How much do you fill your jars when curing??

[smokey_waters]

I have a couple big-ass petco airtight containers. I'd like to know how much to fill each one up?

Thx,

 

[El Cerebro]

Ha, if you have enough, fill them all the way! And if there's not enough room, go buy more containers :)

Seriously, less airspace is better, assuming you dried properly first.

 

[mikeb437]

Do you cut the buds off the main stem when you put into the jar or do you just chop down the plant so it fits into the jar? How's about when you bag them?

 

[hiboy]

Do you cut the buds off the main stem when you put into the jar or do you just chop down the plant so it fits into the jar? How's about when you bag them?

Never bag or jar with stems,
bag em and tag em when u can snap the branches ... or a bend to snap.
hb

 

[hogan400]

+1 hiboy

Hows things working out smokey? btw I try to use glass mason jars, lg as you can find. Plastic is semi permeable and also leaks plastic manufacturing compounds. Can affect the smell sometimes, but not always. Glass is king if you can get it.

 

[putembk]

Well... I know a lot of people are going to disagree with me so, imho, this is my formula for a good dry/cure.

Approximately 3 days before harvest I stop watering in order to start the drying process. At harvest I do a rough manicure and cut the stems to about 12". I then hang upside down in a small breathable closet with a desk fan to circulate the air. The temps should be cool and the humidity as close to 50% as possible.
I let them hang for usually 7 days, at this time the smaller branches will start to snap when they are bent back 180 degrees.
I do a more complete manicure at this time and cut them from the stem and into buds no bigger than a plum. Nest I fill a grocery sack up to the first fold with the buds. Now the game of crispy vs spongy begins.
For the first 2 or 3 days they are in just the sacks opening and closing on a regular schedule not letting the buds get to spongy. They are still drying but slower than the hanging phase.
Next the sacks go into turkey bags, further slowing the drying. Again, remember crispy vs spongy. Keep in mind even though the outside might feel crispy the inside is still spongy. The object is to get the buds to dry evenly.
This process works best if you can time it so you don't go into jars for 3 weeks. If the bud smells like straw, don't worry some strains do, some don't. Once you go to jars the dank will come back.
A couple of barometers I use. First, I leave in sacks until the buds stay crispy for 2 days without the spongy texture coming back. Oh, by the way, the sack should be folded slightly snug against the bud and no air in the turkey bags. Or. take the top of a bud and twist it, if you hear a snap, go to jars.
Once in jars there should still be some moisture in the bud and the dry/wet should continue to marry each other. I start out burping the lids every four hours changing the air inside the jars with a desk fan. I do this less and less as the next few days go by. I use 24 oz mason jars and only fill them a little over half way. I still want some room for dry air.
After a few days in the jars you will notice the dankness gets better and better each day.
This process should take around 30 days, that is if you can keep your hands off it for that long. Just my opinion.

 

[El Cerebro]

Never bag or jar with stems,
bag em and tag em when u can snap the branches ... or a bend to snap.
hb

If it's just for me, I kinda like curing it on the stems, goes a little slower. Best drying and curing practices have a lot to do with the particular environment you're working in, jus like growin.

Toss a humidipak in your curing/storage container. They make lots of options, so you can pick exactly the rh you like.

 

[hiboy]

+1 hiboy

Hows things working out smokey? btw I try to use glass mason jars, lg as you can find. Plastic is semi permeable and also leaks plastic manufacturing compounds. Can affect the smell sometimes, but not always. Glass is king if you can get it.

going well brotha,

glass is king if ya know what i mean for sure.
i normally just turkey bag em and dump em, maybe throw a z or two in a glass jar for long term pursey.. only the best for daddy..
h

 

[smokey_waters]

This is what I'm working with- plastic airtight, not cheap.

 

[Papa]

This is what I'm working with- plastic airtight, not cheap.

that's what i use, and it's funny you should ask how much to fill them 'cause i was wondering just last week if it mattered.

 

[kolah]

I use glass only. I do not fill them all the way because I like some space left over to tumble them lightly a couple times before burping them. I lay the mason jar on its side and give it a few soft rolls watching the buds tumble around and then invert the jar and burp it. If they are packed too tight they won't have room to move around thus increasing possible mold issues. The glass jars allows me see the buds easily and I can avoid overhandling them. One or two light slow tumbles (once or twice a day) will cause very minimal trichrome damage IMO.

Once they are fully dried then I pack them tight and let them age in a cool dark place for at least 4 weeks.

DJ Short would go crazy reading about curing and storing MJ in plastic.

 

[El Cerebro]

I do exactly what Kolah said, just meant that a lot of extra airspace isn't necessary and leaves air which can hold moisture and cause changes in rh, degrading/dehydrating your buds over time, esp if your ambient rh fluctuates between seasons. A nitrogen flush would be the ultimate way to go. No vacuum though, it dehydrates even faster.

