise-versa if there was more bicarbonate to start with. Simple acid-base chemistry, right? Well, if I am correct here, then the reasons for using the lemon juice or baking soda as themselves in solution would be complete hooey, correct? If added in equal amounts mol for mol, then neither would be present during the wash because they would react and become something completely different when you mix the solution, yeah!?

So, I guess what I'm actually asking is if there is anyone else on here who noticed this fatal flaw in one of the most widely recommended bud washing solutions. And if you did, do you know whether or not the peroxide solution works as advertised? This solution seams legit for the application but correct me if I'm wrong, thank you.

P.S. And if you must know, the reasons I'm washing is because it's an outdoor grow and I've been dealing with bud worms and a little mold here and there.

One helps balance the ph of the other. Washing buds with the 3 solutions doesn't give you any taste on the buds. Just be gentle in dipn & swish you can knock trichomes off with vigorous washing. If you have bugs....wash....if you have pm...wash...if you have dust...wash,,,,,cat hair......wash....if you're are in a sterile environment then washing isn't necessary. Too the mook that says it'll taste like salty lemons.....I've seen enough of your posts...bye bye

 

[PipeCarver]

Salty Lemons? Interesting concept.

I wash my outdoor harvests every year. I don't use baking soda and I don't use lemon juice. I use H2O2 and water in one bucket and plain water in the other. In honesty, a quart of 3% H2O2 mixed in with a 5 gallon bucket really doesn't have much antimicrobial properties left at all. A couple of washes in plain water might accomplish what I'm attempting to do.

I'm trying to do one thing only ... clean the bud from all the pollutants thats in our outside air. I see bug debris in the rinse water and it turns a bit gray so there is stuff on the buds I don't want to smoke.

I don't dip my buds into active chemical reactions ...

I got my bud washing instructions from Jorge Cervantes, a guru in the cannabis field. He used 3-5 gal buckets , Peroxide, lemon juice and baking soda and clear cold water...when I know as much as he does I'll question his methods...until then I stick with his advice.....

Ah sit we've been smoking shit on weed for 50+ years washing is relatively new to me, stuff I'm smoking now is un washed and there's more of a cough with it than when I wash the buds.....But washing does wash away some flavor and potency because some of the little mushroom heads disappear after washing no matter how gentle I am.... Cervantes said it doesn't.......maybe I now know more?........lol

 

[MIGrampaUSA]

One helps balance the ph of the other. Washing buds with the 3 solutions doesn't give you any taste on the buds. Just be gentle in dipn & swish you can knock trichomes off with vigorous washing. If you have bugs....wash....if you have pm...wash...if you have dust...wash,,,,,cat hair......wash....if you're are in a sterile environment then washing isn't necessary. Too the mook that says it'll taste like salty lemons.....I've seen enough of your posts...bye bye

I got my bud washing instructions from Jorge Cervantes, a guru in the cannabis field. He used 3-5 gal buckets , Peroxide, lemon juice and baking soda and clear cold water...when I know as much as he does I'll question his methods...until then I stick with his advice.....

Ah sit we've been smoking shit on weed for 50+ years washing is relatively new to me, stuff I'm smoking now is un washed and there's more of a cough with it than when I wash the buds.....But washing does wash away some flavor and potency because some of the little mushroom heads disappear after washing no matter how gentle I am.... Cervantes said it doesn't.......maybe I now know more?........lol

I'm not knocking Cervantes. I have some of his books and there's a lot of good information there. What I don't see is what kind of degree (if any) he has. That means much of what he writes about is personal experiences and the studies presented from others. It's valuable information. However at the end of the day I'm more willing to listen to what Dr Bugbee has to say ... that PHD he has carries a lot of weight.

Anyone know what Bugbee has to say about bud washing? I see much more value in peroxide solution rinse/water rinse/lemon juice rinse/water rinse/baking soda/water rinse or something along that line ... Not combining lemon juice with baking soda. I've never seen anyone suggest that other than on a post or two here on THCFarmer. I have seen many places, separate rinses with each and I am absolutely fine with that even if I don't use all steps.

