What’s your Dry/cure/trim process

[widwestgreenscapes]

I’m looking to see what different approaches people are taking to drying curing and hanging. If you wet trim or dry trim. What temps and Rh in your room are. When you jar and how much your burp. Things you look out for. if there’s some little different things you do that maybe others don’t. Also looking to hear people thoughts on humidity packs like boveda or others. I know other threads are out there about what people do, but I’m hoping we can get different ways people do things on this one thread for people to read and make choices on what to do. Any information people want to give about what they do during this process is appreciated.

 

[freezeland2]

Wet trim before chop. Depending on size of plant either section of branches and hang or hang entire plant. My environment for drying is about 65 - 70 degrees and rh of 50 - 60%. Takes about 5 - 7 days to get a crisp feel but squishy feel if squeezed. Then it goes in to paper bags. I put an rh monitor in it with the buds. I want the rh in the bag to equal the ambient rh outside the bag when dry. That is after another 5 - 7 days. I open bags daily and turn. When dry I shuck the buds off and put in Grove bags. About two weeks sealed in those and it’s cured. Great smoke.

 

[widwestgreenscapes]

Wet trim before chop. Depending on size of plant either section of branches and hang or hang entire plant. My environment for drying is about 65 - 70 degrees and rh of 50 - 60%. Takes about 5 - 7 days to get a crisp feel but squishy feel if squeezed. Then it goes in to paper bags. I put an rh monitor in it with the buds. After another 5 - 7 days of that (open bags daily and turn) I shuck the buds off and put in Grove bags. About two weeks in those and it’s cured. Great smoke.

When you use the RH monitor in bags what are you looking to keep it at? And if it’s to high/low what do you do to adjust. Thanks

 

[freezeland2]

When you use the RH monitor in bags what are you looking to keep it at? And if it’s to high are you leaving the bags open for a while so it drops

It will run about 2 - 3% higher in the bag over ambient. Anything more than that needs to hang longer. After 5 - 7 days in those bags it will eventually equal the ambient rh. They need opened and the buds turned daily. The buds shouldn’t smell like hay anymore and will have a dry feel to them but you don’t want to dry. The small stems on the buds should snap. Then I put in grove bags. Others use Mason jars. No burping needed with grove bags like Mason’s.

 

[nashobaTHC]

I too use paper bags for interim drying after hanging to dry for 5-7 days. Managed to develop a nifty system for monitoring temp and humidity in the bag without opening the bag. Pics show a mondi unit mounted on paper bag with T and H sensors (includes locking nuts) inside the bag and display unit outside. Normally the bag will be closed with a paper clip or two. If T and H get too high just open the bag and gently rotate the buds. Generally when H reaches 50% you’re ready for cutting buds from branches and jarring. If you’re doing something different and it’s working don’t change. Smooth smoke all.

 

[widwestgreenscapes]

I like that idea with the monitor mounted to the bag.

 

[freezeland2]

I too use paper bags for interim drying after hanging to dry for 5-7 days. Managed to develop a nifty system for monitoring temp and humidity in the bag without opening the bag. Pics show a mondi unit mounted on paper bag with T and H sensors (includes locking nuts) inside the bag and display unit outside. Normally the bag will be closed with a paper clip or two. If T and H get too high just open the bag and gently rotate the buds. Generally when H reaches 50% you’re ready for cutting buds from branches and jarring. If you’re doing something different and it’s working don’t change. Smooth smoke all.

That’s cool rh monitor. I use the ones from a pet store for reptiles. The temp and rh probe cords are about 36” so I just toss the probes in and roll the bag up. I primarily open the bags long enough to turn the buds and then roll it right back up closed. I keep the bags in the dark, along with any hanging buds. Got to be dark with air circulation.

 

[ChesterCheeba]

I hung my last harvest for two weeks before the paper bags. Best smoke I’ve done yet for sure. Rank and smooth as ice.

