I just came across this post. Have two of these. They are awesome...and truly expensive for what they are...and worth it!...to me.
I have a circle of friends who grow and we are always working to obtain connoisseur grade flower. 60/60 - 16 days is standard. Then cure for a month in auto cure buckets in a humidity/temp controlled tent.
If you're doing the above correctly you're 95% there.
If youve acquired top tier genetics and got them to top-tier flowers, AND have the budget, the cannatrol come into play.
Also if you are very busy or have your own business, burping becomes nearly impossible.
In the beginning it was a debate and now no longer is.
Oxidization is something that cannot be denied and a sealed drying and curing environment eliminates that factor. Something that burping cannot. Oxidization degrades organic matter. When you harvest your bud it only degrades from the moment of chop. In the Cannatrol, you are able to set the parameters and keep that flower in the best possible state it can be for every moment of its drying and curing.
What you will pull out will be one step above any way you have dried or cured before. If you are good at it now it's not going to blow your mind. However, if you are good at it now you are also experienced enough to realize the extra fullness of the flavor, the vibrance of the colors and the freshness and cleanliness of the aroma. Zero cat piss. Zero hay smell. We tend to have this misconception that bad smells bacterias and molds are an on/off switch. The truth is, there's always a level of fault in cured flower. It is about minimizing that.
The Cannatrol isnt just about curing your weed or not ruining it while you dry it. It is about doing it the best.
Post harvest in the Cannatrol is comparable with your ability to get to that fine bottle of wine or fine bottle of whiskey or fresh hand rolled cigar.
If your mentality is volume and budget, you might be disappointed. If you're trying to obtain flower you cannot buy, it will take something like this.
Consider how easy it is in 2022 to acquire incredible genetics and grow them to a beautiful expression. Now think about post harvest. The way most cannabis growers handle their crop (especially considering the value) is very primitive. Usually the conversation ends here because people don't want to hear that what they were doing forever could be done better. However, if you were able to face facts with dignity, these are them.
The concepts we use for storing and curing most of our foods today also applies to this organic matter. Home grower's (winemakers, brewers, gardeners) rarely invest what it takes to do it at a "professional" level... Not that you're trying to make money.
A purchase like this comes down to opinion and budget. This is my favorite plant in the world and handing a seasoned smoker something that blows their mind brings me a lot of joy.
This community should acknowledge these concepts and this technology as the state of the art for this industry. Because we can't afford it, is a bad reason to say its not better. Give it 5 years. No one will be introducing oxygen into their flower post-harvest.
Put it in a shed or a room or whatever you want at 60/60 for 16 days, burp your jars and you can have some amazing flower. If you want to take a step forward, and capture the best it will take the cannatrol or something that can create a similar environmental condition.
The value is all up to you. We already know the price is high.