 

[dankworth]

If it's just for me, I kinda like curing it on the stems, goes a little slower. Best drying and curing practices have a lot to do with the particular environment you're working in, jus like growin.

Toss a humidipak in your curing/storage container. They make lots of options, so you can pick exactly the rh you like.

Reputation blah blah can't give out any more to people who post too many useful things per day blah blah blah.

 

[dankworth]

I use glass only. I do not fill them all the way because I like some space left over to tumble them lightly a couple times before burping them. I lay the mason jar on its side and give it a few soft rolls watching the buds tumble around and then invert the jar and burp it. If they are packed too tight they won't have room to move around thus increasing possible mold issues. The glass jars allows me see the buds easily and I can avoid overhandling them. One or two light slow tumbles (once or twice a day) will cause very minimal trichrome damage IMO.

Once they are fully dried then I pack them tight and let them age in a cool dark place for at least 4 weeks.

DJ Short would go crazy reading about curing and storing MJ in plastic.

Dude they don't make enough jars.
And they don't make them big enough, that's for sure.

 

[Mugwort]

Well... I know a lot of people are going to disagree with me so, imho, this is my formula for a good dry/cure.

Approximately 3 days before harvest I stop watering in order to start the drying process. At harvest I do a rough manicure and cut the stems to about 12". I then hang upside down in a small breathable closet with a desk fan to circulate the air. The temps should be cool and the humidity as close to 50% as possible.
I let them hang for usually 7 days, at this time the smaller branches will start to snap when they are bent back 180 degrees.
I do a more complete manicure at this time and cut them from the stem and into buds no bigger than a plum. Nest I fill a grocery sack up to the first fold with the buds. Now the game of crispy vs spongy begins.
For the first 2 or 3 days they are in just the sacks opening and closing on a regular schedule not letting the buds get to spongy. They are still drying but slower than the hanging phase.
Next the sacks go into turkey bags, further slowing the drying. Again, remember crispy vs spongy. Keep in mind even though the outside might feel crispy the inside is still spongy. The object is to get the buds to dry evenly.
This process works best if you can time it so you don't go into jars for 3 weeks. If the bud smells like straw, don't worry some strains do, some don't. Once you go to jars the dank will come back.
A couple of barometers I use. First, I leave in sacks until the buds stay crispy for 2 days without the spongy texture coming back. Oh, by the way, the sack should be folded slightly snug against the bud and no air in the turkey bags. Or. take the top of a bud and twist it, if you hear a snap, go to jars.
Once in jars there should still be some moisture in the bud and the dry/wet should continue to marry each other. I start out burping the lids every four hours changing the air inside the jars with a desk fan. I do this less and less as the next few days go by. I use 24 oz mason jars and only fill them a little over half way. I still want some room for dry air.
After a few days in the jars you will notice the dankness gets better and better each day.
This process should take around 30 days, that is if you can keep your hands off it for that long. Just my opinion.

Thanks for a very comprehensive but concise answer!

Well... I know a lot of people are going to disagree with me so, imho, this is my formula for a good dry/cure.

Approximately 3 days before harvest I stop watering in order to start the drying process. At harvest I do a rough manicure and cut the stems to about 12". I then hang upside down in a small breathable closet with a desk fan to circulate the air. The temps should be cool and the humidity as close to 50% as possible.
I let them hang for usually 7 days, at this time the smaller branches will start to snap when they are bent back 180 degrees.
I do a more complete manicure at this time and cut them from the stem and into buds no bigger than a plum. Nest I fill a grocery sack up to the first fold with the buds. Now the game of crispy vs spongy begins.
For the first 2 or 3 days they are in just the sacks opening and closing on a regular schedule not letting the buds get to spongy. They are still drying but slower than the hanging phase.
Next the sacks go into turkey bags, further slowing the drying. Again, remember crispy vs spongy. Keep in mind even though the outside might feel crispy the inside is still spongy. The object is to get the buds to dry evenly.
This process works best if you can time it so you don't go into jars for 3 weeks. If the bud smells like straw, don't worry some strains do, some don't. Once you go to jars the dank will come back.
A couple of barometers I use. First, I leave in sacks until the buds stay crispy for 2 days without the spongy texture coming back. Oh, by the way, the sack should be folded slightly snug against the bud and no air in the turkey bags. Or. take the top of a bud and twist it, if you hear a snap, go to jars.
Once in jars there should still be some moisture in the bud and the dry/wet should continue to marry each other. I start out burping the lids every four hours changing the air inside the jars with a desk fan. I do this less and less as the next few days go by. I use 24 oz mason jars and only fill them a little over half way. I still want some room for dry air.
After a few days in the jars you will notice the dankness gets better and better each day.
This process should take around 30 days, that is if you can keep your hands off it for that long. Just my opinion.

Thanks for the comprehensive but concise answer. Is the paper bag step necessary? Paper bags are hard to get. Does anyone have substitute for this step?