Thanks, @TopShelfTrees1 ! And thanks for takin the time to drop by and check things out. Means A LOT just having conversations with such great growers as we got around here, much less the greater feeling like our efforts leave a good impression on such fine folks.
Nothing but respect, admiration, and inspiration from so many of you.
We got those cake-beaters all ready to go, so expect a nice full smoke report and second-attempt bubble hash making log in the next day or so!
Thanks again, and stay up!
Coffin_Dodger
8 Likes
COLD water and not too much ice is your friend!!!
I wrapped my washer to keep the cold in, and it helped big time. It also helps that I’ve got a fairly deep well, so my water is around 45 degrees, which really makes a difference when rinsing.
Making Bubble is a little time consuming, but oh so worth the effort. I’m still smoking on the 2 runs I did LAST YEAR!!! Plus I still have a freezer damn near full that so haven’t ran yet.
It takes a few runs to figure what works best for YOUR setup, but once you do, it is so worth it!!!
Just do smaller runs @Coffin_Dodger, make adjustments until you get a system that works for you then it’s a cake walk.
It took me quite a few runs experimenting, but now have a system set up that works very well for me.
You’ll have it figured out in no time, and then be smoking your rewards!!!
7 Likes
Heyhey, @Kgrim ! Thanks for droppin back by.
I did think about trying to make this run stretch out a bit by splitting it into a couple of washes, but it being only our second time, I might just go all in. There’ll be plenty more to try our hand on in another couple months, anyway- hahaha. I’m sure you know how that goes.
Does seem the kind of thing that’ll take a couple honest runs at, and given that some plants just don’t wash as well, we’ll be trying it out a few times before trying some other extraction methods eventually, too.
I rely pretty heavily on FECO or RSO straight for my medicine-side-of-things. I know that method is supposed to be pretty easy from what I’ve read, and high-yielding. It’s one of the few things we ever go to a dispo for, and that price point is f#cking stupid here. I’m looking forward to making a batch that’ll cover me for half a year for litterally 2 or 3% of the cost outside of our labor…
Anyway!- I dunno how “small batch” you meant (since folks on this forum use everything from milliliter flasks to concrete mixers!) but I’ve got 13.7 Oz of good fresh frozen flower, about 4 Oz of dried trim, and 3.5# of leaf to play with. I plan on washing the flower, and then seperately washing the leaf. The trim is used in filler for cones and cigarettes, so I may just leave it be, especially if the rest doesn’t wash well. 
Worst case scenario, we get our freezer space back until the current run is harvested! 
We had some life stuff get in the way the past couple days, and spent tonight feeding the babies in the tent, so we should be washing tomorrow night.
Does that machine make a huge difference for you? I’ve heard mixed reviews about them over-all, but it may be a brand-dependent thing I wasn’t focused on at the time. I sure see a lot of people using 'em.
Should have a smoke report from last harvest and a process and yield on the hash before the end of my week/end.
Thanks again for the encouragement, and a look at your set up!
Stay up!
Coffin_Dodger
6 Likes
@Coffin_Dodger the very 1st attempt I did was by hand, not a fan at all, LOL. Did the paint mixer in a drill, not too bad, but after wrenching and building doors and frames all day, not for me. So I broke down and bought a washer. I’ll never look back. I don’t use the “bag” they send with the washer, wasn’t a fan of the poor yield, I felt that it held the trim too much and didn’t let the water vortex do it’s job, and I was right. Now I just take the 5 extra minutes to clean my washer out, that’s the only benefit I saw from using it. Once you get a feel for it and a system down, you’ll like it.
If I wasn’t getting so old, and beat up from working all day, I probably wouldn’t have gotten a washer, it’s just way easier for me. I even bought a 2nd one to speed the process up, which helped immensely. What I did find very useful was having a bucket for each bag. The bottom is the only full bucket, the rest, the bottoms are chopped off, and just using them as a separator, keeps bag bottoms from touching each other, and is a whole lot easier than trying to stretch 5 bags over 1 bucket.
Hope you get something nice to smoke on your run!!!
5 Likes
Hey CD! Great journal and glad I found it!
So much going on and learning in here. Keep it up and good luck to you and the missus!
5 Likes
Heyhey, y’all!
Back to the grind today from a nice and well-needed vacation over the last week. Hope y’all are doing well and tending happy plants. Got a lot done in the time off that we wanted to, but damned if it’s never enough time, eh? I was glad to get a chance to breath and focus on the important things for a while. It was also really nice to have some time for more thoughtful conversation here and elsewhere on OG with all you fine folks! THANK You all for the sense of community and comradery. It makes such a difference.
On to the garden, and the freezer full of flower from last run! Everything’s been going quite smoothly in the garden this run. We’re seeing steady growth into the screen above, healthy roots fattening up below, and plenty of sites getting good light.
