Drying in a fridge

Dank Bongula

Well-Known Member
Low and Slow or (Lotus Cure) as we used to call it.
Harvest and trim fan and large leaves from plants. Wash buds. Hang to drip dry. Small fan circulating air. Can blow across buds as long as buds do not move.
Around 4 hours.
Do not remove sugar leaves. They are the buffer to protect the flowers.
Remove buds from stalks and put in canning jars. Fill jars loosely 1/2 to 2/3 full. Cover open end of jar with nylon screen and screw on cap ring. This keeps the buds from falling out during rolling or gentle shaking of jars.
Place in the crisper of a frost free refrigerator.
3 to 5 week process.
Week 1. Everyday roll or gently shake jar.
After 7 to 10 days. Take a jar out and let it come up to room temp 68F to 76F deg temp RH below 60%.
Place a humidity sensor in jar and seal. Place in dark. Wait one hour. If not between 64% and 72% RH. Replace screen and return to crisper.
Week 2 through 5. Check and roll/gentle shake every couple of days. Check RH% weekly.
Once RH% is between 64% and 72%.
Remove jars from refrigerator. Let them come up to room temp. 68F to 76F deg with RH% at 62%.
Seal jars (place a humidity sensor in one jar) and place in the dark with above parameters.
Burp jars daily. BURPING: Gently shake or roll jar before opening.
Room parameters 72F to 76F deg temp. 62% RH.
Open all jars. Place a test jar on its side with a humidity sensor inside.
Leave untill sensor reads 62%.
Before I seal each jar. I run a small fan over the top of jars. Forcing fresh air in.
Repeat process untill test jar sensor reads 62%.
Burp and seal jars for one week. Checking daily that RH is stable.
After I week. Burp jars and seal for 1 month.
After a month. Smoke, vape and enjoy.
Unopened jars burp every 4 months. Can be placed sealed in frost free fridge. And burp every 4 months.
Screenshot_20211105-130723_DuckDuckGo.jpg
 

DrOgkush

Well-Known Member
Give it a shot man. I wanna see the results. If better than traditional dry and cure. I’m game


my question is. What more are we gaining from this prolonged period vs the way we have been doing it for years. Pretty much everyone
 

Boatguy

Well-Known Member
Low and Slow drying/curing

Not takin no credit for this, I just googled and found it pretty easy. Gives you an idea of the process.
I dont blame you for not taking credit for it...
Put your harvest in the fridge, then dry normally when you take it out.

Edit: Not normally, just way more complicated than it needs to be.
Hang till dry, Trim, Remove big stems and jar. If humidity too high in jar layout overnite and retry.. Rinse and repeat
 

buckaclark

Well-Known Member
All threads say processes continue to occur after chop,The air in a refrigerator is counter productive to the ripening,if you will.
 

Blue brother

Well-Known Member
I feel since I started this thread it quickly lost its purpose, it was originally intended as somewhere for others to chime in about their experience with the process and mainly to compare parameters, variables and techniques.

I don’t frequent 420mag (where the majority of this info originates) so thought it would be cool to ask on here.

granted, this is an unusual technique. And from my research I’ve found that most people do it differently to one another. Horses for courses. What works for one in their situation doesn’t allways work for others in theirs.


I feel it is counter productive for me to continue to reply and post in this thread. I have acted out of order and also felt that others have too. I guess the only way to further this is for me to put my money where my mouth is when this run finishes. I will be back with a documented experiment, and I will post my results. And believe me when I say I will post the full truth good and bad.

To @DrOgkush i swore at you and said some insulting things and for that I apologise, that was childish of me.

and fair play atleast you sacrificed a bud in the name of science

on a lighter note here’s a shot of my favourite (so far) of the 4 plants of fried ice cream that will be going in the fridge. For better or for worse haha.

88C20C7F-D0E8-4260-8783-D64DDD46DAAA.jpegAC2E7171-E43A-4D43-BA20-4CE8DDEAF1D4.jpeg
Peace out guys

blu
 

DrOgkush

Well-Known Member
I feel since I started this thread it quickly lost its purpose, it was originally intended as somewhere for others to chime in about their experience with the process and mainly to compare parameters, variables and techniques.

I don’t frequent 420mag (where the majority of this info originates) so thought it would be cool to ask on here.

granted, this is an unusual technique. And from my research I’ve found that most people do it differently to one another. Horses for courses. What works for one in their situation doesn’t allways work for others in theirs.


I feel it is counter productive for me to continue to reply and post in this thread. I have acted out of order and also felt that others have too. I guess the only way to further this is for me to put my money where my mouth is when this run finishes. I will be back with a documented experiment, and I will post my results. And believe me when I say I will post the full truth good and bad.

To @DrOgkush i swore at you and said some insulting things and for that I apologise, that was childish of me.

and fair play atleast you sacrificed a bud in the name of science

on a lighter note here’s a shot of my favourite (so far) of the 4 plants of fried ice cream that will be going in the fridge. For better or for worse haha.

