Question Humidity Packs

[Buck5050]

Which brand does the best job of preserving flavors?

I have been a user of Boveda 62 since the beginning. During the course of using these particular packs, I have noticed a common muffled scent throughout my jars. I have jars that cure for months sometimes before even getting cracked open and when I do the flavors are not as deep as I would like. A few months ago I filled two separate jars with a known strain off of the same plant, one jar I placed the Boveda 62 in and the other without. After 30 days of curing, I passed the jars around to multiple people and the consensus was unanimous. The jar without the Boveda pack had a more robust and deep smell than the one using the pack. I have since started rotating the packs in an out of the jars just so I can maintain moisture levels. Any other experiences?

 

[Gentlemancorpse]

I had a similar experience with the Boveda packs and changed to the Integra packs... I haven't noticed the Integra altering the smell of the buds since I switched, far better terps than with the Boveda... but that's just for me. I have a good friend who swears they had the exact opposite experience sooo... shrug?

 

[Capt. C]

Which brand does the best job of preserving flavors?

I have been a user of Boveda 62 since the beginning. During the course of using these particular packs, I have noticed a common muffled scent throughout my jars. I have jars that cure for months sometimes before even getting cracked open and when I do the flavors are not as deep as I would like. A few months ago I filled two separate jars with a known strain off of the same plant, one jar I placed the Boveda 62 in and the other without. After 30 days of curing, I passed the jars around to multiple people and the consensus was unanimous. The jar without the Boveda pack had a more robust and deep smell than the one using the pack. I have since started rotating the packs in an out of the jars just so I can maintain moisture levels. Any other experiences?

Hey @Buck5050 on your experiment did you have a humidity gauge in both jars. If so can you tell me the two separate readings after 30 days? Would love to see some solid evidence how well these things work. I have worked with both popular brands for mutable years and am still not convinced of there effectiveness.

 

[Buck5050]

Hey @Buck5050 on your experiment did you have a humidity gauge in both jars. If so can you tell me the two separate readings after 30 days? Would love to see some solid evidence how well these things work. I have worked with both popular brands for mutable years and am still not convinced of there effectiveness.

I did not have a humidity gauge on the jars as I was only concerned about the smells and flavor. I do have a couple of hygrometers I could stick in to check on the next go around.

The packs do help stabilize the drying process once we get them towards the end of the burping stage and I find that they help equalize the moisture really well if you are a bit on the drier side. I haven't yet tried other brands and am awfully curious if these other companies had considered the flavor aspect into their product engineering. Boveda packs work great for keeping your flowers in a smokable state they just end up doing that with minor disregard for smells and flavors.

 

[Capt. C]

Yes please drop those hygrometers in there next time just to compare. I can not speak for long term storage as i rarely store longer than 3 months.Mine seem to maintain a stable humidity in the jars without the packs but i do keep them in a dark cool cabinet. I was working with the moisture on some recently dried product trying to bring the moisture up a little bit and could only move the product 1-2 % with them. Small carrot slice dried with a paper towel worked 10x better. My smell and taste are not very good so i can't really comment on how they affect a product but i have heard many say that it does affect it. With that being said seems like just as many saying the opposite.

 

[Buck5050]

Mine seem to maintain a stable humidity in the jars without the packs but i do keep them in a dark cool cabinet.

This is what I have experienced also. At least with good jars that seal nicely. I haven't been able to rehydrate extremely dry bud at all. I have however used these packs to bring back a consistency of some slight dryer flower.

I was a bit skeptical about all that long curing mumbo jumbo that them old heads would go on about. Especially when some sticks crackle and seeds explodes as you roast a bowl from the brick, and you get high. That's until I was able to start shelving my own and now I wouldn't have it any other way. Its what I believe is a pivotal part of connoisseur grade cannabis flower.

 

[Skunky Dunk Farms]

Im mixed on them, and mostly dont like them. (Boveda)
The size of pack to flower ratio is important.
And where the heck did those smells and flavors go!?

