Malawi-Style Cob Cure: Fermented Cannabis

BH

Tha Dank Hoarder
IPM Forum Moderator
In no way I am saying I have experience or have done this method . However ive seen many threads online on this and so much good info for a consumer who demands/wants better stability in shelf life and better quality control. def seems interesting



never seen anyone on here mention or any threads so I figured this would be fun to bring this info and discussion to PH!

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* Harvest and hang to dry for 1-3 days.

You're looking for that point we're all familiar with, where the buds are just smokable. I know you all recognize this timeframe. We've every one of us pushed the drying schedule to get that first taste. :4: The sugar leaves'll be this side of crispy.

* Wrap the cobs

Use 1-2 ounces of prime buds per cob. Tangwena sees his best results with 1.5 - 2 ounces, which is why that's what I used in the intro. It likely has something important to do with microbe concentrations to get the fermentation soup going, so I'll be shooting for 1.5 ounces of Malawi for my first attempt.

Tangwena recommends we play with the dryness. Each stage of RH will bring different results, and he claims they'll all be good, excepting dry. When the buds are below 68% RH they won't sweat in the initial step, and it's this soup that begins the magical transformation.

Moister buds will change color faster and the more completely the fermentation soup will penetrate into your buds. The happy, sweet spot many over at ICMag have found lies at around 80% RH.

The drier your buds are going into the cob, the less dense and hard the end product will be. If you want softer cobs you start by wrapping drier buds.

It's worth noting that you want to resist the temptation to rehydrate your buds to get in on the fun with material too dry to make a decent presentation. That way lies the enhanced possibility of mold. No Bueno. Wait until you have a harvest you can use.


You're looking for a nice, even compression of the buds. Wrap it firmly. I'm going to strip some bark off my stalk and use that, at Tangwena's recommendation, to maintain some connection to the contributing plant.

* Sweat the cobs

Create your sweat box environment. You don't have to be right on the money at 40 C or 104 F, but you'll want to stay close to those temps, and hold steady for this critical 24 to 48 hours. The initial 24 hours seems to be the preferred time. The longer the sweat, the more narcotic the cob.

Higher temps will work too, but they sweat faster, and your "cooking" the fermentation juices more than you will at lower temps. Experiment. :4:

If you enclose a "canary cob", an unwrapped cob of plant material, you'll be able to eyeball the color change. I'm waiting to hear if that canary needs to be the same size as your cob.

At the end of 25 hours check the bag for visible water droplets. If you see some, open and dry the cob with paper towels. I'm pretty sure you need to let the outer skin dry before putting it back into a vacuum-sealed bag.

* Ferment the cob

Reseal the bud and store in a warm, out-of-the-way place for 7 days. Recommended temperatures are 25-30 degrees C/77-86 degrees F. Vacuuming the buds cuts out the possibility of mold.

If you have a large cob, between 1-2 ounces, it pays to let them ferment another week. Cobs less than an ounce will be done fermenting in a week. Thin, small cobs may only take 4-5 days.

*Cure the cob

Time to slow down the fermentation process and prepare for the cure.

Unseal the bag and let the cob dry to the touch. A cool, dry, dark place is perfect for this stage. After 4-5 days it's ready to test.

In Tangwena's own words:

"After a further 4 or 5 days drying the cob will be ready to test, the buds should be spongy and solid like a piece of good hash. As they dry they will become hard like beef jerky and need a knife to cut slices off and break into rocks. They smoke really easily and should taste refined and very smooth and get you more higher/stoned than the same buds jar cured."

Now reseal it and put it away to cure for at least a month. This is a standard curing process of controlling humidity. Tangwena opens them up after the first week to snug up the wrappings and check progress, then seals it up for another week, or a few days, depending on what his nose told him.

In this process, as in many processes with cannabis, your nose leads the way. Trust your instincts. You're going to know when it's done to your satisfaction by smell alone. Let the cobs talk to you the way the girls do when you're growing them out.

When you want to stop the fermentation - when your nose says "Now!" - just let the cob dry all the way.

Don't stop at a month. Do your best to get some to the three-month mark, so you can compare.

Vacuum-sealed, cobs will keep for years."
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BH

Tha Dank Hoarder
IPM Forum Moderator
I read about this not long ago. Have yet to try it myself but it does sound very interesting. I'm sure with all you have going on you can spare a small branch or two for experimentation...any plans on giving it a go??
Def want to and that’s the plan
sounds like a great experiment and Inless I pull a stoner mistake and forget I’ll def try A few

if I fail , just try again next round
 

Rozgreenburn

"The Philosopher, is Stoned"
Sweet! I'm very interested in trying this also. Let us know how it turns out ?
Yo to a fellow Mo. Today was my first taste test. 2 month Cob cure on a fluffy sativa who just wouldn't finish, Smooth and tasty w no hot flash. So, first run with questionable material smoked better than it should have! I have 4 more strains cob cured, but won't be ready for a month. A report will come when I've tested them. ?
 

