Fast curing vs freeze drying?

ethnoman · Sep 16, 2014

I have studied enthobotany for much of my life. Preserving nonvolatile compounds during the drying process has been studied in dozens of medicinal herbs. I can’t comment on freeze drying as it’s totally impractical for me, so’ve never given it much thought. But I dry cannabis the same way I dry Salvia divinorum at around 110F, low humidity and make sure the whole process is done as quickly and efficiently as possible. Here’s a really good paper. I know it’s quite long but it’s an easy read you don’t need to have a background in organic chem. Cannabis is not discussed in this paper (seems the authors wanted to preserve their academic careers) but the general consensus over most plant varieties is the same; quickly drying with low heat. http://www.academicjournals.org/article/article1380785461_Rocha et al.pdf

larebowm · Sep 16, 2014

Good read.ill have to go through it again more thorough.

beachbum87 · Sep 17, 2014

hmmm…Seems drying at ambient temps isnt so good. I take it thats due to the extended drying time? does using a dehumidifier increase temp or do you need to add a heater?

ethnoman · Sep 17, 2014

beachbum87 said:
hmmm…Seems drying at ambient temps isnt so good. I take it thats due to the extended drying time? does using a dehumidifier increase temp or do you need to add a heater?

That depends on the climate where you live, and the size of the room. I use a small oil heater and run it off a thermostat.

larebowm · Sep 17, 2014

This may have been said but I've seen folks dry in a refrigerator set at 40 ish.
A small fan was placed in the bottom to help circulation.fridge was also in reduce moisture mode.Something else I'd like to try.

Geometryka · Sep 18, 2014

I like to let my jars degas every week or so for a few hrs.
I’ve been doing this for a long time, friends have always said you should do this.
I always thought slow curing was best for weed but I’m starting to change my mind.
Clearly the science is all there and you paranoid mofos out there want to get everything over and done in a hurry.
So it makes sense..
Its hard to change something you’ve been doing for such a long time however - I am bordering on convinced.
Thing is I grow such a frugal amount from only 1 or 2 plants, I can’t really justify buying a decent dehumidifier and don't want to waste my money on something that won’t do the job.
Maybe a microwave.

DragonKilla · Sep 18, 2014

Definitely not a good idea!

Geometryka · Sep 18, 2014

No, I wasn't being serious.

Loveforbud5 · Sep 17, 2017

Supercharge said:
Hmm…the toss up between freeze drying & snap drying with DHs for the purpose of aroma preservation. Volatile profiles in weed will be altered differently in both processes. Biochemically one would expect monoterpenes and oxygenated mono and sesquiterpenes terpenes would generally preserve better through out the air-drying process. Most other sesquiterpenes, ethers, phenylpropanoids etc would be better preserved by freeze drying. Tens of thousands of these compounds are found in biology, of which an almost infinite number of combinations could potentially be arranged to produce an almost infinite number of unique aromas. So for the purposes of preserving aroma I doubt there will ever be a ‘one rule fits all’. Bubblegum that has been freeze dried, will resemble but inevitably smell slightly different to, bubblegum that has been snap dried, and again the case would be for slow cured. It’s up to the subjectee which aroma is preferred and just to point out its aroma, not taste - as many of you would know, like coffee and tea, weed tastes more or less the same when you have a cold.

The answer to this is to hang dry your plants for 3-4 days until the outer part of your bud is just about dry, then cut buds off and throw them in a freezer in a cardboard box, paper bag, glass tub, something that is not plastic or closed. Leave them in the freezer for about 3 weeks. Transfer to glass jars with lids. Burp them twice a day for 30 mins and you're ready to go. The reason for this method is to allow sublimation to occur. Hope this helps.

tims trim · Aug 14, 2019

GoldiNugs said:
Yarra recently posted a really convincing argument for fast curing, or snap drying vs slow curing - actually just having a second read of it now. I’ve also seen a bit of talk about lyophilization (freeze drying). I’m just wondering between freeze drying and fast curing which is the better conserving taste?

Cryo cured is best........@cryocurecannabis @timstrimming ...for info IG....send me an email address i can send info to you.

Jimster · Aug 14, 2019

I've started drying in the refrigerator, but not the freezer. Freezing causes a lot of cellular damage from crystal expansion. I don't know that it will harm anything, but from decades of smoking, I never really cared for frozen buds... new or older. I just jar-red up this last grow and the results of the slow drying in the refrigerator are just becoming apparent. The texture and aroma of the buds is much more pronounced than older ways that I used to use. It wasn't nearly as notable during the first few weeks, but after removing from the fridge into zip loks which were left cracked open, the quality and taste of the buds is much better than my previous hit r miss drying methods I used before... either dried too fast, or too slow and got musty. The fridge totally eliminated any problems and dried perfectly in about 10-14 days... maybe a little longer depending on what temp your fridge is set at.

Edinburgh · Aug 14, 2019

When it comes to curing flash freezing sucks, they do it at the weed store to get the product on the market faster, less smell, you can pick up a nug and pick a little piece off, I partially fast cured the small buds low on d.devel, I put them in a plastic cool whip container in the 40 to 50 rh, open and close several times a day, a week and your good, leave the top off a few hours close open wait, get it, all my big nugs are curing properly in mason jars, but it works fairly well. See pic

tims trim · Aug 14, 2019

Edinburgh said:
When it comes to curing flash freezing sucks, they do it at the weed store to get the product on the market faster, less smell, you can pick up a nug and pick a little piece off, I partially fast cured the small buds low on d.devel, I put them in a plastic cool whip container in the 40 to 50 rh, open and close several times a day, a week and your good, leave the top off a few hours close open wait, get it, all my big nugs are curing properly in mason jars, but it works fairly well. See pic

the flash freeze will cause small crystals to forum that do damage when drying,,,,,,youn want large and -20 temp 3 hrs min. before drying,,,,,,,, try putting in freezer open for 2 or 3 weeks....take out as time goes by it will dry it. .... frost free type.

Edinburgh · Aug 14, 2019

That may work, but they do it industrial, the bud allmost looks spongy but hard, i dont like it or buy it, the only thing i buy is kief at $26g only thing worth buying.

tims trim · Aug 14, 2019

Edinburgh said:
That may work, but they do it industrial, the bud allmost looks spongy but hard, i dont like it or buy it, the only thing i buy is kief at $26g only thing worth buying.

i bet you have never seen or tried Cryo Cured weed........it is not like others and will change your mind ,,,,, hope you get to try soon

Fast curing vs freeze drying?

Fast curing vs freeze drying?

ethnoman

larebowm

beachbum87

ethnoman

larebowm

Geometryka

DragonKilla

Geometryka

Loveforbud5

tims trim

Jimster

Edinburgh

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