Want Bag Appeal? Curing Matters

stucklikechuck said:

excellent thread! i have a question about those pump-n-seal jars. can you use the pump to cure/burp the bud or is the pump-n-seal used just to store already cured buds?

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I've been pumping the air out of some that are still curing and it doesn't seem to be hurting anything. They were about 75% dry when I started.
I think if there was any mold starting in there, you'd smell it in the pump exhaust, like you do the goodies.
Too stoned to tell if it's improving the weed. It sure ain't hurtin' it!

supdro said:

great thread.. you have all props. So I hang my buds up to dry...then put them into paper bags before curing??? why? If they are dry they go to jar which distributes the moister right??

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paper bags properly redistribute the moistness trapped inside buds especially dense ones, will help ur buds burn better, and smoke smoother also helps to prevent old from eating ur buds from the inside out

MrFishy said:

Good post. I've never tried this method, but will. Does mine look cured properly to you?
I go to jar when you go to bag? I think yours might save me some hassles (burp burp burp burp) and other concerns.
When complete, how's/what's the texture of the insides? Mine are leathery and pliable for months, if stored at all properly. Ya almost have to use scissors, and even then, they're spro-i-n-g-y . . . in a good way.
Buds light/stay lit fine, but don't keep burnin' when idle.
Very gooey, even dry.
Got any close-ups of the un-cured batch already posted?
Rep . . . must've already hit ya, oops.

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Those looks great MrFishy!! Yum!!!
I would describe my buds pretty much the same after curing. You most DEFINITELY have to use scissors, no breaking these buds up with your fingers, it would be too sticky and it's not brittle enough to do that. I would also use the word pliable and spongy, but spongy in a good way. Like if you pinch one between you fingers; nothing breaks off of it but it returns to it's shape immediately. Cushy maybe, hard to think of a word to describe it but I know you know exactly what I'm trying to say. In blunts and joints it burns nice, slow and even; stays lite while smoking but will go out if no one tokes on it. Sounds like we like our buds cured the same way.

I have some close ups for you. You can definitely see a difference. The buds are from the same strain (Jack Herer), same mother, same growing conditions in the same room, done by same grower. Only two differences. The cured buds were harvested two weeks before the uncured (SoG, perpetual) buds were and of course the ones are cured the ohter are not. You can see the difference. The uncured buds look fresher, more green (not color wise); you can tell the chorophyll, sugars, and starches have not really started to break down in them. The other big difference is the appearance of the trichs and the texture of the buds. The uncured buds have the same amount or trichs (crystals), they are covered with with them but they seem duller, flatter than the ones on the cured buds. The texture is different too, on the uncured buds the sugar leaves and hairs are flat once they have a good cure it seems like they "come back to life".

Here's the pics:


Dried but NOT cured^^^^^Strain: Jack Herer


Dried but NOT cured^^^^^^Strain: Jack Herer


Dried, then cured approximately 2-3 weeks. Strain: Jack Herer


Dried, then cured approximately 2-3 weeks. Strain: Jack Herer


Dried, then cured approximately 2-3 weeks. Strain: Jack Herer

why should i put orange peels in the jar when curing?

Just wanted to show props to this thread.. your the man, no one could have put this better +rep

great post plus rep for u. i get ppl droolin for me bud and i wont sell it to them,they see it/smell it and just are like...............................speechless

sikwidit bay kid 650 said:

why should i put orange peels in the jar when curing?

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orange peels or lemon/lime work great if ur bud is too dry after curin or if u get dry bud,put it in a container for like 20-60min dependin on sevarity of dryness,it also adds a nice flaver oand aroma.

good read.

sikwidit bay kid 650 said:

why should i put orange peels in the jar when curing?

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orange peels or lemon/lime work great if ur bud is too dry after curin or if get dry bud,put it in a container for like 20-60min dependin on sevarity of dryness,it also adds a nice flaver oand aroma.

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Degrading veg growth and/or useless bottom fan leaves do the same thing to rehydrate, without adding any alien flavor.

just thought id open up by saying thanks to Roxi for the enlightening post.

Just cut and dried my first harvest. i had them in the jars now for a week, and i missed a day, maybe 2 of opening them up and airing them out. Yesterday i notoced a little white fuzz on one of the buds in one jar, so i opened them all up. There it was, mold because i left them unattended for 2 days, A HUGE NO NO! Ive since removed the moldy buds(very very slight mold, i might be overly anal about it infact) and began to dry them out. If i see mold with ease i discarded them, but if i really had to look to find it, they will soon be hash.

After inspecting every single bud in all 24 mason jars, i put about half of them in the paper bag again, left it open to breathe and will wait a few days before jarring them again. My drying process left them uneven, so i think i may have jarred them early. Now to my question.

Does tossing a few silica packets into the bag hurt the Ganja? Will this help them dry EVENLY? Is this a good idea to help salvage my harvest? i know it will probably ruin the taste but id hate to lose my dericious greenses

Jrat said:

just thought id open up by saying thanks to Roxi for the enlightening post.

Just cut and dried my first harvest. i had them in the jars now for a week, and i missed a day, maybe 2 of opening them up and airing them out. Yesterday i notoced a little white fuzz on one of the buds in one jar, so i opened them all up. There it was, mold because i left them unattended for 2 days, A HUGE NO NO! Ive since removed the moldy buds(very very slight mold, i might be overly anal about it infact) and began to dry them out. If i see mold with ease i discarded them, but if i really had to look to find it, they will soon be hash.

After inspecting every single bud in all 24 mason jars, i put about half of them in the paper bag again, left it open to breathe and will wait a few days before jarring them again. My drying process left them uneven, so i think i may have jarred them early. Now to my question.

