How long to dry

Ideally, you should allow the cannabis to cure fully before enjoying it. Sure, you can sample some early here and there of course, but super fresh bud is not going to be the same as the stuff that has been allowed to cure. Proper curing stops the degradation process before volatile compounds like terpenes and cannabinoids evaporate or transform into less favorable compounds.

Additionally, cannabinoid synthesis the process of creating those valuable chemicals continues to take place even after harvest! I also recently learned that during the curing process, bacteria works to break down the chlorophyll in the plant material. Chlorophyll is what makes the plants nice and green in color, but also contributes to a harsh smoking experience.

We use these half gallon jars. Store the containers in a dark, temperate place. Now, over the following weeks, periodically burp the jars.

Leave the lid off for 10 to 15 minutes, and then re-seal the jar. The purpose is to allow some air exchange — to introduce oxygen and release moisture or other off-gassing substances.

How often should I burp the jars while curing, you ask? Some growers burp their jars one to two times per day during the first week or two. It is especially important to burp frequently if your cannabis is on the higher end of that humidity range, and leave the lids open even longer — up to an hour.

We aim for once per day, but sometimes miss a few days. After the first couple of weeks, a burp just once per week is great — for the following month. After a full 6 to 8 weeks of curing, you can reduce the burping frequency to once per month.

A shorter burp is fine. Keep a hygrometer inside at least one of your containers. You can rotate it amongst jars if needed, or use a few of them. Try to position it in a way that is visible through the sides of the container. Spread them out somewhere with good airflow, such as on an herb drying rack , screen, or even on cardboard.

When you open the jars to burp them, take a sniff! A slight ammonia aroma is a sign that the cannabis is too wet and is starting to spoil. A strong ammonia odor or visible mold are indications that the cannabis was much too wet, and is probably now ruined.

Originally designed for the cigar industry, Boveda packets can be used to re-introduce moisture to overly dry cannabis. You can also keep them with your buds during long-term storage to regulate humidity, which may be particularly helpful in hot, arid climates. Once your cannabis has finished curing, you can shift to long term storage. We store our cannabis in the same half-gallon jars they were cured in. Choose any air-tight container, and store it in a temperate, dark location. On the other hand, if you are giving weed away, that is a different story.

We do sometimes use plastic then. Sucking all the air out of the package totally crushes the buds! If anything, use the seal feature only. In summary, when cannabis is properly harvested, dried, cured, and stored, it can stay fresh, tasty, and potent for up to a year — just in time for the next growing season!

Check out the photo above! The color and chlorophyll will naturally fade, and THC may degrade slightly, but it still smokes and feels quite wonderful. At least not in the traditional sense.

We use a high-quality vaporizer. It heats and delivers the desired cannabinoids and terpenes without actual combustion of the flower. It totally destroys the flavor, and overheats the cannabinoids and terps to a far less efficient and effective temperature. We also make canna oil and capsules, but that is a whole different post for another day!

Here is an article all about vaporizing , which goes over the science and safety behind vaporizing cannabis. It also explores the differences between smoking and vaping, between using whole flower and concentrates, and how to make the most efficient, effective, safe use of your herb.

It is the safest for your lungs and body no heavy metals, like other vapes! No other vape uses that technology. It is efficient, effective, sexy, and the flavor is insanely good — because you are actually tasting your cannabis at its full potential!

How you choose to consume your cannabis harvest is ultimately a personal decision. Our thought is: after all that hard work to grow beautiful organic homegrown cannabis, why turn around and burn the hell out of it? I hope you found this article interesting, informative and useful! If so, please pass it on to your friends — to the left of course.

You may also like this article about how to activate decarboxylate raw cannabis to prepare for to make homemade cannabis-infused oil , edibles, or soothing topical salve. Feel free to ask questions or leave feedback in the comments! Does it make a difference to the potency of the bud? Hi Doug, I have not heard that nor do I think that the potency would be that drastically different. It is much easier to hang and deal with individual branches as opposed to the whole plant, let alone dealing with trying to remove a root ball from the ground or a container.

Good luck! Your email address will not be published. The colas on some of our big Maui Wowie girl, getting close to harvest time. You can see the branches are starting to sprawl under their own weight, and some of the fan leaves are dying. The girls in the distance were started a couple months later, and are just starting to plump up. Yep, this photo was taken from the roof!