I will say after all the years I've been smoking ... more than 40 but not quite 50 yrs yet ... my homegrown ... washed outside bud or unwashed inside bud is much easier on my lungs. I don't get my weed from dispensaries but the presence of testing regulations (in my eyes) is a good thing for the consumers. Without it, there's no way of knowing whats been used

 

[PipeCarver]

I'm not knocking Cervantes. I have some of his books and there's a lot of good information there. What I don't see is what kind of degree (if any) he has. That means much of what he writes about is personal experiences and the studies presented from others. It's valuable information. However at the end of the day I'm more willing to listen to what Dr Bugbee has to say ... that PHD he has carries a lot of weight.

Anyone know what Bugbee has to say about bud washing? I see much more value in peroxide solution rinse/water rinse/lemon juice rinse/water rinse/baking soda/water rinse or something along that line ... Not combining lemon juice with baking soda. I've never seen anyone suggest that other than on a post or two here on THCFarmer. I have seen many places, separate rinses with each and I am absolutely fine with that even if I don't use all steps.

I will say after all the years I've been smoking ... more than 40 but not quite 50 yrs yet ... my homegrown ... washed outside bud or unwashed inside bud is much easier on my lungs. I don't get my weed from dispensaries but the presence of testing regulations (in my eyes) is a good thing for the consumers. Without it, there's no way of knowing whats been used

Ya for 40+ years though there were no dispensaries and there was no bud washing going on that I know of. We didn't give a rats ass what it tasted like as long is it got us high. I had to get my weed from the dispensaries while I was disabled and unable to grow. It got too expensive so I started making pipes and selling them to the dispensaries and anyone else to pay for my smoke. I had an opportunity to try a lot of the new stuff at the time and it was all pretty good but where it was grown and by who was of no concern to me.

My basement is very dusty and it doesn't matter how much I clean dust floats & with 3 cats the hair works its way through our ventilation system and onto my fan blades & sticky buds....The shit I'm smoking now is coughy because I didn't wash....I'll take a pic of some stuff I have coming in soon with my usb microscope today and show you whats on a few small buds I cut this morning to look at trichs. The black specs on the images are not appealing to smoke

 

[Habosabin]

I got my bud washing instructions from Jorge Cervantes, a guru in the cannabis field. He used 3-5 gal buckets , Peroxide, lemon juice and baking soda and clear cold water...when I know as much as he does I'll question his methods...until then I stick with his advice.....

Ah sit we've been smoking shit on weed for 50+ years washing is relatively new to me, stuff I'm smoking now is un washed and there's more of a cough with it than when I wash the buds.....But washing does wash away some flavor and potency because some of the little mushroom heads disappear after washing no matter how gentle I am.... Cervantes said it doesn't.......maybe I now know more?........lol

Apparently only the degraded trichomes get knocked off if you are gentle. Not supposed to affect potency.

 

[PipeCarver]

Ya for 40+ years though there were no dispensaries and there was no bud washing going on that I know of. We didn't give a rats ass what it tasted like as long is it got us high. I had to get my weed from the dispensaries while I was disabled and unable to grow. It got too expensive so I started making pipes and selling them to the dispensaries and anyone else to pay for my smoke. I had an opportunity to try a lot of the new stuff at the time and it was all pretty good but where it was grown and by who was of no concern to me.

My basement is very dusty and it doesn't matter how much I clean dust floats & with 3 cats the hair works its way through our ventilation system and onto my fan blades & sticky buds....The shit I'm smoking now is coughy because I didn't wash....I'll take a pic of some stuff I have coming in soon with my usb microscope today and show you whats on a few small buds I cut this morning to look at trichs. The black specs on the images are not appealing to smoke

These are just a couple of pics off a small bud this morning