Hello fellow Weed Nerds! What a glorious Monday here on the Central Coast of California. Clear skies, mid 70's, or better to say, garden weather. Unfortnaly for me, it is still not time. No sun in the backyard, and I still have a tent full of drying herbs. I am making headway though. Trimming is the worst part of growing IMO. I know I have said this before, but I just can not help to bring it up around this time. I can not help but to move like a snail. Great thing I have a great environment setup, even better then the last. This is because I decided to use my grow tent as my dry room. I am able to control the environment, except for heat. Good thing I live in a mild climate, and the only time it gets hot in my tent, is when I have my 600 Watt LED up on full blast. Since the light is not needed, my tent stays relativity cool.
Ideal environment for drying cannabis
- Temperature
60-65 degrees Fahrenheit is a great temp.
- Humidity
I like to keep mine between 50-55% the first few days, then after that I try to keep in the 55-59% range. Depending on where you are, it is important to have a Humidifier, or Dehumidifier.
- Air Circulation
I keep a fan on the bottom of the tent, blow indirectly from my hanging cannabis. I also have an In-Line fan expelling the air, while bringing in fresh air. For those that do not want the smell to get out, a carbon filter attached to your In-Line Fan is the best option.
- Keep your Dry room dark
You do not want excess light shining directly on your drying cannabis. However this is not as crucial as when you have flowering cannabis plants. A little light leak will be fine.
- How long should I dry
7-14 days is an ideal time. However if you have extreme dry conditions, in could be less. Or if you have ideal conditions they can hang longer. This is why you constantly monitor your hanging herbs. The best way to tell if your plant is ready to begin the cure stage, is by bending the stems, and or branches. If they are like rubber, they need longer. If you hear snap, or crack, it is ready!
- Low, and slow
The longer you can hang your plants, the better. But if your cannabis dry's in a few days, don't worry. As long as you stay on top of it, you will still have primo product. However in these extreme dry conditions it is only bad if you let them go to long. But I am speaking from personal experience, I am sure there are tricks, and other things a person can do to save there harvest. One thing I can say that will destroy a harvest forever, is MOLD. So whatever you do, do not let that humidity get in the danger zone of above 60% when drying.
After drying it is now time for trimming, assuming you are doing a dry trim. Which in my case it is. Even in the past when I did a wet trim, I still did a final trim after drying, but I digress. Now it is time for the part that many refer to as, 'Trim Jail'. I would not go that far, since I trim on my own terms. They may try to lock you up, but they cant lock up your mind! Forget I said that, I am getting off track. Ok so where do you start?
Tools needed for trimming
Sharp pruning sheers
Gloves(optional)
A well lighted area
Trim Bin(Optional, but highly recommended!)
The last one on my list is a Trim Bin. If you are not using one of these, your are missing out! I can not believe on all the Kief I have lost in the past, using a plate. So cringe now when I think about it. Not only that, but the Trim Bin gives you a nice area with walls on the side, so nothing is tipped over. Then it has a place to rest your forearms as you trim. Just those two factors makes this a great investment of 50 or so dollars.
Take a look at all the Kief I collected from the La Kush Cake! In the past I would of lost this. Then I could not be doing what @lacausa did with his, check this out!
Ok back to the subject....
Now it is time to jar up your buds. You will need:
Mason Jars
Or your choice of vessel. #themorningbowl uses a old pickle jar. Just make sure to clean them out. I am using reused jars from past harvests, so I have disinfected, and made sure they where completely dry before using.Humidity packs(optional)
I have mixed felling's about these. Some swear by them, and others scorn them.Digital tops(optional)
Now these are something I do not have, but I think it's cool. They make tops that fit Mason Jars that give you a reading of the Humidity in the jar. If you have experience with these, please let me know what you think in the comments.
It is important to remember to not stuff the jar full. Leave room for the buds to breath. After you have jarred up your cannabis, it is now time to begin the 'Burping' process. This is where those digital tops would be handy. It is quite easy, but it does require patience. Although it is easy, it is a very crucial step to ensuring you have great cannabis! So 'Burping' is to expel excess moisture, and C02 that occurs in the curing process.
To burp, you are taking off the sealed top. Just like you would burp a baby, you want to take care burping your cannabis. When I burp I just take the lid off for at least 5 min, twice a day, sometimes more. When I do the burping process, I move around the buds, or lay the jar on its side to allow everything get out. I do this for at least 2-3 weeks. What about you? Please let me know in the comments. I can never stop learning how to have the best I can have!
So this is how I go about drying, and curing my cannabis. Keep in mind that I am not telling what to do, but rather give you a good idea, and hopefully point you in the right direction. Everyone has there own ways of doing things. You do what is right for you, and what works. You can not argue with success. While we all have our own ways of doing things, the end goal is all the same. To have tasty, terpy, and beautiful cannabis buds! Please fell free to comment on how you do things. Peace!!