Hundreds of clear trichomes, as seen through a jewelers loupe. Aaron checking the trichomes on one of our autoflower plants. An example of a partially harvested plant. The top portion of this Cookie Wreck was ready to go, but the bottom limbs needed a little more time. From now on, your primary goal is to ensure that your cannabis buds are stored in a controlled environment. At this moisture level, the buds will feel dry on the outside but still have a softness to them.

Wide-mouth mason jars are by far the best storage containers for marijuana. You can find them online or even at Walmart! Purchase 32 oz jars as they can hold up to 1.

You could invest in larger jars, but with this, you increase the risk of mold growth. You want to leave a little air at the top and avoid crushing the buds. You need to shake the jar now and then. Other storage options include wooden, metal, or plastic vessels. You can use plastic bags in a pinch, but they degrade after contact with specific terpenes found in cannabis. Interestingly, some growers deliberately cure bud when it is a little wet on the outside to cause additional bacterial growth.

Ensure the mason jars are sealed and place them in a cool, dark, and dry spot. Hopefully, the exterior of your buds is not crunchy and dry. This would indicate that the moisture from the interior of the flower has rehydrated the outside. If the outside is too dry, it means your marijuana is too dry. During the first few days, make sure you open the jars several times a day to let the flowers breathe. This is a crucial step because you allow moisture to escape while providing more oxygen.

If you do nothing, you will end up with moldy cannabis. If you have a hygrometer, use it regularly to test the humidity of the container. Leave your jars open for a few minutes with every check. After seven days, you only need to check your jars once every two days.

If you believe your buds are too dry, leave them inside the jar for up to three more days. This will allow you to see if any moisture from the interior of the bud comes to the surface. However, by doing so, you also increase the risk of mold growth. Your cannabis should be primed and ready for use after approximately three weeks in a mason jar.

However, some experts believe that eight weeks of cure time is optimal. There are a few marijuana strains that benefit from a six-month curing process — if you can wait that long!

In most instances, curing does little for strain quality after six months. At this stage, it is best to create a long-term storage solution to ensure your cannabis remains potent. The wide-mouth mason jars you used to cure the bud are ideal long-term vessels, too. Alternatively, you can vacuum seal the cannabis or store it in tightly-packed mason jars. They will keep your marijuana fresh for a long time. There are a host of low-cost cannabis scales available online.

Choose a brand, weigh your cannabis, calculate your usage, and determine how long this batch will last you! The goal was to sell as much cannabis as possible, which meant that a crucial process was neglected. Today, the sheer level of competition in the industry means that marijuana producers have little option but to spend the extra time and money on drying and curing their products.

Fortunately, no specialized equipment is needed, which means you can do it at home with the cannabis you grow. Make sure you begin the process as soon as possible after harvesting.

Otherwise, you risk reducing the quality of the plant. There is a fine line between over-drying and not drying enough. This is something you can only learn with practice. Various factors impact drying time. For example, small buds will dry faster than large, dense ones. Also, it will take longer to dry if you hang large branches because they hold the most water.

Other factors include humidity, airflow, and temperature. Therefore, we can only give a ballpark figure of days. Hanging buds to dry remains the most popular method. However, you can also place them flat on a surface such as cardboard. If you decide to try this drying method, make sure you turn the cannabis every few hours to ensure no wet spots.

Ideally, you will have a means of testing the temperature and humidity of the drying room. If not, you should wait at least five days before checking the moisture of the buds. Snap a bud off the branch. If smaller buds snap cleanly, they are ready for curing. Drying takes about days. The process is usually shorter when wet trimming because most of the plant material is trimmed away first and there is less plant to dry.

When dry trimming cannabis, you can hang harvested plants upside down on a line or hanger, either whole plants or branches—this prevents buds from getting flattened or misshapen as they dry.

Whether wet or dry trimming, check drying buds or branches after two days by bending a branch or stem—if the stem snaps, that means buds are fully dry.

A cheap hygrometer will help you monitor these numbers. Add a small fan to circulate air, and you may need to add a dehumidifier or AC as well. Flat racks are circular with layers of mesh, and are great for airflow.

Check wet-trimmed buds drying in the flat rack after days by giving them a little squish. The curing process is possibly the most overlooked aspect of growing weed. During curing, moisture continues to draw from the center of the bud toward the outside. Curing affects the flavor and quality of the smoke. A slow cure at low temperatures will preserve terpenes better than a quick, hot dry. A proper cure also allows you to store weed for long periods without worrying about mold or cannabinoid or terpene degradation.

Well-cured flower can be stored in an airtight container in a cool, dark place for up to two years without significant loss of potency. The space should maintain room temperature and not be too humid.