View attachment 5023486View attachment 5023487
Peace out guys

blu
Hey man. I had to eat my words. And publicly.

I said it wouldn even dry the weed and would mold. Posted pics. Even tho it didn’t dry well. It didn’t mold and it did dry. No harm no fowl. But I’ll continue the basic method.
And still interested in your results.
 

Joncoh101

Well-Known Member
I feel since I started this thread it quickly lost its purpose, it was originally intended as somewhere for others to chime in about their experience with the process and mainly to compare parameters, variables and techniques.

I don’t frequent 420mag (where the majority of this info originates) so thought it would be cool to ask on here.

granted, this is an unusual technique. And from my research I’ve found that most people do it differently to one another. Horses for courses. What works for one in their situation doesn’t allways work for others in theirs.


I feel it is counter productive for me to continue to reply and post in this thread. I have acted out of order and also felt that others have too. I guess the only way to further this is for me to put my money where my mouth is when this run finishes. I will be back with a documented experiment, and I will post my results. And believe me when I say I will post the full truth good and bad.

To @DrOgkush i swore at you and said some insulting things and for that I apologise, that was childish of me.

and fair play atleast you sacrificed a bud in the name of science

on a lighter note here’s a shot of my favourite (so far) of the 4 plants of fried ice cream that will be going in the fridge. For better or for worse haha.

View attachment 5023486View attachment 5023487
Peace out guys

blu
Sweet plants brother!!!
 

Cynister

Well-Known Member
For those posting and ranting about all their experiences and successes, I say good for you and go for it. If you like drying and curing in a 'fridge, then so be it. But, as to OP regarding anyone with experience, I figured it was time to stop biting my bleeding tongue and chime-in, although I'll probably regret it. And yes, I've tried this with other people over a long, long period of time. I'm not saying this does not work. I'm saying there are some not-so-obvious considerations before you decide if it's for you.

When a refrigerated appliance cycles (compressor turns-on/off) temp and humidity fluctuates fairly quickly. When turning-on the humidity will decrease 15%-20%. When the compressor turns-off the humidity will increase. This regular cycling of the compressor causes periodic fluctuations of the temp and humidity within the 'fridge chamber. Frost-free 'fridges do not work better than manual defrosting ones in this instance as they require the cooling coils to defrost. Air temp & liquid temp inside a refrigerated appliance fluctuate at different rates. Different locations within the chamber are also exposed to variations; colder lower and to the rear, warmer up-front and upper areas. Also the door seals vary in quality, condition and maintenance. Opening and closing the door allows more fluctuations than most people expect or realize and the compressor needs to cycle again due to the onrush of outside air. Electronic monitoring devices are a consideration, but they too can give-off mechanical noise that causes temp fluctuations as much as 5-10 degrees. An appliance with a glass door allows for viewing without opening the door, but they will cycle more frequently due to limited insulation quality of glass. The period of time the compressor cycles to return the inside air to it's preferred condition can sometimes be considerable, depending on the age, condition, use and maintenance of that appliance.

Field testing side-by-side with the same flower, conditions and weather, the most noticeable and objectionable difference in our experience is that the flower from the 'fridge method was less desirable when smoked. Overall, over time we found that the 'fridge-dried weed was more harsh, darker in color and did not give the same feeling or buzz as the weed that was not dried (or stored) in the 'fridge. There was too much fiddling-about with opening/closing the 'fridge door to check temps/humidity. The 'fridge is not as constant as one would hope. And most of all, we didn't like the quality of the smoked product in the end. I prefer to air-dry and store in glass jars in a cool dark place like a basement cupboard. She still stores in the 'fridge but prefers air-drying now. Lately though, she's even beginning to question 'fridge storing because whenever we sit down together, my weed is always a bit better and sometimes a lot better in overall quality. Yet, we are sharing the grow and harvest between us, just using different storage methods.

This was our limited, unscientific experience over a few years. Everyone will have different takes and experiences, but this is what we learned first-hand, good or bad. I'm not bashing either method, just pointing out what we learned. As usual, your mileage may vary.
 

Blue brother

Well-Known Member
For those posting and ranting about all their experiences and successes, I say good for you and go for it. If you like drying and curing in a 'fridge, then so be it. But, as to OP regarding anyone with experience, I figured it was time to stop biting my bleeding tongue and chime-in, although I'll probably regret it. And yes, I've tried this with other people over a long, long period of time. I'm not saying this does not work. I'm saying there are some not-so-obvious considerations before you decide if it's for you.