 

[BH]

fuck boveda , intrega for the win!

fuck getting jars ( omg that’s hard, even for small scale)

its so nice to put your plant if you chop it into piece ( like so you can hold it to trim) than out the whole thing into a 5 gal vs jar and have to quickly do it then and there + jars leak and you you shouldn’t be “ curing and processing” it that way anyways. I would suggest 1. Get gamma seals like suggested in video , 2. Always get food grade buckets ( normally 1-3 dollars more) 3. get 62% humidity checker so when your “ burping your buckets ( which you need to for 7-14 days for 30 minutes-1hr each day in darkness ) it will remove the bad gases and longer you dry it long as you aren’t getting mold the better per say ( you do you think the whole wine and so many other industries spend so much on process and curing ? You think it’s just for a the fun and game ? I don’t think so it’s prolly 20-30% end results buddy ) 4. From the get go have a 62% humidity pack ( fuck boveda they suck and once they are done they freeze up, brand I use aka integra boost now if the humidty is higher= it retains it but keeps everything at 62% and nothing beyond the 1%) tip to buying the packs is buy 60g versions and buy in bulk or youll get ripped off

cool thing about the Inetrga boost is I can have some that are even 1-2+ years old and they have identifier tools built in on them ( both brands do) and boost never lose. just put some fresh and they will gain their freshness back vs a boveda and they become expired over time and will freeze up




having your bud at optimum humidity whole time is a key to having amazing bud, and It starts with right off the line and right in the burp process so your always trying to get it at 60-62% and once you have achieved the burping use that meter it will hit 60-62% .

 

[Willie]

Boveda works for me. Never tried Integra so can't comment. Have yet to lose a boveda, everyone I bought is still working. Everybody uses the 62 boveda, me included. But the 69 is better and more practical. Once your herb is out of the jar, it dries fast.......easily close that 7% gap. And your weed stays fresher. I never noticed a bad taste and everything I have is terpy........ymmv

 

[ricky_simples]

My last two re-orders have been from Integra if that tells you where I stand.

 

[Willie]

I need more currently and going to order some Integra to check it out.

 

[Blackbeard]

Which brand does the best job of preserving flavors?

I have been a user of Boveda 62 since the beginning. During the course of using these particular packs, I have noticed a common muffled scent throughout my jars. I have jars that cure for months sometimes before even getting cracked open and when I do the flavors are not as deep as I would like. A few months ago I filled two separate jars with a known strain off of the same plant, one jar I placed the Boveda 62 in and the other without. After 30 days of curing, I passed the jars around to multiple people and the consensus was unanimous. The jar without the Boveda pack had a more robust and deep smell than the one using the pack. I have since started rotating the packs in an out of the jars just so I can maintain moisture levels. Any other experiences?

Hey All,

This is pretty crazy, I got a medical card about a year and a half ago, which is when my weed started coming from a store and not a friend of a friend, so quality of flower went up. Also started storing in jars instead of baggies. And with higher quality product came better smells and everything. I had an issue with a mildew taste so I impulse purchased a pack of Boveda 62's. Haven't had any mildew tastes since but have also noticed that the smells and tastes are getting dull. I figured it was me getting older and my senses getting dulled, but now after reading this I can totally connect the dots back to buying these Boveda packs. I'm about to harvest my first crop so I'll be able to try this experiment, some jars with and some without Boveda, guess I'll have to buy some hygrometers.
-BB

 

[Willie]

I need more currently and going to order some Integra to check it out.

Updating.....I did get a dozen Integra Boosts to check out and in my opinion they are not as good as the boveda. Primarily, they don't last as long and I'm seeing humidity numbers below their call sign of 62%. The jars with Boveda's in them rarely go under 62%, but with Integra I found it to be all of them were low.
I've never noticed a taste or lack of terps with Boveda so I'm sticking with it based on performance. Of course, ymmv. It's all good

 

[Frimpong]

I do notice my boosts lasting a bit longer . That's about it tho.

 

[Gentlemancorpse]

Updating.....I did get a dozen Integra Boosts to check out and in my opinion they are not as good as the boveda. Primarily, they don't last as long and I'm seeing humidity numbers below their call sign of 62%. The jars with Boveda's in them rarely go under 62%, but with Integra I found it to be all of them were low.
I've never noticed a taste or lack of terps with Boveda so I'm sticking with it based on performance. Of course, ymmv. It's all good

Interesting. I had the complete opposite experience. But I also actually like keeping my buds a little drier, which I'm sure I mentioned elsewhere and use the Integra 55s to begin with. With both the Integra and Boveda 62s I find the buds don't grind up the way I like for my preferred cones.

