I have a harvest of nirvana's blue mystic that i have just recently cut> I hung the buds the dry for five days until the stems started to crack and now i have moved the mason jars. I burp the jars every 12 hrs for 30 mins and i store them in a mini fridge that stays completely dark. Is this a good method? Am I on the right track? Any mods that could make my curing better?
I have no idea actually.. as I just totally ruined my AK48 harvest because I waited too long to start the curing process. I think my tear ducts are empty.. I have no more tears to shed.. I'm about to just give up. anyhow.. maybe this information will help you out a little bit.
After months of risk, commitment and hard work, the crop has been harvested. Its too late now to correct any mistakes done during the flowering, but it is never too late to improve the flavour and the high of your buds by implementing a controlled drying and curing process.
Drying is as important as growing, and a bad drying process can ruin even the best buds. Curing is a painfully long but necessary step towards the highest possible quality of the smoke. Most commercial growers do not cure their crop; they just dry it and sell it. But for the real connoisseur, curing is the essence of it all, the culminating moment towards the perfect result.
Drying marijuana means reducing the water content of the buds to 10-15%, depending on the desired crispiness of the final product. This can be achieved in many different ways, but the best method is to use a climate-controlled room. The room must be lit using special green fluorescent tubes (laboratory light, of the special green spectrum that does not affect plant material). The temperature and the humidity must be constantly controlled and adjusted, and the air exchange exactly calibrated to the desired volume. In an ideal situation, you want to let most of the moisture evaporate from the bud in the first 3 days, and then the process should slow down. In the first three days, a temperature of 20 degrees Celsius and a relative humidity of 55% will ensure that the buds get to roughly 30-40% water content. From this moment on, the temperature should drop a few degrees down to 18 Celsius and the relative humidity should rise to 60% to slow down the drying process. This allows the chlorophyll and other substances to leave the buds through evaporation with the water. If the drying is too fast the chlorophyll will stay, and the smoke will have a bitterer taste, and a green aftertaste. The volume of air exchanged in the room is also critical. Do not exceed 10% of the total volume every hour, or it will be too fast. Use a timer and an open/closed duct-fan to regulate air intake and extraction. In total, the drying process should take around 10 to 14 days for a perfect taste.
Taste is not the only variable affected by the drying process. The longer the drying, the more THC will degrade into CBN and other cannabinoids. Therefore even in the same strain, the effect will slightly change from higher to more stoned, from uplifting to more physical. The difference between drying 10 days and 14 days is not very evident to the novice, but it is a world of difference to the connoisseur.
After drying, commercial growers package the crop. They usually like to dry the buds to 15% water content; this results in a heavier product (more water equals more money). Connoisseurs, on the other hand, like their bud between 12 and 10% water content because the flavour improves and the weed burns better. If the buds are to be smoked pure, lower water content is preferable (down to 8% for good burning). On the contrary, when weed has to be vaporized, it is best to leave a higher water content (12 to 15%) to prevent easy combustion of smaller particles at vaporization temperature. So, after the drying is finished, the connoisseurs will still dedicate a month or two to curing. Curing weed corresponds to ageing a good wine. If the weed quality is average, it is not worth the effort and waiting necessary for curing it. On the contrary, if the buds are high grade it is well worth waiting a little longer to get the best out of it.
Curing cannabis means packaging it in a wooden box or cardboard box, pressing it slightly so that some of the trichomes break and some of the resin oils and terpenes spread over the surface of the buds. Some growers like to cure their bud in air-tight glass jars, but this requires the jar to be opened for a few hours every few days (depending on the environmental factors of the drying room). After packaging it in the chosen way, leave it in a cellar-like environment (18 degrees Celsius, 50% relative humidity and total darkness) for a period of 1 to 2 months. Keep checking regularly to prevent fungus and mould formation from damaging the product. If you smell mould or ammonia, immediately open the containers and allow the bud to dry in a warmer environment for a few hours before continuing the curing process.
Curing is very difficult, and should be tried with small batches first. Once the technique has been mastered, bigger batches can be attempted.
Curing cannabis will increase the intensity of the flavour and will slowly but steadily lower THC in favour of other cannabinoids. The high of cured weed is always deeper and more introspective, almost becoming a meditation and inner-vision tool in some cases. The flavour gets much more complex and refined, gaining in depth as well as in variation of bouquet.
Cured buds always look slightly brownish and have a typical smell, one that real smokers love from the bottom of their soul. Like a very good old wine, there is something unique about a well cured crop.