When a refrigerated appliance cycles (compressor turns-on/off) temp and humidity fluctuates fairly quickly. When turning-on the humidity will decrease 15%-20%. When the compressor turns-off the humidity will increase. This regular cycling of the compressor causes periodic fluctuations of the temp and humidity within the 'fridge chamber. Frost-free 'fridges do not work better than manual defrosting ones in this instance as they require the cooling coils to defrost. Air temp & liquid temp inside a refrigerated appliance fluctuate at different rates. Different locations within the chamber are also exposed to variations; colder lower and to the rear, warmer up-front and upper areas. Also the door seals vary in quality, condition and maintenance. Opening and closing the door allows more fluctuations than most people expect or realize and the compressor needs to cycle again due to the onrush of outside air. Electronic monitoring devices are a consideration, but they too can give-off mechanical noise that causes temp fluctuations as much as 5-10 degrees. An appliance with a glass door allows for viewing without opening the door, but they will cycle more frequently due to limited insulation quality of glass. The period of time the compressor cycles to return the inside air to it's preferred condition can sometimes be considerable, depending on the age, condition, use and maintenance of that appliance.

Field testing side-by-side with the same flower, conditions and weather, the most noticeable and objectionable difference in our experience is that the flower from the 'fridge method was less desirable when smoked. Overall, over time we found that the 'fridge-dried weed was more harsh, darker in color and did not give the same feeling or buzz as the weed that was not dried (or stored) in the 'fridge. There was too much fiddling-about with opening/closing the 'fridge door to check temps/humidity. The 'fridge is not as constant as one would hope. And most of all, we didn't like the quality of the smoked product in the end. I prefer to air-dry and store in glass jars in a cool dark place like a basement cupboard. She still stores in the 'fridge but prefers air-drying now. Lately though, she's even beginning to question 'fridge storing because whenever we sit down together, my weed is always a bit better and sometimes a lot better in overall quality. Yet, we are sharing the grow and harvest between us, just using different storage methods.

This was our limited, unscientific experience over a few years. Everyone will have different takes and experiences, but this is what we learned first-hand, good or bad. I'm not bashing either method, just pointing out what we learned. As usual, your mileage may vary.
Thanks for that, a lot of points for me to consider.
My current plan is to use a g.a.s dehumidifier and humidifier vpd controller, to adjust rh to suit the temperature changes to allow the vpd to remain the same. So within this fridge there will probably be a dehumidifier and a circulation fan.
When I look at the cannatrol unit it inspires me. I’ve seen someone using a wine fridge with the same controllers as I am planning on using. They started just drying in the wine fridge then modified it To better suit their needs. The main reason I wanna use a fridge is for the low temperature and what that allows for preservation wise, everything else can be controlled with gadgets, just the same as we do in a drying room or a grow tent. Multiple humidity controlled white wine fridges that use pettier modules, haven’t been totally discounted yet either. But I would like to fit as much into the unit as possible without needing multiple units, hence why I’m leaning towards a fridge.

thanks for sharing your experience with this, can I ask how you placed the buds in the fridge? On racks, in jars, hung, in paper bags etc?

not everyone realises that relative humidity isn’t the same as humidity, and 60% at 4c is a hell of a lot less moisture than 60% at 16c. So at each temperature interval the rh would have to change significantly to maintain the same vpd from the bud to the air within the fridge. This point seems to be where people either dry too fast and leave chlorophyll behind or dry to slow and get mold. There’s not much scientific study been done on this just a bunch of people saying (like yourself) what has and hasn’t worked for them. So trying to find the sweet spot and best technique seems to be done by trial and error.
 

dank'd

Well-Known Member
in 94(kw ontario, 2nd highest cocaine usage next toronto) got a qp of weed which was the consistency of literal cake, like the most moist and crumbly and addictive smelling cake you could imagine. there was no difference between leaf and crystal, it seemed to be all crystal. the looming smell in the room was just out of this world and forget when you crumbled up a bud christ....

the smoke was i kid you not, like cream, it was not smoke, it was clouds of candy that tasted like divine spicy incensy orgasmic deliciousness, no matter how much you pulled, and all the way down to the golden roach, which itself smelled divine btw

my guy had it kept in the freezer because of the smell
 

Nrk.cdn

Well-Known Member
My experience with this process of drying:
I did not use a fridge but I did use mother nature's version of cold and slow during winter. I have dried 16oz (3 times this way). I hang plants in a shed with temp range of -5c to 8c (23-46F). Humidity where I am stays around 40-65%. It normally takes 14-21 days to dry and then trim. I monitor with a inkbird remote sensor. The terp profile does tend to keep nicely.
I have used fans at times to move some air.
@JimmiP uses the same method and dries pounds.
I have a fridge with a frost free freezer portion so i will look to put some in there.
 

magnetik

Well-Known Member
yep tried it and agree with others that humidity is wacked and is even more wacked when you use the fridge for other things. My bud didn't seem like it ever dried and turned a different hue eventually. Fridge seemed too cold too. What did work is a wine cooler with a small dehu stuffed inside it routed out to a inkbird. I've been testing by putting in branches off fresh cut plants and dries just fine. Will dry out if you leave them in there too long though and not end up jarring. Been playing around with different temps/humidity and currently averaging 55/55. Not sure how it compares to a long drawn out dry vs. small spikes to pull moisture out from the middle but seems to work fine after doing it a bit. Prob could do the same with a full size fridge if you need to dry more. fwiw nothing is in the cooler now and usually sits at a higher avg. humidity.

1637505860976.png
 
Last edited:
Top