[imgrowing]

been noticing that my yard smells awesome just after lights out (outside shed grow) and tapers off until lights on again. then read this and is a 180 to what i notice.

Peak Terpene Levels: Terpenes are at their highest levels just before the sun comes out. By harvesting your plants at this time, you can capture these compounds at their peak, enhancing the aroma, flavor, and therapeutic properties of your cannabis.

any thoughts or observations on this?
would like to cut at optimal level.

 

[Phyto]

The premise makes sense, since terpenes volatilize in light/heat, and I believe there’s been some testing that bears that out. The issue is that many of the terpenes are lost in the drying/curing process.

 

[BudBurglar]

Acyclic monoterpenes are light-dependent, cyclic monoterpenes are not. Most sesquiterpenes are partially light-dependent. Then you have temperature dependence. Stored monoterpenes are temperature dependent, but not light dependant. Etc

Cannabis doesn't actually smell like "terpenes" though, it smells like carboxylic acid esters. Hexanoates, butanoates, acetates etc. The aroma forms from oxidation of fatty acids, like black tea:





That is why you have to burp your jars. To allow oxygen in.

The industry has been misled about cannabis production, the "terpene" narrative came from GW pharmaceuticals. It was corporate espionage parroted by stoners. No one wants to smoke myrcene, pinene, limonene, linalool, etc. The medicine, entourage and flavor all reside in the fatty acid esters.

The exhale flavor from a vaporizer tells everything. The flavors that can change the smell of your poop is the medicine. That is not something terpenes can do. Only carboxylic acids and their esters can interact with the body in the way Cannabis has been known to do for thousands of years.

 

[Ninjadogma]

Acyclic monoterpenes are light-dependent, cyclic monoterpenes are not. Most sesquiterpenes are partially light-dependent. Then you have temperature dependence. Stored monoterpenes are temperature dependent, but not light dependant. Etc

Cannabis doesn't actually smell like "terpenes" though, it smells like carboxylic acid esters. Hexanoates, butanoates, acetates etc. The aroma forms from oxidation of fatty acids, like black tea:





That is why you have to burp your jars. To allow oxygen in.

The industry has been misled about cannabis production, the "terpene" narrative came from GW pharmaceuticals. It was corporate espionage parroted by stoners. No one wants to smoke myrcene, pinene, limonene, linalool, etc. The medicine, entourage and flavor all reside in the fatty acid esters.

The exhale flavor from a vaporizer tells everything. The flavors that can change the smell of your poop is the medicine. That is not something terpenes can do. Only carboxylic acids and their esters can interact with the body in the way Cannabis has been known to do for thousands of years.

I think I need to bring some intelligence to this conversation. When I consume edibles with the pulp left in, I get farts that smell like weed.

Not even gonna pretend I have any actual knowledge of that stuff, but you're saying things that align right up with my observations, a key one beint that there has to be a multitude of VOC's in cannabis besides terpenes and they will all blend together to give you your unique weed smell.. and how something as seemingly innocuous as your dry tent climbing to 90% RH for a couple hours may seem, it winds up having a potentially profound effect on final aroma.

Some folks who check on their plants throughout the day may notice how the smell shifts. Again this alings with what you're saying because these noticeable shifts occur when there are differences in temperature, humidity, light, even how much moisture is in the soil and I would presume nothing is actually shifting, it's just that the specific VOC's gas off at all kinds of different temperatures and air moisture.

 

[imgrowing]

well, i didn't want to get all stephen hawking on this, i just was asking your thoughts on when to chop.

 

[Eledin]

I harvest before the lights go on. The more you have the more you preserve during curing. As far as smoking terpenes, they produce carcinogens when burned like any other thing that you burn and as far as I know there's no study that shows any benefit from smoking them. I think I saw one where no benefit was noticed but just 1 is not enough. In any case its true that people hype terpenes but its also true that your weed will smell danker and that sells, if thats what you wanna do.

 

[Eledin]

Also during the dark cycle they send chemicals to the roots so youre not gonna smoke them, youre welcome makes for a smoother smoke in my experience, probably healthier too.

 

[Eledin]

Have you noticed there's some really good weed that tastes bitter? I think a proper flush (yes, even in organic, I flush for 1 week) and harvesting during the dark cycle makes a difference, I only get good looking weed that tastes a bit bitter when I have to call my plug. I have a good plug is just that many people just grow to sell and they dont care that much or know that much.

 

[Ninjadogma]

well, i didn't want to get all stephen hawking on this, i just was asking your thoughts on when to chop.

LMAO! I often hear morning is the best time, makes sense even if for no other reason because it's usually lower temps.

Some other things to consider right before you chop, cutting off watering a couple days prior to trigger a drought stress response or dropping RH for same reason to get final resin boost, and then there's those crazy stalk splitters.

 

[Eledin]

LMAO! I often hear morning is the best time, makes sense even if for no other reason because it's usually lower temps.

Some other things to consider right before you chop, cutting off watering a couple days prior to trigger a drought stress response or dropping RH for same reason to get final resin boost, and then there's those crazy stalk splitters.

I would say preferably before the sun appears but I know that can be tricky and they dont instantly retrieve all the nutrients from the roots, it takes them some time so even if you harvest when the sun is out, if its not been hours, its better.

 

[Eledin]

Ive been letiing them dry before harvest for no other reason that here there's high humidity so if I harvest it when they have a lot of water takes longer to dry and more chances for mold to appear, specially in big dense colas. I didnt know I was unkowingly boosting my trichome production, cool hahahaha thanks for the knowledge.