 

[BH]

Before boost I bought two round of 60g and they froze up in 6months 1 -1year
guck dry crumble , I like the sticky and terps

Boost sign u feel em or check with a Rh via digital meter in a jar or look at their rh color status paper they supply (turns blue once dieing )


Boost can last 1-3 years and it’s all about adding the pack right when sdd ur bud off the drying stage to bucket or jar

 

[Gentlemancorpse]

Before boost I bought two round of 60g and they froze up in 6months 1 -1year
guck dry crumble , I like the sticky and terps

Boost sign u feel em or check with a Rj in a jar or look at their rh color status paper they supply (turns blue once dieing )


Boost can last 1-3 years and it’s all about adding the pack right when sdd ur bud off the drying stage to bucket or jar

Have those paper indicators they send ever actually changed for you? I have a couple going on three years now just as an expirement and none of the indicator dots have changed yet lol

 

[Willie]

None of those dots have changed colors for me. This round of Bovedas I have, I got in early '19 and they have been amazing. Maybe I got a good batch. I keep a lot of jars and for a while, so I kinda have a feel for what's right and the boost are not even close. It's possible I got a crappy bunch of them too I guess, but here, there is a clear difference under the same conditions.

It's interesting that you want to go down to 55% @Gentlemancorpse , I have actually considered going up to 70%ish for longer term storage.....similar to cigars, but haven't actually followed thru with an order yet. Different strokes

 

[MO_Grow]

Just wanted to get back on topic and drop my experience and observations here real quick...

I used boveda since I started growing just cause that's what I saw others online use and praise up until that point in time. But after a while of using them I noticed the smells and flavors dudding out and sometimes a weird smell and taste that became somewhat common although I'm always running different things... Hardly ever run consecutive runs of the same stuff (especially back then), always switching things up. Yet a common, non-weed/ (previously)unfamiliar, flavor I was getting almost consistently. Also started noticing that once the boveda was removed from the jar, or vice versa the weed from the jar, that it would dry out super fast and crumble to dust not long after... Like within a day or two. Every boveda pack I've ever bought has frozen up... Some in the jars of buds, and some even before opening the plastic package.

Being disappointed I started shopping around for alternatives. Also, being a cheap ass I wanted something with a better price tag. I then came across integra in my search so placed an order for those to try. I've had issues keeping humidity at where the packs are rated for with both brands, but that's probly just me trying to use too small a pack in too big of jars...although I've tried doubling up on them with both brands... (Again funny flavor from the bovedas, no change from the integra.)

Also, the disappointment and taste change made me start researching this issue as to: why? And, who else is experiencing this?? Turns out, there's plenty of people that have reported these issues over the years. I remember too that there was even a study out that proved that boveda packs did release some kind of off-gas into the product which was the reasoning behind the flavor change... Not 100% sure if it was an integra (anti-boveda) funded campaign or totally legit from a third party with no conflict of interest, it's been a few years...but from my prior experience, I just had to try and see what the deal was.

I have honestly yet to experience a change in smell or flavor since I started using integra. Also, I can't recall any of them freezing up on me and I've been using them for like 3-4 years now (when I do use them that is, I don't always. I only use them when I've pushed the brink of the harvest/dry window and they are 55% or lower). From my experience with boveda, one n done type of deal really, otherwise the funny smell that developed would just lace into the fresh jar buds, ruining then...I didn't like that. So, I've just thrown the integras out once the jar is empty, even though they were still moist and don't smell funny, just from habit.

And I have had the colored dots on the paper cards they include change on me, so I believe they do work, just maybe not very consistently or 100% as they should since @Gentlemancorpse has had some he's experimenting with that haven't changed yet.

In my opinion and experience, I do like the integra packs better. They are cheaper, last longer, and I have never had the smell or flavor of my herb change when I've used them.

Just my honest opinion based on my personal experience with said products? happy growing ??

 

[ChronicWonders.]

Ive taken the challenge...even thought about employment with Boveda...but their products and Integra are just things I don’t feel are necessary or all that helpful. Living in the Midwest with winter/furnace the rH in the house is 15-20% and my buds are still nice, fresh and terpy in jars.

It’s all about the dry IMO...if you can properly dry your buds and store them once they hit that mark you don’t need any of this stuff. Smoke all day long constantly opening jars and by the end the last few buds are crispier/dry, but still stank like dank and taste phenomenal...just have to smoke more to finish jars before it gets to that point I guess...

Lots of innovation in the industry/with the plant in the last 10-15 yrs but this is something I see as more snake oil...

Dont want to step on toes or create an argument here. Just saying I know there’s lots who have smoked ??? for years without humidity packs...

All about the dry and cure...