 

[TSD]

I wet trim, then wash using the 3 bucket method (I grow outdoors and always have pests of some kind, dirt, bug poo, etc) then I drip dry and hang each full arm from wire in my garage attic for about a week, more depending on conditions. I go by the snap test and feel of the bud, when the little stalks snap and break and the medium stalks snap but don't break, and the bud feels crunchy on the outside but squishy when you squeeze, they go in Mason jars. I burp twice a day for a few days, then daily for about a week, then every few days for a couple weeks. I usually cure a minimum of a month before start smoking it, and obviously the stuff on standby gets cured longer. Sometimes I manicure it after it's cured and make butter from the sugar leaves. I find leaving the sugar leaves a little longer helps protect the inner bud during curing when I'm shaking the jars, at least it seems I lose less trichomes in the jar that way. My dry space is usually around 60-65 degrees and very dark unless I'm in there, there is a fan to circulate the air. Aiming for a final rh of 62-65 since I use a vape. I put a meter in each jar to keep track. If it gets up past 65 I leave the jar open for an hour or so, if I over dry, I use a few boveda backs to up the rh, I also use them for long term storage of my remaining jars, as they do help keep it at the perfect level for vaping.

 

[widwestgreenscapes]

I wet trim, then wash using the 3 bucket method (I grow outdoors and always have pests of some kind, dirt, bug poo, etc) then I drip dry and hang each full arm from wire in my garage attic for about a week, more depending on conditions. I go by the snap test and feel of the bud, when the little stalks snap and break and the medium stalks snap but don't break, and the bud feels crunchy on the outside but squishy when you squeeze, they go in Mason jars. I burp twice a day for a few days, then daily for about a week, then every few days for a couple weeks. I usually cure a minimum of a month before start smoking it, and obviously the stuff on standby gets cured longer. Sometimes I manicure it after it's cured and make butter from the sugar leaves. I find leaving the sugar leaves a little longer helps protect the inner bud during curing when I'm shaking the jars, at least it seems I lose less trichomes in the jar that way. My dry space is usually around 60-65 degrees and very dark unless I'm in there, there is a fan to circulate the air. Aiming for a final rh of 62-65 since I use a vape. I put a meter in each jar to keep track. If it gets up past 65 I leave the jar open for an hour or so, if I over dry, I use a few boveda backs to up the rh, I also use them for long term storage of my remaining jars, as they do help keep it at the perfect level for vaping.

This is pretty close to my process but I dry trim and have a room that I regulate the temp to about 65 and keep the rh between 55-60. But ive never rinsed. What is the 3 bucket method?

 

[TSD]

This is pretty close to my process but I dry trim and have a room that I regulate the temp to about 65 and keep the rh between 55-60. But ive never rinsed. What is the 3 bucket method?

There's a ton of variations of it, I do 1st bucket baking soda and water, second bucket peroxide and water with a squeeze of lemon, third bucket water... I'll have to double check the amounts cause I have not harvested yet and I can't remember. All room temp water. Swish in #1 for about 30 seconds then drip off excess and go to #2, Swish for 30 seconds or so, drip, #3 Swish for 30 seconds to rinse, hang to drip dry with fan to knock off excess water... I put upside down tomato cages in tubs to drip dry before moving to dry area. Change out wash bins as they get dirty, I use totes cause I dry by arms and they are long.
I never washed until last year when I had aphids set up shop like 2 weeks before harvest, I came upon that method while trying to figure out what to do. The amount of shit that comes off is crazy! Bugs, dirt, bug poo, dust, sand, pollen, mold, powdery mildew... think about it, everything that floats by those sticky buds is getting stuck to it, plus I always deal with at least some mold and pm due to my climate. We wash our veggies before eating, and I don't wanna smoke dirt and bugs... plus I have allergies and pollen and mold kill me. The smoke is much smoother as well, I'll never not wash my buds again. You lose a few trichs in the process, but if you're growing top quality shit, it's negligible and totally worth it for quality, especially with an extended cure... mmm, so tasty.

 

[widwestgreenscapes]

Would love to hear other things people are doing out there too

 

[growsince79]

I’m looking to see what different approaches people are taking to drying curing and hanging. If you wet trim or dry trim. What temps and Rh in your room are. When you jar and how much your burp. Things you look out for. if there’s some little different things you do that maybe others don’t. Also looking to hear people thoughts on humidity packs like boveda or others. I know other threads are out there about what people do, but I’m hoping we can get different ways people do things on this one thread for people to read and make choices on what to do. Any information people want to give about what they do during this process is appreciated.

Depends on the weather. If its too dry, hang the whole plant. 50-60% rh cut off fan leaves and hang branches until they can be trimmed with fingers only-no tools then jar. 40-50% same as the last except only hang 5-10 days then paper bag until dry enough to trim without tools.