As usual, the NB both needed some defol to expose side branches some more, as we have relied more on leaf-tucking than tie-down LST, hoping to use this run to see what a ScrOG alone can do for training.
The NB are still hesitant to show any full-on “pre-flower”, but thanks to @Kgrim 's advice, we’ll be waiting until the first week or so of 12/12 to really think of culling. 
And, on that front, 12/12 is now less than a week away, as we are shooting for a much shorter veg time this run, and hoping to stay further on top of any potential stretch we find in these plants. That will put us at ~35 days veg going into flower. As such, the babies got their third and last veg feed, which went very smoothly, and landed us at an average since of solution pH 6.0, 72 * F, and 1480 ppm (2.9 EC). We are running a little heavier than intended on the nutes, but the plants seem happy enough as a whole. The spike in temperature was due to a problem with the space heater, which was quickly addressed. We plan on changing the solution in 4 days, so we aren’t too concerned with it. 
We pulled out some nice flower from last run to smoke on, with the last of the hash from our first run to go along with, and stayed plenty lifted through vacation. Here’s some shots of that flower, the lowers of which we made bubble hash out of last night. As mentioned previously, those plants got away from us, and had some heavy “crowning” fox-tailing, and light-bleaching here and there, but we have thoroughly enjoyed the smoke and its benefits. I can honestly say it’s some of if not the best smoke we’ve had in decades, so we’re damned happy with it!! 
I’ll have the more detailed report on the wash and smoke from last run as promised, but time got away from me, so that’ll have to be in next week’s post or something along the way. As a teaser, we washed 13.7 ounces, and, while the yield wasn’t huge, it was definitely of much finer looking quality than our first attempt. Top is the remainder of our first attempt, and the bottom is a peek at our second. We’re stoked to try it in a week or two! Currently drying in the freezer, then into the Cannatrol to cure up.
YUM!!
@JustTieflingThings took the leftovers and decarbed them into 2# of butter like a champion, to provide us with many medicated meals and snacks to come! F#ck yeah, snacks!
BAREBONES STATS
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47 Days from seed, ~32 Days of Vegetative Growth. -
All 4 plants have now been topped and trimmed here and there to allow for more ready stretch into the screen above. No news on sex determination or culling. There is some spotting on some of NB #FD’s fan leaves. Monitoring for any further signs of nute or pH fussiness.
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Light dialed slightly back to resolve some reaction from the plants to initial increase this week. May revert in the next few days. -
Solution steady after feed at average pH 6.0 and 1450 ppm (2.7 EC), though the temperature rose fairly high and quickly due to a space heater malfunction. It has been correcting. -
Environmental averages of 74.1, 62.3 %RH, and 1.01 kPa VPD
AND! October was Fire Prevention month. The clocks just fell back here in the states. We got our extinguishers replaced and fresh batteries in the old smoke detectors. Hope y’all are staying safe, too. What types of fire prevention do you use? 
That just about does it for this week, as I hurry to get this all wrapped up before crashing and heading back into the thick of it tonight, but as always, THANK YOU for following along, offering advice, encouragement, anecdotes, resources, comments questions, or constructive critiques.
I hope you all get to spend a little extra time this week with those you care about, doing the things you love to do. Wouldn’t’ve traded the last week and a half for the world.
Stay up!
Coffin_Dodger
14 Likes
Nice! Everything is looking great! Glad you got some much needed rest and relaxation. Keep up the great work
2 Likes
Thanks, @LzBoy ! We’re certainly still learning, but we’ve done our best, and the results are treating us damn well so far. Thanks for checking it out, and I was sure to send along the well wishes!
Have a great day, bro.
Stay up!
Coffin_Dodger
2 Likes
Thanks, @TopShelfTrees1 ! Next week the fun begins! Hope you’re well, friend.
Stay up!
Coffin_Dodger
2 Likes
Hell yes! Looking forward to it! I am thanks for asking, hope you are doing great as well…. Can’t wait for the bud show!
2 Likes
Yeah, our first run was all hand mixing, too. Plays hell on the arms, for sure! I was glad to have the beater drill last night, 100%!!
I’ll have to think about that bucket-tower you’ve got going there. I like the principle, that’s for sure.
Thanks for getting back at us!
Stay up!
Coffin_Dodger
1 Like
I may have to steal this one as well, very smart. I’m just getting back into bubble after many years of having it done for me, then a few without ANY so I’m very much looking forward to it. Awesome! And thanks for sharing @Kgrim
3 Likes
Looks like a nice live extract. Make sure to rip some straight out of the freezer after it’s dry.
4 Likes
All outta likes, but thanks, @JoeCrowe . Deeply appreciated you giving some pointers and advice, and, sharing so much experience.
Can’t wait to try it, that’s for damn sure!
Stay up!
Coffin_Dodger
2 Likes
Great looking grow!
And good on ya for the PSA on the fire extinguisher and some detector.
We tend to overlook the safety side of things in the pursuit of excellent weed.
