Curing!

[GoTgReEn]

I thought I'd post this as iv used it with great success!

It's a very simple and effective process:

Cut the product, trim it per your preference, but don't dry it until the stems snap. Take it down while the stems still have some flex, but the product feel dry on the outside. This is a perfect opportunity to drop the dry-feeling flowers onto a screen and collect prime-quality kief that would otherwise get lost in the jar.

Jar the product, along with a Caliber III hygrometer. One can be had on Ebay for ~$20. Having tested a number of hygrometers - digital and analog - this model in particular produced consistent, accurate results. Then, watch the readings:

+70% RH - too wet, needs to sit outside the jar to dry for 12-24 hours, depending.

65-70% RH - the product is almost in the cure zone, if you will. It can be slowly brought to optimum RH by opening the lid for 2-4 hours.

60-65% RH - the stems snap, the product feels a bit sticky, and it is curing.

55-60% RH - at this point it can be stored for an extended period (3 months or more) without worrying about mold. The product will continue to cure.

Below 55% RH - the RH is too low for the curing process to take place. The product starts to feel brittle. Once you've hit this point, nothing will make it better. Adding moisture won't restart the curing process; it will just make the product wet. If you measure a RH below 55% don't panic. Read below:

Obviously, the product need time to sweat in the jar. As such, accurate readings won't be seen for ~24 hours, assuming the flowers are in the optimal cure zone. If you're curing the product for long-term storage, give the flowers 4-5 days for an accurate reading. If the product is sill very wet, a +70% RH reading will show within hours. If you see the RH rising ~1% per hour, keep a close eye on the product, as it's likely to moist!

[AliceBrownieBaker]

Hey GotGreen,
I harvested my Dutch Passion Shaman plant two days ago (15 hours of cutting and trimming), I put them in one of those hanging mesh multi layer drying racks and put the drying rack back in my bud room with the exhaust fan on and lights off for two days. This morning the buds felt crispy and the stems flex but don't snap, so I followed your advice above and jar up the plant. A few hours have passed and I checked the RH and it's 73%, so I took them out of the jars and spread them out on clean white tissue paper. I have already taken down the drying rack and put my 23 week in veg CBD Crew Shark in the bud room, so I am hoping not to need to take the shark out and rehang the drying rack.

I'll leave the shaman out for a few hours and jar her back up before bed and see what the RH is in the morning.

What do you think?
The reason that I put her in jars after 2 days is that my last plant dried for 3 days and by the time I put her in jars, there was no moisture left for the cure and the buds are smokable, but, really dry and crispy.

Thanks,
Alice

[Mr.UnclePen]

I watched a video with Kyle Kushman and he really did a good job explaining the differences between drying, curing, and aging.

Drying is not aging, nor is it curing. Curing is allowing the chemicals in the cannabis plant to develop/break down into better tastes and aromas along with breaking down chlorophyl, ect. Curing is the process of further developing the flower. Aging is simply letting the plant sit in a jar after it has been properly cured. Of course drying is simply drying....There are three steps we need to be aware of even if two seem to be similar. Drying, curing, and aging.

[GoTgReEn]

Sounds good Alice, nothing wrong with what you have done
Remember the longer it takes to hit that sweet spot the better within reason caution for bud rot!
If I'm over 70+ they go out in a shoe box or brown paper bag for 9hr while at work then pop bk in jar and repeat if still on the high side I'll repeat but lessen the time in shoe box/ paper bag by half :-D

Hope that makes sense

[GoTgReEn]

Then just burp everyday till down to 60% - 65% which usually takes me just over a week so that's like 2 weeks till it's at sweet spot! Seal and burp when ever ya want curing bud!