Dry & Curing Science

I agree it’s completely different. Tobacco is a leaf and sensimilla is a flower

2 Likes

All useful. Ancedotal evidence leading into research of what is already known (peer reviewed) that may lead into new research and discovery. Sometime it becomes the seed towards pushing on the bubble. I certainly enjoy watching such effort unfold … whether towards a conclusion or not.

Citing Wikipedia, while knowing it is a source of lessor reliable / dynamic information, can still open up interesting discussions that, perhaps, leads to deeper investigation. The hard ‘sciency’ stuff on there isn’t too bad relative to some of the other stuff (anything politics, et al). References are also generally provided (many times pointing to peer reviewed research). And, it’s generally more accessible as an entry point rather than stumbling around the dense language on PLOS and their ilk.

In many respects, the overall community has provided a significant bootstrap in burgeoning areas of research simply due to funding availability or lack thereof.

Before writing that paper, though, references to Wikipedia should be long disappeared else suffer the ire of your peers :slight_smile:

7 Likes

Sensimilla means “with out seed” roughly translates. Which is what we strive for here

1 Like

I found this pretty interesting: Aging, Artifacts, And The Art Of Curing Cannabis | by The Artifacts Project | Medium

9 Likes

The author of that references the work of Dr Allison Justice at Outco, I am going to have to look through this too: Understanding, Modulating and Optimizing Drying and Curing

8 Likes

Here’s a project I just finished, inspired by a few of you all and your drying boxes. This DIY drying cabinet ended up costing about $60 to make, most of which was buying another humidistat. Basically I took an old 18x18x28 “dish barrel” moving box (very similar to the wardrobe boxes but double thickness for for a heavier load) and started by lining it with panda plastic, duck taped in place and sealed up decently at the seams. I then traced three holes with a Sharpie around a roll of tape that had a 3.75" diameter, two at the bottom on one side and one at the top on the opposite. Everything got ducted with cheap vinyl spiral duct from the hardware store, it screws right in the holes then I sealed it up with more duck tape to, again, try to make it mildly pressure tight.

The two holes on the bottom are for intake, and lead to a homemade intake filter box constructed from a double thick box that held emergency water rations, with the front cut out in an open grid then covered with MERV13 filter cloth from a commercial HVAC supplier. I have a bunch left over from making masks with it in the early pandemic and sending some to friends out west to make wildfire smoke filters with box fans and a cardboard filter box like this. The single top duct runs out to a 4" inline booster fan I had leftover from a project, hooked up to an Inkbird humidity controller. I have it set so it stays between 62-64% RH inside the box, and it turns on often to exchange air, as my basement stays a controlled 60-65%. It’s strapped to a chair in case it rains and we get some water on the basement floor, and the wiring all runs off the ground.

I didn’t get pictures of the inside before taping it shut, but the branches are just hanging on braided mason line that was sewn in a loop through four holes each at two levels (13" and 26" from the bottom of the box) then pulled and tied taut enough to twang like a guitar string. Didn’t put a circulation fan inside this time, but it’s also not particularly full and crowded, and I’m hoping the cross draft combined with frequent exchanges is sufficient. Next time I’ll add a set of 80mm AC Infinity USB fans set on low inside to let me load it up with more than a single plant at a time.

I’m hoping that between this automation and switching to Grove Bags for curing this year I’ll be able to spend more time growing and also just doing other stuff besides growing (blasphemy, I know!). If this setup works well this year, I’ll probably make a more permanent one out of plywood this summer. By lining it with plastic and using a filter box with an easily replaceable face, I figure it’ll be pretty easy to give it a bleach inside and in the ducts between rounds to keep things squeaky clean and mold free in there. Between bud washing and using strong UV throughout flower, I haven’t encountered any mold yet and I’m hoping to keep it that way.

18 Likes

Never had issues with drying racks! It dries it slower then hang drying! Temps will always be the most important part to drying and curing. To warm and dry makes terpenes dry out to fast. First 2 days you’ll want to be the warmest 70-73 and 35-50%RH use dehumidifier and hang dry. After 2 days transfer to dry racks and lower temps to 58-65 and 50-60%RH. After about 10-18 days (depending on nug size) it will be ready to trim and put straight into the curing process. I do turkey bag and food grade buckets with gamma lids.

