How do you know the percentage of moisture on your buds? Sorry if this is a dumb question but I can’t find the answer. Grove says they should be at 11%, but how do I know!?
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I have one of these. It’s used by lumber producers to test the moisture in wood that has been curing. If you insert the probes into the stem of a marijuana branch it will show exactly what the % is ±.
I messed up and tried to insert the probes into the buds like I saw on a video. That didn’t work.
That is one way. Really though, I think using best judgment with how it feels when you bend the stem to breaking point.
Then put an Rh meter in the bag. If you’re close to the sweet spot then it may only take airing out the buds just a bit and zipping them up again.
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I got this one:
Just chopped 2 plants yesterday, will attempt to use this to determine when it hits 11%.
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You said you look for 20% in the stems right? That seemed close for me but not exact.
Is it 11%?
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Got some grove bags delivered. Assortment of half pound all the way down to eighth. Gonna try to cure some in the bags and then some in jars. I will report back. Chopping in 1-7 days.
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The video that I watched said 20, but that was just some random guy.
Having read @MrWizard 's post I started looking. I found this site that sells a lot of growing related stuff. They sell moisture meters designed for buds. I copied this statement about what moisture the buds should be at before using their trim machine.
Ideal moisture content of your cannabis buds when machine trimming with Triminator Dry machines is between 9-10%.
Moisture content above 10% will result in a lower trim quality and a smeared, sticky drum.
Moisture content below 9% means the flower is more fragile and trim quality may diminish.
So I am inclined to believe the YouTube I saw was incorrect. That may also explain why I had trouble using it and ended up going by feel of the snap of the stem.
This site, also, showed the probes being used on the bud and not the stem… 
Different probes?
I just am not too sure right now. I know when I tried the probe on the bud I got all kinds of inconsistent readings.
I think I’ll try checking the stems this time and see what reading I get when they “feel right” to me. I’ll be drying some in just a little while.
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One thing about these that I am not enjoying is some of them have a nasty plastic smell to them. I noticed about half of my large 1/4oz bags have this weird dirt/plastic smell that actually gets worse as time goes on.
Doesn’t seem to affect the buds inside, BUT it is super unwelcome when you go to open the bag and smell the buds before grinding etc. and get a whiff of factory plastic.
Anyone else have this issue?
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@MumenRyder
That smell dissipates in a while. I guess it’s because they stay stacked and sealed so long. I just picked mine up and the plastic smell is barely noticeable.
But you are right. When I first got mine I noticed the intense plastic smell.
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What’s good OG My bud smelled great while dry trimming and going into the Grove bags.But after one day they smell like black tea or some weird herb but not dank unless I break the bud.Is this normal and Will this smell go away after I leave them closed for a while?
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I’m not sure @HunnaGodHunna .
That’s a new one for me… Mine always ends up smelling clean and just as they should. My guess is that it’ll clean up in a while.
Just a guess though.
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I had that on the last grow I did, the Hay like smell. It cleared up as it cured.
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Thanks @MrWizard. I always get a slight “fresh cut hay” smell for just a bit before it clears up. I wouldn’t call it a black tea smell but I’ve smelled enough cut hay to associate the smell. lol
The black tea smell must be particular to the strain.???
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lol I’ve never smelled hay so maybe that’s what it smells like to me
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This actually happened to one of my bubble gums. Black tea is a great way to describe it, I was literally asking my friend yesterday if it smelled like “tea” to them.
I’ll see if it eventually cures out of it. However, it’s been curing about 20 days now, so I’m not sure it will.
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Tried repeatedly but could find a repeatable way to use this meter on stems. As others have stated, the readings are all over the place, nothing I would be willing trust.
Going back to “feel” and a quickie jar test if in doubt. I take a big bud and stuck in a 4oz jar with a good hygrometer. If the rH is between 55-65%, after an hour to stabilize, then I stick it in the Grove bags. The Grove Bags do hold the rH very stable, my rH meters back that up.
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I agree. After this conversation I tried it on living plant stems. The readings went all over. The larger stem was readable but the smaller stems out by the buds gave inconsistent readings consistently.
I like the big bud test though. I’ll try that. Thanks.
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I do think one way you can do it without having to do it by feel is: Hanging the plants in a room at 60% RH (using a controller and humidifier) for 14 days.
With good airflow you can leave them there even longer but 14 days at room temps and 60% rh should be long enough to reach an equilibrium.
If you finish trimming and grove bag them in the same room, the humidity comes out right at 60% in the bag.
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@MumenRyder
I watched a video on sifting the other day. The buds they used had been hanging for four months in a room with 45 rH and, I think, 60 degrees temp.
FOUR MONTHS!
That sounds amazing but I could never wait that long. lol
OH and the buds were still a little too moist to run the screen properly. They had to let them dry in the sun for a bit.
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Haha, only Johnny B hangs for four months. 
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He hangs entire plants too, right @ReikoX ?
That adds a lot of time to the slow cure. I’ll be taking the small stuff off and use racks for them. The rest will be hung as one plant with the sugar leaves left on to additionally slow the dry…
I’m going to upgrade my drying space and method pkq. My last run dried out entirely too quickly. I didn’t have it in a cool enough spot was the major problem. This run will be much better. But the first thing is to finish my new 3x4 closet. I gotta get my new seeds going.
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