Is Dry Trimming Weed Truly Superior?

FatManatee · Jan 25, 2019

Harvest is coming in, have never done a dry trim before and am pondering, if it's worth the shot.

To my knowledge dry trimming reduces the time it takes for the plants to cure, but does it actually give a superior smoke compared to wet trimmed cannabis that has been cured well? Do the scores even out after curing has been done for an extended period of time?

madgrower · Jan 25, 2019

FatManatee said:
Harvest is coming in, have never done a dry trim before and am pondering, if it's worth the shot.

To my knowledge dry trimming reduces the time it takes for the plants to cure, but does it actually give a superior smoke compared to wet trimmed cannabis that has been cured well? Do the scores even out after curing has been done for an extended period of time?

I hate dry trimming and only did a couple of plants in my life

WestbyGod · Jan 25, 2019

In my opinion, it makes little difference. I use to just take off big fan leaves and let buds dry with leaves wrapped around them. This worked well with just a plant or two. I did not have any way to control temp. or humidity in drying area.

As more plants were added to grow, it became harder to trim, do to a lot more martial to trim. It became much easier to seal a space in garage that could be climate controlled to some extent. I started to remove 90% of leaves at harvest. Much easier and less time consuming when leaves are sticking out. Just need plenty of air moving in space and keep temp. 75 or below.

When I started a hydroponic indoor grow, I have kept the same regiment for trimming. Remove 90% of leaves, which I save to make kief, the rest of the sweet leaves are removed when buds are dry to touch, and stems start to snap rather than bend. I remove the buds from the stems and store them in an open container for 7 days. Twice a day I turn bud over into knew container to change air out. After that buds go in a mason jar that I periodically open.

Forgot, harvested branches are hung in a hardwood wardrobe with a small fan blowing across drying buds.

I guess it comes down to amount of material to be processed, and ability to control the drying environment. If you can control the dry area, I would remove as much leaf as possible when harvested. This will make life much easier when doing final trim.

Leaving leaves on buds will protect them from harsh environment, but if you can control temp and humidity, I would remove leaves before drying.

Hope this helps.

Bulldog420 · Jan 25, 2019

Large farms have a hard time pulling down product and trimming it without backing up. So they hang it all. I like the finished product better from dry trim, but it's a PITA.

FatManatee · Jan 25, 2019

WestbyGod said:
In my opinion, it makes little difference. I use to just take off big fan leaves and let buds dry with leaves wrapped around them. This worked well with just a plant or two. I did not have any way to control temp. or humidity in drying area.

As more plants were added to grow, it became harder to trim, do to a lot more martial to trim. It became much easier to seal a space in garage that could be climate controlled to some extent. I started to remove 90% of leaves at harvest. Much easier and less time consuming when leaves are sticking out. Just need plenty of air moving in space and keep temp. 75 or below.

When I started a hydroponic indoor grow, I have kept the same regiment for trimming. Remove 90% of leaves, which I save to make kief, the rest of the sweet leaves are removed when buds are dry to touch, and stems start to snap rather than bend. I remove the buds from the stems and store them in an open container for 7 days. Twice a day I turn bud over into knew container to change air out. After that buds go in a mason jar that I periodically open.

Forgot, harvested branches are hung in a hardwood wardrobe with a small fan blowing across drying buds.

I guess it comes down to amount of material to be processed, and ability to control the drying environment. If you can control the dry area, I would remove as much leaf as possible when harvested. This will make life much easier when doing final trim.

Leaving leaves on buds will protect them from harsh environment, but if you can control temp and humidity, I would remove leaves before drying.

Hope this helps.

Nice to see you have some experience on this subject and are willing to share! :)
In your experience, what technique do you think is better for preserving the amount of trichomes on the buds? I would imagine that when trimming the buds while dry, they will be shedding a lot more of the good stuff and affecting potency.

JWM2 · Jan 25, 2019

For personal use I find wet trimming to be easier and produces a fantastic end product.

I’ve yet to have anything commercial I’d trade for my own. But that’s me.

Not saying one way or the other it’s just my own personal preference.

I don’t think it matters much in the end it still gets dried and cured. How you skin that cat is up to you.

I’ve always believed the drying process is just an act of removing moisture. The curing process is where the magic happens.

WestbyGod · Jan 25, 2019

I have found that you will "lose" about the same amount of trichomes either way. Most of the trichomes are on the sweet leafs that are trimmed when taken off the stem. I trim on a glass table. After every session, I scrape up all the material on the table, and either sift it to gather kief for hash, or put all material in a 120 micron press bag and make resin.

Use a 12 ton press with 3x5 heating plates.

Kot · Jan 25, 2019

Once I wet trimmed but then I I had to trim the buds again when they dried because there was more for trimming. Now I hang the plants whole and trim dry.

Madmax · Jan 25, 2019

JWM2 said:
For personal use I find wet trimming to be easier and produces a fantastic end product.

I’ve yet to have anything commercial I’d trade for my own. But that’s me.

Not saying one way or the other it’s just my own personal preference.