 

[widwestgreenscapes]

Depends on the weather. If its too dry, hang the whole plant. 50-60% rh cut off fan leaves and hang branches until they can be trimmed with fingers only-no tools then jar. 30-50% same as the last except only hang 5-10 days then paper bag until dry enough to trim without tools.

What exactly is your reasoning for waiting to be able to trim without tools. I’m not questioning your method just would like to understand better. And thank you all who have contributed so far.

 

[growsince79]

What exactly is your reasoning for waiting to be able to trim without tools. I’m not questioning your method just would like to understand better. And thank you all who have contributed so far.

Because then its dry enough to jar. If you need scissors it too wet.

 

[TSD]

Depends on the weather. If its too dry, hang the whole plant. 50-60% rh cut off fan leaves and hang branches until they can be trimmed with fingers only-no tools then jar. 40-50% same as the last except only hang 5-10 days then paper bag until dry enough to trim without tools.

I might try this method this year, there's no way I'm wet trimming these big bitches in a timely fashion lol.

 

[1diesel1]

Chop hole plant, hang in dark room, remove large fan leaves.
Temp.65-68F humidity 55%. Fan on low in room, not directly on plants just for air movement.
will take 10-14 days for branches to snap.
Remove all buds.
Place in shallow plastic tubs I. Same room.
Lid on top open approximately 1 inch.
Let sit for 2-3 days.
Trim, place personal in glass large mouth mason jars.
Extra goes in turkey bags.
Burp mason jars once a day for 1-2 months.
Then once a month after that.

 

[Slickrick82]

I’m looking to see what different approaches people are taking to drying curing and hanging. If you wet trim or dry trim. What temps and Rh in your room are. When you jar and how much your burp. Things you look out for. if there’s some little different things you do that maybe others don’t. Also looking to hear people thoughts on humidity packs like boveda or others. I know other threads are out there about what people do, but I’m hoping we can get different ways people do things on this one thread for people to read and make choices on what to do. Any information people want to give about what they do during this process is appreciated.

Yes I fully agree with you I wonder the same thing. I usually let it sit in dark for few extra days then chop it down I take off most of all the big leafs leave some sugar leafs hang all plants whole I leave the temp around 68* to 70* rh at around 55% to 60% all the way till branches snap. Then I take em out and sweat them. I think it's a important part of harvesting mold prevention and takes out remainder of moisture so u can jar better also .I burp jars few times for the first week 2nd week I burp less then slip a humity pack in there with a mini hygro just to see were rh is at. I try to cure for 3 weeks to 4 longer the better

 

[extractoilminussixty]

Wow, fascinating all the different processes that work for everybody…

I remove the fan leaves, and hang dry with plants almost touching floor back part of my artrium ranch basement…temp avg 68-71f & H ~50-59% depending on what season in Missouri.
About 9 -10 days later—After crisp outer & squishy inner I move to large deep insulated freezer boxes not running (deep coolers as well work the same). Check humidity next morning, aiming for 61-64% & if low I’ll put some orange peels, piece of wet paper towel, etc just depends what mood I’m in… on the bottom of the cooler until my humidity comes back up to where I want it.
Forgot to mention I put the whole bud arm branches in the cooler with stem on floor pointing up & remove a good portion of the larger sugar leaves, but not all. (After a few grows those are used for Dry sift Hash).
So, i’ll keep the buds in the coolers for the next 4 to 6 weeks, opening the cooler once a day to burp & checking my humidity gauge (For me it’s amazing how constant H stays).
Then depending on what my plans are for the herb it will even go to 2 quart mason jars for further curing & burped
1 week. (Or simply be put on parchment to dry further for Icewater Hash or Hash Oil).

So…why do I do it this way, after a year of using large mason jars after the initial drying, I got tired of opening them twice a day…
So my wife said why don’t you just use those old coolers & of course I looked at her & said “brilliant”…Now my herb is easy to cure, smokes great, & my marriage will last another eternity .

((Seriously though I noticed no difference in curing this way versus hang dry & right to the jars, Or completely trimmed & Buds to the Bud drying rack then jars…like I also had done for a while!!!
To me it’s the “aging” process that is the most important for a…smooth smoke))

 

[widwestgreenscapes]

I like the idea of coolers for saving time burping. That’s so simple hard to believe I havnt heard it before!