What's On Your Mind?

[Smoke_A_Lot]

That's walking very close to the mold line.
When my bud is that damp I pull it out and spread it on a tray for a bit.

After throwing out a heartbreaking amount of moldy weed over the years, I've learned over-drying is far preferable to under-drying.

I tried that already, left them spread out in a cardboard box for 24hrs and put them back in the jar, they felt dry to the touch. Maybe i'll dump the jar out and repeat the process.

 

[Smoke_A_Lot]

Is GSC supposed to smell like it's name sake?
I'm getting some real floral terps, like fresh cut flowers. I'm gonna have to do a smoke report.

 

[sportyridr]

I tried that already, left them spread out in a cardboard box for 24hrs and put them back in the jar, they felt dry to the touch. Maybe i'll dump the jar out and repeat the process.

As long as you're on top of it I see it as no issue...but...I think the key is to take it a bit further on the initial dry, then I trim and put in 15 gal tote which provides air (but not outright in the open) so I can monitor the last day or so before jarring or bagging. Using the tote lid I can adjust lid to how open it is to allow room air in.

I used to get worried about over drying but pulling them out early is just a pain to babysit. I think the key is to go lower on your initial drying which in turn creates less babysitting of said material. It's all about what works for you with the least amount of farting around and still have a quality product.

 

[Psychobilly]

Any tips for lowering humidity in curing jars?
I do burp the jars, and have a Boost 62 two way humidity pack in the jar. I've left the lid off hours at a time until the humidity reads 60%, but as soon as I put the lid back on and check it the next day it goes back up to 70%-72%.
Should I could keep repeating this process? Or is there a better way I don't know about?

That's walking very close to the mold line.
When my bud is that damp I pull it out and spread it on a tray for a bit.

^ this from Amarok. I deal with this myself now and then. Basically, once you put it in a jar, the moisture isn't being dried by the air now, and so it feels a lot more wet to the touch. Take the jar, and empty the whole thing out on a tray, and leave it for a bit. Touch the buds to get an idea of which ones are the driest, and put those ones in the bottom of the jar, and then, the very wettest buds, put them in the top, and when you burp, remember to leave the jar laying on it's side, so there's air flow throughout the jar, (more surface area for air to reach) and leave it for like 2 hours.

I saw you say that it was wet again after doing this, and that's OK, just continue to do so, and eventually it'll dry more and start to even out. I've had Jars that, even though the buds went in pretty crispy to the feel, the next day or two, they were moist again. After a few days of laying it out on my tray for a while, it evened out just fine. The main pain in the ass here, is using your fingers to figure out which buds are the driest ones, and putting those on the bottom, since the top of the Jar, where the wettest ones will go, is the easiest part for air to reach. Just repeat as much as you need.

 

[Smoke_A_Lot]

^^^ To both of you guys that's what I'm worried about, the buds getting too dry. It happened with my Kerosene Kermit, the humidity in the jars was 40%. I had to use 2 Boost packs per jar just to try to get the humidity level to the sweet spot. It's easier moisturizing dry buds, not so much the other way around.

 

[Smoke_A_Lot]

Dumped the jar out into the box to the right, freshly cut buds to the left.

I also picked up these humidity packs, and more gaugues.

Anyone use this brand of humidity packs before?

 

[Psychobilly]

^^^ To both of you guys that's what I'm worried about, the buds getting too dry. It happened with my Kerosene Kermit, the humidity in the jars was 40%. I had to use 2 Boost packs per jar just to try to get the humidity level to the sweet spot. It's easier moisturizing dry buds, not so much the other way around.

I deal with both sides of that honestly; My outdoor plants get massive, and when it's time to start harvest, there's simply no keeping up with it. Some branches get too dry, so I end up having to moisten them back up, and some go in wetter than I'd like. Normally both issues are pretty easy to deal with though, it just takes time.

I've had stuff really dry out on me because, well, here, when Winter comes, the RH outside is like a Desert, so everything dries up quick if you leave it out too long. For that I just use a slightly moist paper towel (the cheap / hard kind, as it doesn't fluff as much) and leave that in for a few hours at a time, and then close the jar up to spread the moisture around.

But when they're too wet, and you're concerned about mold, that's a bit easier to deal with. I'd say leave them out for like 2 or even 3 hours, and then touch them again. Your fingers will eventually have experience. It's a lot like casting a conventional fishing reel; No amount of casting brakes is ever going to replace an experienced thumb. You'll be able to feel the outside of the buds, and what you are looking for, is when the outside of the bud is feeling a little "crispy". Just the outside layer though. The inside will still contain enough moisture and feel "springy" even though the outer layer is dry. Once you have that outer crispy feel, put them back in the jar for like maybe 6 hours. When you open the jar back up, feel them and see if they have gone back to normal, and if they are at a good level, just repeat that process as much as you need.

This can take like a week before it evens out for you, so don't worry if it's not fixed in a day. I once had some buds that went in, and they kept on getting way beyond what I wanted, and one day I had enough, and I dumped the whole jar out on a metal tray, and left it out for 7 hours straight. They were pretty dry after that, but once I stuck them back in the jar, they were fine after that. I checked on them two days later, and the outside layer was just a bit crispy, and the inside was good to go.

