Drying first time

Encryptednz said:

So I should use an oscillating fan pointing at the bottom of the wall? Everything I've read has said to avoid using one where possible? Is exhaust fan using negative pressure technique and a dehumidifier not enough? Or should I use all 3?

Click to expand...

Encryptednz said:

So I should use an oscillating fan pointing at the bottom of the wall? Everything I've read has said to avoid using one where possible? Is exhaust fan using negative pressure technique and a dehumidifier not enough? Or should I use all 3?

Click to expand...

Silentvirtue said:

Ok. Long reply coming.

Firstly, you have to consider humidity this is sooooo important you would not believe. Too low you risk it drying out to fast.

This is bad as you'll trap unwanted sugars, starches and chlorophyll that would normally be broken down by enzymes as the plant is drying. Resulting in a poor burn and it being harsh on the throat. Along with destroying and Terpene and other Flavanoid compounds (smells and tastes).

Too high and it will dry too slowly as the moisture can't evaporate sufficeintly.

This is bad because it will attract things like fungus, mould and other micro organisms that you do not want like powdery mildew for example. Baaaaad for your health!

I like to start at around 60/65% for the first two days then bring it down to about 55% for the remaining time.

Air flow is the next thing to consider. As this will have an impact on drying speed. It is recommended you do not have any air being blown directly on to drying plants for obvious reasons. If youre using just your exhaust fan I'd say slow it down and watch the RH % (Relative Humidity) and only using your dehumidifier if your RH % is too high.

Personally I use my exhaust fan on a fan speed regulator, with my pole mount fans turned way down on ocsillaition mode using my fan controllers, (best thing I've invested in controller plugs! Cheap too on eBay. Plug them in to the socket, plug the fan in to the controller socket, turn fan on full and use the dial to control speed) I only use one and mount it at the bottom of my tent just for a tiny bit of extra circulation. This is due to my drying method which I will explain later.

Also using your exhaust fan will help maintain a slightly negative pressure inside your room helping with odour control.

Temperature is the next crucial element to the puzzle as RH % and temperature can be related in dry/grow room settings. This is where peoples opinions start to differ. Personally I try to maintain 18C or 65F but anywhere between 17C - 20C or 62f - 68f Is the norm.

Once you have considered the above factors you now have to work out how long you want to dry them for. Same rules apply here as the do for RH %. Too long you risk moulds etc. Too fast you damage your end result. Now opinions vary MASSIVELY and I mean MASSIVELY. It ranges from 5 days to 14 days with some obscene and strange arguments. I like between 7 and 10 as I find this gets me what I want before sealing in glass jars and curing at 62%.

A good rule of thumb is the branches snap nicely (not completely off but give a distinct snap. You'll know when your hear and feel it) when they're dry enough. Outsides of the buds also feel slightly crispy but still slightly spongy on the inside.

Another consideration is how you prepare the plant for drying, this depends solely on preference and if you're trimming wet or dry. Again the views on methods are divided massively.

Now you are going to have to consider how to hang it and there are varying ways to do so, here's a list.

Method 1

Cut the whole plant down and hang for a day or so and start defoliating as the days go on. Readying for a dry trim.

Method 2

Same as method one but you break the plant down in to manageable pieces. Sometime essential for large beasts!

Method 3

Cut the whole plant down and hang for a few days before defoliating and wet trimming.

Method 4

Same as method 3 except you break the plant down in to manageable bits and again trim wet.

Method 5

Cut the whole plant down, break in to smaller branches and wet trim before hanging.

Method 6

You break down the plant to just buds (wet trimming style) and place them in to drying racks.

There are more ways but these are the most common. Again all down to preference, I personally like method 1 but have done them all ways. They all have pros and cons, just have to do what you're happy with and what you think is easiest really. Hey if you have a few why not sperate one (least favorite) and try your 2nd choice method. It would give you a good base line to compare.

Curing

To save you searching or waiting for a reply I'll brief you on curing.

It's a very often a missed or rushed process. People's opinions vary once again on time and RH%, even what to store them in. It isn't essential buy 100% worth it.

Basically what your doing during curing is redistributing the moisture stored with in the bud nice and evenly. Also by doing this you allow the moisture levels to stabilise. This process continues to develop Terpenes and Flavanoid compounds by further breaking down stored sugars and starches. This in turn provides a cleaner, smoother product.

Now on a personal note, I like to use clip lock rubber sealed type jars and a mini hydrometer in each jar. I keep these jars in the dark and maintain RH% around 62%. This does range from approx 58% - 65%. Again preference on how you like your bud slightly moist or dry.

You have to be vigilant at this point as the buds can get very wet and moulds will form. To avoid this for the first day or so take the out of the jar a spread and give them an quick look over DONT OVER HANDLE THEM YOU WILL DESTROY THE TRICHROMES. You are looking for them to be slightly moist as they are distributing that moisture. If the buds are soaking leave on a clean surface in the dark for about an hour before checking.

Once inspected put back in the jar make sure you leave a small air gap if you're worried still. You will need to continue to "burp" these jars every 4/6 hours through out the day, for the first 1-3 days. "Burping" literally means giving them a gentle shake to separate the buds and opening the lid from anywhere from 5 - 15 minutes.

Once the first few days have past usually between 5 - 7 days you only have to burp the jars once a day. RH% dependent obviously.

As for overal curing time this varies with opinions ranging from 7 days to 1 year retards. Personally I like 14 days min before smoking. Not saying I don't sample along the way . You will see smoke and taste when the buds are ready. It looses that green fresh taste you sometimes smell and taste, as well as the burn ability factor. Burn ability is also linked to a good flushing technique (opinions divided).

As for containers you can use plastic or glass doesn't really matter (opinions divided again) as long as it's air tight and kept in the dark.

Last thing you have to factor for curing is temperature. Again opinion divided as always . I personally like 18C or 65F but depends on ambient storage area temps in all honesty. Again ranges from 17C - 21C or 62F - 70F in reality. It's really not worth the expense of maintaining a sealed unit.

Little bit of help.

If your worried about your RH% in your jars spiking or dropping you can buy 2 way humidity control packs. There are various ones on the market. I've never used them but some people rave about them. I think the big brand is Boveda. From what I remember they are fairly cheap, you would have to research what size does what weight of bud.

The product is a salty gel packages in a paper bag feeling membrane. The gel naturally sits at the stated humidity and is self regulating. Meaning if the RH% is too high it will absorb moisture like a dehumidifier. If however the RH% is too lower the gel dehydrates slowly untill the RH% stabilises at the stated %.

Hope this answers all your questions at once.

Click to expand...

Encryptednz said:

Wow that was more than amazing thank you so much!

Click to expand...