Cheers
G
3 Likes
Dam, Looking Fabulous. U really have a Sophisticated growing operation going on. 
r 
3 Likes
Heyhey, all you fine folks!
Here’s to you and your gardens this week! Gettin’ to be that time of year, so I hope y’all are stayin’ nice and warm for anyone facing first frosts and snows. Been a steady week for us on that front, for once. Shouldn’t face too many more crazy swings in the old lung room through the rest of the season.
And hell- the rest of the season is why you’re here, ain’t it? Well, on with the show…
During my work week, we noticed some issues with some lower leaves on NB #FD, with some spotty rusty discoloration and slight interveinal chlorosis. Working through diagnosis charts and threads, and keeping an eye on the plant for most of a day settled us on a pH issue. Having a few days before we planned to flip, and nailed down a happy, lower average pH of 5.8, we decided to take those leaves, as they were crowding anyway. The plant responded to @JustTieflingThings surgery wonderfully, and the many tops beneath were grateful for the exposure, jumping up to the ScrOG net, leaving NB #QT’s corner the only empty 1/4 of the screen.
This week also marked the fourth feeding, a lot of tucking, and the flip to flower. I took an extra day off to celebrate our anniversary with @JustTieflingThings , and we prepared everything for flipping. There was some light defol, and we weighed taking more versus seeing what the plants and scrog have in store. The possibility of needing to allow for more time to recover after a heavy defol would set us way past our initial limit on veg time, as well, so we settled in for the flip with some bushy girls in tow. The feed schedule now includes GH KoolBloom.
Yesterday was their first long rest, as their lights are now on a 12/12 schedule, on between 10pm and 10am, our time. This is a 4 hour shift from last grow’s schedule, but should cost us the same and work well for some extra time after my work-nights. As expected, we saw a big jump in growth immediately. Growth tips in some of the best-positioned nodes saw jumps of about 3/4’s inch overnight, especially in both DSCBD30:1.The lights have been adjusted as the plants responded leading into flower, and have now been set to deliver 360-550 PPFD and ~22 DLI at screen level, 39".
Scrogging so far has been just as fun and intuitive as we had hoped, though we’re certainly seeing the intricacies of it all the same. Watching the plants rebound after each session of tucking is amazing, much like the results of the heavy supercropping of last run’s over-vegged jungle. We’re looking forward to more runs with the tec, that’s for damn sure!
BAREBONES STATS
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56 days from Seed 40 days Vegetative Growth 1 day Flower
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The DSCBD30:1 are both struggling against and filling in the screen very nicely, with their overall much more open stature. The lowers and middles are all visibly exploding over hours, and both respond very well to being tucked. NB #FD exhibited what we believed to be a pH sensitivity, and lowering the pH of the solution overall seems to have calmed it down. More of the enormous fans were taken from NB #QT to increase exposure. Both plants have responded well, respectively. NB #FD has started opening up and spreading out.
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Over the week, the light was dialed as the plants responded. With the flip to flower, we have set to a 12/12 cycle, 360-550 PPFD and ~22 DLI at screen level, 39" below the light board. This puts us slightly over 30% output.
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Solution actively maintained since feeding to prevent issues with pH imbalance for NB #FD. Averaging 5.8 pH, 68.5 * F, and 1430 ppm. Solution volume over-all reduced by <5 gal (before mix) to allow more airspace in the rhizosphere.
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74.2 * F , 61.6% RH, .983 kPa VPD.
In other news, our little seed vault has been blessed again, as Jessicat the Mail-Kitten 
dragged in word from @Mithridate , who tossed out a dibs and went above and beyond by sending not only the ChemD x 88G13HP as promised, but also a puck of Melon Lifesaver x 88G13HP!!! Thank you, friend. We look forward to the promise of your work and we’ll be sure to tag you when they’re running down the road.
…and of course, as always, THANK YOU! for reading along, friend, and all the encouragement, well-wishes, tips, tricks, things to keep an eye on, anecdotes, constructive criticism, or just about any kinda feedback! …still haven’t gotten the time to sit down and work up a smoke report from last grow, but it’s on my list! Maybe next week, y’all!
Stay up!
Coffin_Dodger
10 Likes
your garden looks fantastic! also your update is super detailed! 
makes me ashamed on my own! 
3 Likes
Thanks, @m0sirys - I do what I can with the updates. We’re still learning so much and having such a great time with all the details. It’s been such a blessing growing in general, and especially being around such as yourself. It’s striving toward what y’all accomplish that helps keep us running!
…and, as a sneak peak and hopefully some self-motivation for me to make the damn smoke report from last run, here’s the bubble hash we made of it, fresh from a week in the freezer and heading into the Cannatrol for a cure.
Have a great week, y’all! Can’t wait for next “week/end!”
Stay up!
Coffin_Dodger
11 Likes
Very nice looking bubble! Well done 
5 Likes