Canning jar curing, how tight to pack, remove from stems?

[Califlower]

I got some jars since my weed has been drying for a week from the latest plant I took. I put it in jars. After 24 hours, no condensation. I put it in very loosely while the manicured buds are attached to their stems. So I had to cut it to size to fit into the quart jars.

Or is it better to cut the buds from their branches? Is it best to have it loosely packed, yet full, or does it matter much?

Even with no condensation forming in the jars, should I open the lids?

I don't yet have a hygrometer to put in a jar, is it super helpful? Is the Caliber IV good?

How do I know it's done, the RH, or just smoke test?

Thanks!

 

[Seamaiden]

Don't look for condensation in the jars, by then it's too wet and too late. I would burp/open the lids daily. Yes, a hygrometer is extremely helpful. Time and RH are the factors, I start testing the cure about a month in, most strains do best with about 2mos curing IMO.

Once the buds are dry, it's fine to cut them from the stems so they fit in the jar. I hate jars. Seriously. Don't pack, IMO, just set in what fits easily.

 

[Califlower]

Why are you a jar hater, lol?

 

[vaporedout]

open those jars daily and like sea said, DONT PACK it in. i like to be able to open the jar and give it one little up/down jolt to get everything loosened up. i make sure none of the buds are sticking together.

 

[Seamaiden]

Why are you a jar hater, lol?

It all started my first harvest. I ended up pulling a couple of pounds. Dried the buds I'd trimmed wet (like how I was instructed to), threaded them using upholstery thread and hung them to dry in boxes. Finally, the jars! I didn't realize just how many jars I would need, how much room they would take up, or just how badly my own clumsiness would affect everything. Nor did I appreciate that the buds would still have some moisture, so it started with losing about a QP to mold. It ended with the last jar I broke that had weed in it.

Thus, I hate the jars. Paper doesn't break. LMAO!

 

[SuperSilverHaze]

^^^well do you process or go thru that much meds before the chop? how do you store to cure?

i too have lost bud in jars due to me being a noob but only 1 time. i jar stuff but im going to look to bigger containers to cure.........a bunch of jars to crack until its a time to cure sucks.

i do not use a hygrometer but go by feel as a dense bud will take longer to dry then a airy bud.......also the bud size, temp, rh, air circulation all contribute to how fast it dries.

i hang the plant upside down w/o trimming anything and (strain dependent) ~4 days ill trim fans off and a few days later ill trim buds from any/all stem the final trim and jar. i read that after you put in airtight container check daily to feel if outer part of buds are no longer a lil dry......the moisture in the bud has leached to the outer layer. leave lid off and check often and once buds have a dry feel to outer part put back in container w/lid. i do this until the bud no longer gets soft and moist after left out a bit.

i try and take as long as possible to dry..............dry slow. i feel this gives me my best taste from my plants and it burns great regardless of how resinous.

 

[Seamaiden]

^^^well do you process or go thru that much meds before the chop? how do you store to cure?

I'm not sure I understand the question(s). I need more coffee and a few minutes. If you're asking how much weight I typically have to process.. I honestly don't feel comfortable discussing that in open forum, if you like I can shoot a message privately. If you're asking how much weed I personally use, like on a daily basis...? Well... I smoke several joints a day, I usually have one stuck in between my lips to hit whenever I feel like it.

i too have lost bud in jars due to me being a noob but only 1 time. i jar stuff but im going to look to bigger containers to cure.........a bunch of jars to crack until its a time to cure sucks.

i do not use a hygrometer but go by feel as a dense bud will take longer to dry then a airy bud.......also the bud size, temp, rh, air circulation all contribute to how fast it dries.

i hang the plant upside down w/o trimming anything and (strain dependent) ~4 days ill trim fans off and a few days later ill trim buds from any/all stem the final trim and jar. i read that after you put in airtight container check daily to feel if outer part of buds are no longer a lil dry......the moisture in the bud has leached to the outer layer. leave lid off and check often and once buds have a dry feel to outer part put back in container w/lid. i do this until the bud no longer gets soft and moist after left out a bit.

i try and take as long as possible to dry..............dry slow. i feel this gives me my best taste from my plants and it burns great regardless of how resinous.

Slow drying really must be emphasized, it's fairly crucial, IMO. One year I was forced to dry outdoors, and it dried WAAAYYY too fast. The end product was ok, but probably not what it could have been had I been able to do my usual method.

These warm, sometimes hot, dry winters are killing my methods! Gonna force me to set up a dedicated, climate-controlled space if this shit continues.

 

[SuperSilverHaze]

no, i wasnt clear but simply i was wondering if you cure in tin containers / plastic / vacuum pack.

i agree not to pack bud in jars but im tired of fooling w/jars and i too have thought of dedicated dry/cure room, like a wine cooler/fridge.

peace

 

[Seamaiden]

If at all possible, I cure the plants in the same position they were dried--hanging upside down, in slightly higher RH. If I have to break them down, I don't debone much, just enough that I can put them in food-grade plastic bins. Unbreakable is what I like.

