Why I trim dry now. Don't believe the hype

[Bubblehaze]

So I would like to first say before a few months ago I thought I knew the best way to trim and dry. Then I proved myself wrong.
Trimming the herb at harvest has always been my method, which I loved. After moving to Colorado with low humidity I started having problems drying. Over drying was common and putting it away with some moisture was not an option. So I have a 40 day strain 8 ball kush and it finished way before expected the seed company said it was a 60 day strain. Having to pull it 20 days early and not having time to trim. I just hung it up whole planning on trimming it later. Everyone told me it was hard to trim dry and I was wasting my time. Well they were wrong it trimmed great and I.M.O. it was easier by far. The trim made better bho and the bud didn't over dry at all. So here is some of the things I learned and noticed.

Trimming dry
1) If the bud is not dry enough before you start it seems impossible.
Wait until the leaves fall off with just a touch. Usually takes 7- 9 days for me.
2) I only use scissors to cut stems . I keep them closed and knock the leaves off.
3) Trimming like this gives you time to reset your grow, so while you are trimming your next crop is growing.
4) Also the buds get handled allot less. Being bag ready when done if you are not curing.
5) We can make oil the day we trim.
6) For reasons I don't understand the bud doesn't over dry as easy with this method. Even after bagged.
7) After its dried if you cannot finish trimming in the same day we put it in big plastic containers with lids and it stays perfect while we trim all week.
8)The buds look allot less man handled this method and we seem to get a better over all looking bud.

3 months ago if you would have told me to trim dry I would have laughed at you . I was wrong all things considered it has turned into a great help. I don't have to hire a bunch of people to hurry up and trim so we can reset. I don't have 3,000 hanging branches everywhere just huge whole plants hanging. Anyone wanting to try this don't believe the hype its just as easy if not easier than wet trimming.

So I had two different containers stashed one dry trimmed one wet kept in the same kind of jars. Popped them open the other day and the dry trim one was still spongy and the stem still bent some. The wet trim one was crispy real crispy. Just my experience hope it helps someone out.

 

[Cort]

I trim moist.

I start trimming while almost ready, but not quite. I just burp those jars way more often. By the time I am all done with the trim, it could be called a little too dry. Toss those overly dried buds in with the ones that were a little too moist and it balances.If you screw up and dont pay enough attention to your jars they will start growing again :oops: so pay attention.

I do this because I cant sit and trim for long periods. I need frequent breaks and short hours. It works for me.

 

[joeca1i]

If you trim dry,I would think the trichs would start falling off.

 

[sanvanalona]

There are many things that happen to the plant once it is cut off the vine I believe. By letting it cure on the vine before trimming I have noticed that the taste is far better, regardless of wet trimming method. This is a very easy test to do, especially if you are trimming wet now. Take two equal colas and let one hang dry while you trim the other wet......wait two weeks and you will see exactly what I mean. The wet trim I think was something that came out of necessity primarily when you are growing illegally and don't want the smell of drying cannabis in the neighborhood, but if you have the opportunity to let that flower stink.....well let her stink!

 

[green punk]

If you harvest enough, enough times, eventually you will have a situation where you can't trim it all when it is wet. One will then get finally get toward the end and find a crisp, dry plant or branch. It can be trimmed with just your hands. You will quickly realize how much better the vine dried is compared to the other, terpines, flavor, and crystal content. Think about the thousands of years man has used this plant. i really doubt anyone was using drying racks made of fur and trimming with. that shit was left standing and cure on the vine as nature intended. Its just been in the last 2 decades people started this method of wet trimming drying and jaring etc. I have been dry trimming for over 20 years. In fact I have plants on the bone in open air from Sept as smooth and flavorful as any book informed cure method. That I will rival against any immediate trim, 5 day rack time, jar burb , burp for days sealed for cure. Blah blah ..... Wet trimming is for the anxious. Do what is natural.

 

[Bubblehaze]

If you trim dry,I would think the trichs would start falling off.

Not the case you are only touching leaves. They don't just fall off they have to be taken off or hash would be easier to make.

I trim moist.

I start trimming while almost ready, but not quite. I just burp those jars way more often. By the time I am all done with the trim, it could be called a little too dry. Toss those overly dried buds in with the ones that were a little too moist and it balances.If you screw up and dont pay enough attention to your jars they will start growing again :oops: so pay attention.