I normally don't trim sugar leaf material off when I'm curing buds, as they help hold moisture in my dry Winter climate, but when they get wetter than you'd like, leaving them on a tray, it gives you some vegetable material that can flick off when they get to the proper drying point.

 

[Chunky Stool]

I tried several portable hygrometers and they were all at least 10% lower than actual RH. (They were tested in a room with two big dehumidifiers for comparison.)

Drying at 60 degrees & 60% humidity for two full weeks is the way to go -- then straight into Grove bags for at least two weeks to cure.

EZ-PZ

 

[Ramjet159]

I’m walking around on my decking out the back on a warm dusk thinking yep I can smell meat on a BBQ . Someone’s enjoying the last of our warm days . Then I walk closer past my little orphan reject plants I threw outside when I had excess numbers for indoors .
The Violet Cake smells like a BBQ in full swing .
Wow ….. it’s new to me a terp profile of meat on a Barbie 🤷‍♂️
Weird but interesting at the same time .

 

[Chunky Stool]

I tried several portable hygrometers and they were all at least 10% lower than actual RH. (They were tested in a room with two big dehumidifiers for comparison.)

Drying at 60 degrees & 60% humidity for two full weeks is the way to go -- then straight into Grove bags for at least two weeks to cure.

EZ-PZ

I should probably mention that I hang whole plants to dry.
Then 'dry trim' before storage in Grove bags.

Not sure about the process for 'wet trim'... <insert dirty joke here>

 

[Smoke_A_Lot]

I tried several portable hygrometers and they were all at least 10% lower than actual RH. (They were tested in a room with two big dehumidifiers for comparison.)

Drying at 60 degrees & 60% humidity for two full weeks is the way to go -- then straight into Grove bags for at least two weeks to cure.

EZ-PZ

The meters have been treating me good and I believe they're on point. I put a 62% humidity pack in a sealed empty jar over 24hrs and it's reading 62%. When they're not in use I like to take the batteries out.


The humidity packs I'm testing out.

 

[Smoke_A_Lot]

I picked these up yesterday, they're a lot better than regular zig-zag or EZ-widers.
They do burn nice and slow.

 

[Smoke_A_Lot]

I did what was recommended and layed the buds out over cardboard over night.
That did the trick, now the jar is reading at a suitable humidity level.

 

[Psychobilly]

I did what was recommended and layed the buds out over cardboard over night.
That did the trick, now the jar is reading at a suitable humidity level.
View attachment 197251

If you notice them going back up again, just repeat the process bro I learned the hard way that sometimes you have to let them dry out a bit extra before sealing them, because the jar will normally moisten them back up a bit each time. Looks like you have it now though

 

[Smoke_A_Lot]

If you notice them going back up again, just repeat the process bro I learned the hard way that sometimes you have to let them dry out a bit extra before sealing them, because the jar will normally moisten them back up a bit each time. Looks like you have it now though

Appreciate all the advice bro!

Instead of hanging the whole plant upside down to dry I've just been cutting off sections and trimming it slowly. The trimmed buds get thrown in a cardboard box to dry than jarred up for the cure. I haven't been feeling the best lately, been feeling pretty lazy to tell you all the truth.

 

[Psychobilly]

Appreciate all the advice bro!

Anytime

Instead of hanging the whole plant upside down to dry I've just been cutting off sections and trimming it slowly. The trimmed buds get thrown in a cardboard box to dry than jarred up for the cure.

Yeah, I do mine with those metal coat hanger looking things that have 10 clips on each hanger, and I just cut a top off, and fill the clips, and then hang that until it's ready and I am too.

I haven't been feeling the best lately, been feeling pretty lazy to tell you all the truth.

Hope you feel better bro. And don't worry about feeling lazy, I still have over 100 tops hanging up waiting to be dealt with. I have a humidifier near by (not too close, as mold can still form) but it helps them from drying out too much, and then of course my polar like conditions of the bedroom, allows them to stay put for a while. I'm not sure how long I'd really leave them up this way, but for the most part, as long as the room stays below 70 degrees, and the RH stays decent, they'll hold for a while.

 

[Amarok]

I think I've made it through another winter.
Daytime highs above freezing for the entire 2 week forecast is such a great thing to see.

Going into the city today to hang out with my kid and the forecast is for +8. Going to go for a walk in the river valley and enjoy the sun.😃

 

[Psychobilly]

Enjoy your walk bro

I'm personally grateful it's been raining here. The air lately has been so dry, that every morning this week when I'd blow my nose, there was blood.

 

[Smoke_A_Lot]

One of the major onion sites pulled an exit scam, I lost about $70 in crypto. That's nothing compared to the millions others lost.
Greed is why we can't have nice things..

What a damn shame.

 

[Bullfrog]

Enjoy your walk bro

I'm personally grateful it's been raining here. The air lately has been so dry, that every morning this week when I'd blow my nose, there was blood.

I have so many plants in my pad that I've been fighting high humidity all winter, never had that issue before. Even had to break out the dehumidifier. I've seen it as high as 80% on those really warm days. I haven't had any dry skin issues or dry nose and throat all winter. Been so nice. Ya need to run some plants in the winter, it'll help the air and your health. I have a pretty good haul in just houseplants/tropicals, add all the mj plants and it makes a nice environment.

It's been 70-75f and 50%+ humidity all winter inside my pad. Love it. Last winter struggled to keep it up to 40%.