 

[sixstring]

I hate jars also.but I still use them, it just gives me more control and they are easy to store in my big ass lockable toolbox.i run a ton of strains and chop plants often so it just fits my system.
But I rack dry for 5 to 7 days then jar em and burp daily unless they start feeling too dry, then I skip a few days and recheck them.im lucky to keep them for 4 wks but I do think a 8 wk cure is awesome.

 

[SuperSilverHaze]

i have some Zamadelica chopped ~114 days thats approaching a 6mo cure as ive been told and read that some pure sativas show full potential w/6mo+ cure. ill soon find out if i can tell a diff. w/ this strain. i have a few more 100% sativas i need to germinate that ill let cure 6mo.

i wish Neville would release some new sativas............................PLEASE


peace

 

[Seamaiden]

Me love de Sativas.

 

[PaperStreet]

I store my personal in jars to keep.

I trim all my bud wet and remove all stems(perfectly manicured smoke ready) and put it in the rack to dry. My dry room stays about 75-78 degress maybe 25-35% rh.. It takes anywhere from 3-7 days depending on strain size of nugs etc..
Dont be fooled just becuz its fluffy dont mean its gonna dry fast and just becuz its dense doesnt mean its gonna take forever to dry.
Your hygrometer is your best friend.
Get one.
I start bagging my small bud within 3-5 days around 55-60% humidity. 1gallon ziplock bags are fine.
A hygrometer goes in i check in a few hours if it sets in and doesnt move its ready to be burped a few times a day..
I let my topps usually dry an extra day or 2 then the same thing the get tossed into the bag with the rest of the bud....
Doesnt matter what u use your hygrometer is gonna tell u what u need to do.
I like to push 65% just becuz it cure sticky and most tasty. But 55-65 percent is normal.
Removeing all sticks and stems will speed up the process and get u dry quicker.
Peace

 

[SuperSilverHaze]

me too. within 10 yrs i hope to be in Costa Rica growing some equatorial sativas.........the ones that take 6mo to finish.

a man can dream.

 

[vaporedout]

i hang the plant upside down w/o trimming anything and (strain dependent) ~4 days ill trim fans off and a few days later ill trim buds from any/all stem the final trim and jar. i read that after you put in airtight container check daily to feel if outer part of buds are no longer a lil dry......the moisture in the bud has leached to the outer layer. leave lid off and check often and once buds have a dry feel to outer part put back in container w/lid. i do this until the bud no longer gets soft and moist after left out a bit.

i try and take as long as possible to dry..............dry slow. i feel this gives me my best taste from my plants and it burns great regardless of how resinous.

i add a step to your process, i like to do the same. hang, dry in dark, and once the fans get a little crunchy i cut off all the leaves then put them into a paper bag. i give it a SLIGHT shake to move the buds around about 2 times a day. after a few more days in the bag i trim them put em into the jar. then i burp the jar 2x daily

hangin out (its usually dark i just had lights on for pics)

dried and pretty much stripped, i keep all the little buds and put them in a tupperware and into the freezer, for either wax or joints.

then i bag it up :) i dont add to much, i try to keep buds from sitting on each other

next is the trim then the jar, but im not there yet. good luck and try to keep your hands outta the cookie jar!!! its so tempting to test and test and test some more until youve smoked 1/2 of it before its cured

 

[zigzagtop]

You can buy a box of mason jars at your hardware store or grocery store. Get the 1 litre (quart) at least...my wife got me 2.5 L mason jars that work well. She got mine at CostCo. I put mine about 3/4 full of loose buds, not packed in any way. Keep them in a cool and dark place, and burp them at least once a day if not a few times a day for a week, then every few days for a week...should be fine. It's difficult NOT to smoke some though...just a small one won't hurt. lol

 

[MIGrampaUSA]

Don't look for condensation in the jars, by then it's too wet and too late. I would burp/open the lids daily. Yes, a hygrometer is extremely helpful. Time and RH are the factors, I start testing the cure about a month in, most strains do best with about 2mos curing IMO.

Once the buds are dry, it's fine to cut them from the stems so they fit in the jar. I hate jars. Seriously. Don't pack, IMO, just set in what fits easily.

Ahhh but the best grown strains begin to display their taste a couple weeks after the start of the cure. The curing process itself will continue for up to 2 months and in that time they get even better.

Edit: try to get as much air out of the jar as you can without destroying the bud structure. I cut out large stems. I also like 1 gallon glass mason jars for the curing process. If your grow is smaller then half gallon or quart jars work just the same. Just larger buds fit in the larger jar without removing a lot of stem.

 

[chuck88]

Many ways to skin a cat

I wet trim and hang in the dark until the buds start to feel dry. Takes six to seven days. Depending on the time of year its seventy degrees, maybe forty percent rh.

Then I separate the buds from the stems and put them in air tight Tupperware, etc. containers. A 2 qt container will usually hold about four oz. three quarters full and I add one of those little 5 pk hygrometers from Amazon. They are not that accurate but between that, your nose and your fingers you can get close to where you need to be.

At this point the rh is ~70%. I burp twice a day, basically lid off, lid on until ~60%, ideally this takes a little over two weeks and then vacuum seal in 1 L wide mouth mason jars for long term storage. Loosely packed they hold 2 oz.

This is six Oz's of Gelato auto @ 64% in 8.7L containers.

Cheers