7 Likes

I’m around, just busy, so I don’t post or comment much. Utah State hasn’t posted the lecture on drying and curing yet.

Kevin jodrey’s advice on drying and curing was to slowly lower the humidity of the room a couple percentage points over a period of two weeks or so until it gets to close to 60%. Then trim and jar.

6 Likes

My suggestion to not concern yourself with it… if u can afford it… love it and have 1…highly recommend!!!

2 Likes

@Terpsnpurps I was curious about these devices… Any pics of the nugs you have cured?

Also looked at some wine fridge with temp control. Most let you set that 60 degree (F) point we want to cure in. Figured a wine fridge, with a few 320g Boveda packs might achieve a similar result. Temp is the hard thing to control for me, humidity can be dialed in, for most containers.

That Cannatrol definitely has my curiosity radar up. just so expensive compared… hmm… :face_with_monocle: :nerd_face:

2 Likes

No I do not at the moment @phase but as soon as I get this run done that I am working on I shall do a side by side on here for everyone to see… idk about the wine cooler thing… the cannatrol has set points you can set with the control box on top… how long to cure start and finish points Temps , vapor pressure , etc… I know it’s expensive for sure… I like it because it truly gives you complete control over the drying , curing , and holding stages … I just wish it was a little bigger haha… but it’s definitely a set it and forget it machine!!!

1 Like

Over 20 years ago I made a little environmental chamber the size of a large microwave back in college for my thesis.

4 Likes

How did you accomplish this? These days it’s pretty easy and cheap with the right equipment. But back then…?

Same equipment back then as today. A couple of PID controllers, serial interface to a computer, Labview program to write the program. Thermistor, Honeywell capacitance humidity sensor, thermoelectric pile to cool with, some resistors for heat. Humidity added using a fish tank air pump bubbling into a jar of water and the vapor piped into the airstream. The only thing missing was the window. The hardest thing was finding a way to add humidity, too easy to add too much.

6 Likes

Interesting. Thanks for sharing.

1 Like

Looks very outdated though. Also I was wrong, used a thermocouple rather than a thermistor.

9 Likes

Yeah and Berner said to do it this way, Snoop Dogg said to do it that way. Mendo Dope has a song about curing too. Chief Keef and Whiz Khalifa probably have some pointers also.

LOL taking advice from internet weed celebs, specifically spooks and agents and pesticide sprayers has gotten us to this point. Everyone thinks stink flavor and high are bonuses these days, and that bugs, sprays, cannabis specific fertilizers and nasty soil terroir are a given…

I don’t know how internet breeders choose their males… But I need to know what mine smells like without nutes or terroir.

Surprising no one can spare a single female to learn how wrong they are about trusting internet forum weed lords. You can’t leave a single plant in a vase for 3 days and see what happens? We gonna builds a special terpy freezer and pretend that’s what people wanted to smoke for thousands of years? Frozen premature terpene weed bred by pesticide specialists?

No fucking wonder anyone with a clue abandoned these forums ages ago. This male plant smelled like cow shit and forest duff when i pulled it. Now it smells like the strain everyone misses from the 90s. No terps or freezers or prayers involved.

2 Likes

Ok then. What do you suggest? Clever tips?

1 Like

No tips, just posturing and chest thumping…

And yet… you’re still here???
Dude, anybody ever tell you that your attitude ain’t helping you? I mean, you STILL haven’t shown us “newbs” the proper way to cure. And I really don’t think shoving a plant in a vase for 3 days is your curing procedure…

So, either be productive and contribute to the forum and weed smokers worldwide and share your “golden boy” technique or STFU cause honestly, your attitude sucks… Reading about you beating your chest is getting boring…

12 Likes

What would you suggest I do? I have about 50 on the go right now (they are larger and soon ready to flip).

I would love some advice. Actually have been asking for it (Keep in mind I am going for CBD and minimal THC). Please help, I am all ears.

1 Like