MO_Grow

Underground Chucker
Yo to a fellow Mo. Today was my first taste test. 2 month Cob cure on a fluffy sativa who just wouldn't finish, Smooth and tasty w no hot flash. So, first run with questionable material smoked better than it should have! I have 4 more strains cob cured, but won't be ready for a month. A report will come when I've tested them. ?
Hell ya! Sounds promising...how was the high? Did you notice a notible difference from traditionally cured buds? I've recently noticed a significant difference in smell and affects of dried buds vs actual cured (for 2-4+ months) buds. I can only imagine, from what I've read and gathered from this technique, that it'll take things to a whole nother level, in theory anyway. Looking forward to more updates and info?
 

Rozgreenburn

"The Philosopher, is Stoned"
Hell ya! Sounds promising...how was the high? Did you notice a notible difference from traditionally cured buds? I've recently noticed a significant difference in smell and affects of dried buds vs actual cured (for 2-4+ months) buds. I can only imagine, from what I've read and gathered from this technique, that it'll take things to a whole nother level, in theory anyway. Looking forward to more updates and info?
I am not very well versed in this technique but, I like it. My primary reason for trying this method is to improve the smokability of lesser density flowers. All my popcorn bud and mid grade gets the coconut oil extraction, glycerin extracts for coffee and death defying baked goods. This may not make your herb stronger, but it will smoke out much smoother. I will do a side by side after the next harvest, to compare the taste and smell. I am also curious as to the long term storage factor. With such a solid turd, and a vacuum, it should slow down the decay way down. I will post when something needs to be stated. ?
 

Rozgreenburn

"The Philosopher, is Stoned"
Looking at trying this with some recently harvested WOS Kwazulu. Did you soak the corn husks, or just wrap them dry?
I have been wrapping them dry, they will sweat as they do their initial start. I let mine sit in its own juices for 2 days [ not 1 ]. That was a good question, perhaps I will try misting the husks lightly before wrapping. That would work best if your husks are crispy dry. Let us know your opinion of this after the cure. Good luck...
 

UncleB

☀️🌵💨💨💨
Staff member
Moderator
I have been wrapping them dry, they will sweat as they do their initial start. I let mine sit in its own juices for 2 days [ not 1 ]. That was a good question, perhaps I will try misting the husks lightly before wrapping. That would work best if your husks are crispy dry. Let us know your opinion of this after the cure. Good luck...
Copy. Will be a bit, but will definitely report back. Thank you!!!
 

Rozgreenburn

"The Philosopher, is Stoned"
Copy. Will be a bit, but will definitely report back. Thank you!!!
One last thing, I don't wait to vacuum seal this. Just chop, trim and seal. I will be doing a side by side cure in about 1 week. I have 1 girl who smells of fresh blueberries and fresh dog shit! Don't even know where she came from but, I've had her for the last 5 years! She is my favorite, so, I will compare the cobb cure with my standard 1 week dry, then burped every other day for a month. I donate herb to some folks in need and they love this cure. Good upgrade to mids!
 

Rozgreenburn

"The Philosopher, is Stoned"
These cobbs look like twist or plug style chewing tobacco. I haven't used tobacco in 15 years but I've got 5 acres to pick up and get ready for Winter, so tomorrow as I grab my rake, I'll also stick a big chunk of cobb between my cheek and gums. Don't spit :unsure:
 

Rozgreenburn

"The Philosopher, is Stoned"
These cobbs look like twist or plug style chewing tobacco. I haven't used tobacco in 15 years but I've got 5 acres to pick up and get ready for Winter, so tomorrow as I grab my rake, I'll also stick a big chunk of cobb between my cheek and gums. Don't spit :unsure:
Well, coped a good buzz, not for me. I'll stick to smoking. Of course, I did not care that much for chew baccy to begin with.
 

Rozgreenburn

"The Philosopher, is Stoned"
Hey all, I reached a place today where I wanted some new smoke. I broke into some Cinderella99 that I had cobb cured 3 months ago. Wow, such thick, smooth and tasty hit. Delicious but nothing like a typical cure. So smooth and heavy yet, you'd have to blow a lung on the inhale before this would make you cough! I hesitate to say gourmet, and then I say it, Gourmet!
 

UncleB

☀️🌵💨💨💨
Staff member
Moderator
Hey all, I reached a place today where I wanted some new smoke. I broke into some Cinderella99 that I had cobb cured 3 months ago. Wow, such thick, smooth and tasty hit. Delicious but nothing like a typical cure. So smooth and heavy yet, you'd have to blow a lung on the inhale before this would make you cough! I hesitate to say gourmet, and then I say it, Gourmet!
Did you perceive the effects to be more intense or trippy?
 
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