Does tossing a few silica packets into the bag hurt the Ganja? Will this help them dry EVENLY? Is this a good idea to help salvage my harvest? i know it will probably ruin the taste but id hate to lose my dericious greenses

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Your welcome!! Sorry it didn't really help so much this time but next time you'll be a seasoned pro .

The drying and curing process seem to be where new growers frequently run into the problems, that problem is usually MOLD. It's not just first time growers that run into this problem though.

Drying and curing properly is a tricky process. It's something you have to use your judgement on, that's where experience comes in. Since there is no specific time table for how long it takes to dry and cure a harvest, it may take a grower a couple of grows to gain that experience. I think it's because knowing how long to hang it, when to paper bag it and then when to jar it and for how long is something you have to judge by the look and feel of the buds not a specific set timeframe. Most first time growers make mistakes simply because they haven't done it before and may not have someone to help them with it. Sometimes new growers don't even think about drying or curing until they harvest their plants. Believe or not some of them have no idea what to do once they harvest; some may not have even heard of curing either. Couple those things with impatience and you get mold

Using the brown paper bags prior to putting the buds in jars to cure helps eliminate the mistake of putting your buds in the jar too early, most of the time. Mold happens because the buds appear to be dry because they feel like they are dry, when really they are only dry on the outside. When unevenly dried buds are put in jars moisture from the inside the buds is redistributed just like it is in the brown paper bags. The difference is that in glass jars that excess moisture has no where to go except back into the buds because the glass obviously won't absorb it, unlike the brown paper bags which will.

The bag step allows the moisture from inside the bud to be redistributed evenly throughout the bud. If the buds were still pretty wet inside you notice it quickly because that moisture will be redeposited on the outside of the buds too. That excess moisture will get absorbed by the paper bag rather than just sitting there condensing on the buds like it would in jars. If the buds seem excessively damp you can remove them and lay them out for another day or so then bag them up again.

About the Silica Gel packets. You can use them if you like. I have used them on buds that I have bought that were not dried well enough by the grower. I will throw one or two, depending on the quanity of bud and the dampness, in a jar with the buds overnight to help absorb any excess moisture. I never noticed it leaving any type of strange smell or taste on the buds. I have not done it with buds I have grown since it is essentially accomplishes the samething as the brown bags do, that is absorbing excess moisture. There is also a chance that the silica gel could absorb too much moisture too fast so if you do use the little packets make sure you check you buds regularly.

awesome post, +rep

good thread man but i heard of keepin the some of the fan leafs on during the bud drying process actually helps the drying process take longer since moisture and nutrients from the leafs/stem is till being transfered into the buds maybe after the 2-4 day u cut them off n from there juss go by what u posted bout the only thing i would have to add to it was that other wise good fukkin post agred with everything u said good shit man

Budda_Luva said:

good thread man but i heard of keepin the some of the fan leafs on during the bud drying process actually helps the drying process take longer since moisture and nutrients from the leafs/stem is till being transfered into the buds maybe after the 2-4 day u cut them off n from there juss go by what u posted bout the only thing i would have to add to it was that other wise good fukkin post agred with everything u said good shit man

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Hey Budda,

That is true, some that some growers prefer to leave the fan leaves on to help slow the drying process. The reason the fan leaves slow the drying process is because they curl up around or cover the buds; this holds the moisture in the buds and only lets it escape very slowly. I can't imagine what effect leaving the fans leaves on would have on the moisture and nutrients still being transfered, that continues to happen whether the fans leaves on left on or not. That's why they suggest flushing your plants or using only water, no nutes, during the last 7-10 day before harvest; prevents a build up of chemicals in the buds that can affect the smoothness, taste, and smell of your smoke. Photosynthesis also continues even after the plant is cut; this is the reason they suggest drying and curing your buds in a dark area.

You're right though, you can leave the fans leaves on and some growers do. I prefer not to for two reasons; number one it is much easier to manicure if you cut those off fan leaves off before they dry up and cover the buds and number two since I use the brown paper bag step (some growers do not) I am accomplishing virtually the same thing, slowing the drying process, only without the mess those fans leaves make once they have dried. It's really more a personal preference than anything.

Good point though, thanks for mentioning it.

I pretty much trim all the extraneous veg growth off before I initially hang, especially the larger stuff, like fan leaves.

Well, I smoked a small bud before curing and now smoked one after. No doubt, curing is the fecking joint. Can't describe the amount of difference. Every day seems like more and more crystals appear. Unfecking believable.

Excellent post and great timing for me. I'm cutting down my Kush & NL tonight. Reps to U!!! And many thanks

+rep to you. This gives me something to look forward to.

So let me get this right... I have to know cause i just harvest last night. I keep them hanging till they fill crispy, but not brittle. move to the paper bag for a few days. How should they feel after the paper bag for a few days?? The same???

Nice man, didnt cure on my last grow....but u hav definately conviced me to cure on my second grow!!! Thanks

sikwidit bay kid 650 said:

why should i put orange peels in the jar when curing?

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If you grow in LARGE quanities, and need something larger then mason jars to cure some use larger rubber maid tubs. The last week of curing a slice of orange is added to remove ant plastic taste that make have occured during the cure in the tubs (rubber), if your curing in jars use fan leaves that were removed recently. This will add to the over all moisture in the jars, and slightly moisten all the buds slowly...if they need to be rehtdrated a bit.

Roxi did you make 2 similar topic posts, cause I swear I posted in a tread very similar to this...or I just imagining things...who knows...by the way check your PMs bud