I do this because I cant sit and trim for long periods. I need frequent breaks and short hours. It works for me.

Me too although trimming dry is my goal I always start early because of time restraints.
As far as jars. Waste of time IMO I already did it a few times opening and closing a few hundred jars didn't make it better for me. I do use them for long term personal storage.I use turkey roasting bags to cure you can do half p's instead of a few oz's.


Ditto
Savanalona and Green punk

 

[kuz]

anybody just chop and hang the plants in the flower tent? I always dried them in darkness but with my situation right now I might do that with the next plant.

 

[Jack Dupp]

Another dry-trimmer here.

I take off the big fan leaves right before the chop, but leave all the little leaves on.

Tomatoes taste much better when they are vine ripened, only makes sense with herb. I think that, like tomatoes, the fruit/flower pulls the last remaining moisture (maybe nutes) from the leaves.

Too many people are patient for weeks watching their crop grow, and then they rush the processing and cure. Seems like a waste to me.

 

[green punk]

^^^

Exactly. Around here(which I think you were) in 09 when every wanker hacks decided to go for it, I saw the worst cured garbage. I would visit a garden and see beautiful plants, then weeks later see the so called finished product. It was ruined damp hay smelling at best. IMO worthless except for cooking. All to anxious to get "market share". A friend was like man "no one around here can grow for shit" I told him my thoughts were they didn't know how to cure. And this was at shop after shop. People to arrogant to take advice. Then Id show them the same strain from same source but grown and dry trimmed and cured properly. It was kind of funny really.

 

[Smoking Gun]

^^^

Exactly. Around here(which I think you were) in 09 when every wanker hacks decided to go for it, I saw the worst cured garbage. I would visit a garden and see beautiful plants, then weeks later see the so called finished product. It was ruined damp hay smelling at best. IMO worthless except for cooking. All to anxious to get "market share". A friend was like man "no one around here can grow for shit" I told him my thoughts were they didn't know how to cure. And this was at shop after shop. People to arrogant to take advice. Then Id show them the same strain from same source but grown and dry trimmed and cured properly. It was kind of funny really.

This still happens plenty, but it gets shipped to other parts of the country. And I can tell you plenty of other parts of the country still rush well grown, improperly cured herb to market.

 

[Georgekush22]

I trim fresh, only because I need fresh frozen trim in order to make solvent less bubble. But I also agree with what others are saying if you have so much to trim their is only so much you can do.

 

[outwest]

I trim wet just because I get antsy and want to get 'the work' part done and over with. Trimming is the only part of the cannabis cultivation cycle that I dread so I just want to get it done and out of the way as quickly as possible. I don't have any problem with over drying.

outwest

 

[Pancho-N-Lefty]

Ive been doing the burp de burp, but I remember my uncle hanging his whole plants in the garage to cure but that was like 30 years ago. Think Ill try a side by side or a vine ripen this go-round myself. thanks fellas for yer imput.

PnL

 

[putembk]

Dank is in the details, take your time. Dry trimmer here.

 

[sky high]

I've always done the wet trim gig.....for ease.....and like GeorgeKush...for the fresh (then frozen) trim I use for da bubblehash. Another reason is that when you have mo' than a >few< plants...you can trim em wet without em drying out TOO much. I can only imagine getting caught with yer pants down with a room full that was drying wayyy to fast that still needed a few days of trimming. Here in low humidityLand...that could >fuck ya butt< good.....

I also have a filtered drying rack that I use that you can dry 4 pounds in without a single whiff of smell emitting from it... but whole/2-3 ft tall plants won't fit without a serious revamp....and to not use it would require filtering the entire room or letting the entire house reek like dank. I love da dank smell... but it's that red flag I don't like sending out to the entire >neighborhood<. :rolleyes:

But I am intrigued....cus lotsa good peeps are posting they notice a difference between dry/wet trimmed...

prolly the main reason I never dry trimmed is cus it seems you need really sharp scissors to get those pesky leaves off...and that always means ya need a buncha fuckin Band-Aids as well.... :D I love my dull, wet-trimmed and totally caked with scissor hash Fiskars....know what I mean?

 

[Georgekush22]

I've always done the wet trim gig.....for ease.....and like GeorgeKush...for the fresh (then frozen) trim I use for da bubblehash. Another reason is that when you have mo' than a >few< plants...you can trim em wet without em drying out TOO much. I can only imagine getting caught with yer pants down with a room full that was drying wayyy to fast that still needed a few days of trimming. Here in low humidityLand...that could >fuck ya butt< good.....