I don’t think it matters much in the end it still gets dried and cured. How you skin that cat is up to you.

I’ve always believed the drying process is just an act of removing moisture. The curing process is where the magic happens.

Bingo... I really am careful handling my buds wet..time consuming but...the less you handle it the better it will b.....im soo not looking forward to this ...lol...

bongstar · Jan 25, 2019

Dry trimming is far superior. Wet trimming you will lose almost all flavor.

RippedTorn · Jan 25, 2019

Kind of like religion, it's subjective. Everyone grows different bud and has different truths. I personally traded in religion for theism long ago.

With that said, my leaf turns crispy with time, my calyx stays oil-caked and firm indefinitely. In this case dry trimming is as simple as running your fingers down the bud and peeling the leaf out. You dont shuck corn with scissors, why bother with herb. If the leaf is too firm, too much silica, period.

The leaf is the only thing pulling moisture out of oil caked calyx, trimming it early would keep the bud too soggy too long . If you grow hydro, this doesn't apply as you have a different God than me: you worship moist fibrous material rather than sticky oily metabolites.

Pointless breakdown:

The average weight of my dry trimmed bud vs wet trimmed: dry trimmed weighs less.

The average extraction yields dry vs wet: dry yields more.

The difference under microscope: none

Blind microgram for microgram real life
vapor potency comparison: impossible because there is no blind test, you can taste the difference.

Aroma: Supposedly subjective although I would never wet trim after making the comparison.

Flavor: Supposedly subjective although I would never wet trim after making the comparison.

The cell damage of trimming wet activates root signaling processes that interrupt the ripening of harvested material. Thats reason enough to leave the plant as in tact as possible as long as possible.

PS Overhandling is a myth.. Unless you grow chemmy emaciated garbage. I've never seen trichs fall off a room temperature bud, or keef collect in a bag anywhere other than a dispensary. The oldest bud I've smoked was 15 years old and still solid, nothing falling off, no keef in the jar (10 minute high if anyone's curious)

MIMedGrower · Jan 25, 2019

I like dry trimming the bud leaves on a trim tray with a screen. The keif collects in the bottom.

FatManatee · Jan 26, 2019

Excellent replies @RippedTorn & @bongstar . This is what I wanted to hear, and am definitely gonna give dry trimming a shot. Perfection and the highest quality of my product are of utter importance to me, if I have to double my work to get a 1% increase in quality, I'm willing to do it.

London bud · Jan 26, 2019

@RippedTorn have you ever actually trimmed any weed? Anybody who has trimmed bud will know that over handling is not a myth. As for treating your bud like corn lol I'm not even gonna get into that.

jumpincactus · Jan 26, 2019

Bulldog420 said:
Large farms have a hard time pulling down product and trimming it without backing up. So they hang it all. I like the finished product better from dry trim, but it's a PITA.

I agree with bulldawg for ease wet is the way to go. Dry trimming is a major Pita. Them sugar leaves wrap and curl all around the buds and it is hell doing a good bag appeal trim at this point. And if you all are like me trimming is my least favorite part of the grow. Wet trim for the win.

Highkev · Jan 26, 2019

bongstar said:
Dry trimming is far superior. Wet trimming you will lose almost all flavor.

I agree it seems to be better smoke after dry trim. It looses taste from my experience. But haven’t expiremented like a scientist with it though so...but wet trim is easier so depends what u want

JWM2 · Jan 26, 2019

jumpincactus said:
I agree with bulldawg for ease wet is the way to go. Dry trimming is a major Pita. Them sugar leaves wrap and curl all around the buds and it is hell doing a good bag appeal trim at this point. And if you all are like me trimming is my least favorite part of the grow. Wet trim for the win.

God has spoken. Nuff said.

jumpincactus · Jan 26, 2019

JWM2 said:
God has spoken. Nuff said.

LMAO...…………… wish I could get my wife to think like that...………. :(

JWM2 · Jan 26, 2019

jumpincactus said:
LMAO...…………… wish I could get my wife to think like that...………. :(

You and me both.

Mr.jiujitsu · Jan 26, 2019

I have wet trimmed for years outside. And some typically ends up being dry trimming. I def notice a difference. I have done all wet trimming indoors since I started again, until now. Just pulled a batch and removed major dabs and hang dried. Dry trimmed today and I can say my comparison just at this stage, between the same plant (Orig and clone) under same system and same nutes...ect, that dry trimming is the way to go on a few plants. I have trim bins, and they work great. I was doubtful at 50$ a pop, but that collect all
The kief, make it so you can sit and be comfortable while you trim. If you decide to hand trim dry, be sure to have a nice pair of fiskars (I like the titanium non stick) and I would highly recommend the trim bin

Is Dry Trimming Weed Truly Superior?

Is Dry Trimming Weed Truly Superior?

FatManatee

madgrower

WestbyGod

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JWM2

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Kot

Madmax

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jumpincactus

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Is Dry Trimming Weed Truly Superior?

Is Dry Trimming Weed Truly Superior?

FatManatee

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JWM2

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Kot

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