I also have a filtered drying rack that I use that you can dry 4 pounds in without a single whiff of smell emitting from it... but whole/2-3 ft tall plants won't fit without a serious revamp....and to not use it would require filtering the entire room or letting the entire house reek like dank. I love da dank smell... but it's that red flag I don't like sending out to the entire >neighborhood<. :rolleyes:

But I am intrigued....cus lotsa good peeps are posting they notice a difference between dry/wet trimmed...

prolly the main reason I never dry trimmed is cus it seems you need really sharp scissors to get those pesky leaves off...and that always means ya need a buncha fuckin Band-Aids as well.... :D I love my dull, wet-trimmed and totally caked with scissor hash Fiskars....know what I mean?

Sitting at a 30% RH out here as well buddy, plus I feel it is much harder to trim the way I want to when the leaves are all crispy.

 

[caregiverken]

i do both I Hate both :mad:
Gonna be hiring trimmers from now on ;)

 

[KitsapGrapeApe]

anybody just chop and hang the plants in the flower tent? I always dried them in darkness but with my situation right now I might do that with the next plant.

please don't drying your plants with lights on is a bad idea, i don;t know the science behind it i just know that it will not smell or taste nearly as good.

i always dry trim now, finished product is so much better all a round, i do think its a little bit easier wet but the dry trim just makes it so much better.

 

[sanvanalona]

But I am intrigued....cus lotsa good peeps are posting they notice a difference between dry/wet trimmed...

prolly the main reason I never dry trimmed is cus it seems you need really sharp scissors to get those pesky leaves off...and that always means ya need a buncha fuckin Band-Aids as well.... :D I love my dull, wet-trimmed and totally caked with scissor hash Fiskars....know what I mean?

Sky you really should give it a try.....honestly if rapid drying is what you are worried about leaving your leaves on will slow things down tremendously.....but most importantly dry trimming is the best tip that I can give to anyone to increase the quality/taste of their product........
There are so many kooks right now trying to capitalize on the mmj industry, I was with this one "scientist" who is attempting to isolate genetics in order to copyright strains, really fucked shit, but this kook tried to get as much info as he could from me, I didnt say much other than mentioned that dry trimming changes everything......he then went on a rant about how he has tested both ways and the dry comes out insanely higher in all categories and then he went on to ask me not to tell anyone......ha, ha, ha......its like strain hoarding, I am not into it and think that sites like this can really help us share knowledge that we each learn.

 

[outwest]

Sky you really should give it a try.....honestly if rapid drying is what you are worried about leaving your leaves on will slow things down tremendously.....but most importantly dry trimming is the best tip that I can give to anyone to increase the quality/taste of their product........
There are so many kooks right now trying to capitalize on the mmj industry, I was with this one "scientist" who is attempting to isolate genetics in order to copyright strains, really fucked shit, but this kook tried to get as much info as he could from me, I didnt say much other than mentioned that dry trimming changes everything......he then went on a rant about how he has tested both ways and the dry comes out insanely higher in all categories and then he went on to ask me not to tell anyone......ha, ha, ha......its like strain hoarding, I am not into it and think that sites like this can really help us share knowledge that we each learn.

I'd take kook's 'science' with a giant grain of salt. Maybe, just maybe, he's completely full of shit. I trim wet, my nugs don't flash dry on me, and I will put the end product up against any. I'm not saying my way is the best or only way. But I will contend that I'm in no way sacrificing aroma, flavor, or potency trimming wet.

If you harvest dense resinous flowers they are not going to shrivel up to crap over night because you cut the leaves off wet. My nugs have been curing (slowwwww drying) in tupperware's for the past week. I like the tupperwares because they are sealed but not airtight, so they can breathe, but if you don't fuck with them they leak air and moisture slowly. You still need to 'burp' them so to speak, but really just to let the air out, turn the bud a little and reseal. They'll stay in tupperwares for about 2 weeks like this until they are dry enough to go into jars without getting moldy and without needing any more burping.

Overall I'm very much a 'whatever works for ya' as long as quality is not being sacrificed. Trimming is definitely a good example of this. Ask 10 folks get 10 different answers, but only 2 of them are producing anything worthwhile. The other 8 just don't know it.

outwest