How To Dry and Cure Your Cannabis Buds
So you've grown some dope, and you want to know how to dry it and cure it to get the most out of your plants. During the process of growing marijuana, drying and curing cannabis buds is arguably the most crucial step.
Although it may seem like a simple task, there are many factors to consider when drying and curing cannabis buds, including the temperature, humidity, and ventilation of your drying room.
If you go about it in the wrong way, you could quickly end up with a crop of moldy, mildewed buds that are either too wet or too dry.
What do you do? Do you hang it in the attic? If so, how far away from the floor should you put it? Or do you use something else, like a food dehydrator? What kind of temperature and humidity do you need to dry your buds, and how long will it take?
Drying and curing marijuana buds can be a bit tricky. If you do it too fast, it can burn to a crisp and lack flavor. Don't dry it enough; the bud can mold.
You can use several methods to dry your weed without, for example, finding out what happens when you microwave weed!
In this post, we will discuss the various options you have and how to go about them.
Difference Between Drying And Curing
Curing and drying are processes used to preserve cannabis. They are similar, but there are key differences. Understanding these differences is essential before choosing how to store your buds to keep them fresh and potent for the longest time possible.
Drying and curing are both methods of cannabis storage, and both are used to preserve cannabis for extended periods.
The main difference between drying and curing is that drying is used to reduce the amount of moisture in cannabis, while curing increases the potency of cannabis through time, temperature, and airflow.
Drying Cannabis
Drying marijuana is an essential part of the cannabis life cycle. Given that it takes longer than most people expect, it is also an area where many first-time growers run into problems.
Drying Methods
You'll need to allow air to come into contact with your buds on all sides to allow them to dry evenly. Branches should be strung up, or you should use wire racks if you are producing individual buds or small stems.
To prevent your buds from flattening on one side, you'll need to flip them regularly if you chose to use racks.
Drying By Climate Control: It is essential to understand the difference between climate-controlled dry storage and standard storage and the benefits that each option provides.
Standard storage is an open area that is heated and cooled by the outside climate. This system does not provide a consistent environment to store cannabis and can cause the plant to mold.
On the other hand, climate-controlled storage is a more expensive option than standard storage but is much more beneficial to your plants' long-term health. Cannabis dryers are used to decrease the humidity in the surroundings of the Cannabis plant and to allow for a safer and healthier growth environment.
Bag Drying: A brown paper bag at room temperature will be an effective way to prevent evaporation by keeping the humidity higher than the moisture in the air.
Open or close the bag to recirculate humidity. Only a couple of layers of big buds are sufficient for keeping the moisture down. If you need to remove moisture before it gets too humid, use a fan with a hygrometer to measure the bag's moisture concentration.
Drying On Racks: Drying your cannabis on racks is the most straightforward option for many people. Drying on a rack has the benefit of letting the airflow around the buds. Drying time can be shortened with the use of fans.
How Can I Tell If It Ready To Cure?
Taking a few buds and bending them will tell you if they're dry. The buds that snap mean they're dry, and you're ready to begin curing. The buds that bend are not yet dry, and you need to wait a while longer for them to dry.
Curing Cannabis
Curing cannabis is the process of removing chlorophyll from the leaves and buds of the cannabis plant. Chlorophyll is the chemical that gives cannabis its green coloring. The chemical causes cannabis to have that "plant" taste, but not everyone likes that taste; it can be very bitter.
Cannabis that is cured will have a much more mellow flavor than fresh cannabis, but it will also have less of a psychoactive effect, which might be desirable for some patients. The potency of cannabis is significantly increased by curing it properly.
THCA and other cannabinoids are produced by cannabis plants in a biosynthesis process, wherein certain compounds are gradually recombined to form new compounds.
This process does not stop after you harvest your plant; you can continue the process by preserving it at specific temperatures and humidity levels, thereby increasing the compounds that become THCA.
Curing Methods
The curing process is probably the part of pot production people most tend to overlook. The taste and sensory experience of finished buds are greatly enhanced by curing.
The next step is to cure your buds once you confirm they are mostly dry.
Step 1: Make sure to separate your buds from your branches if you have not already.
Step 2: You will need an airtight container for the trimmed buds. The most common container used for preserving food in this method is a quart-size canning jar, though you can also use plastic, ceramic, metal, or even wood.
Put the buds loosely into the containers to keep them from being compacted or crushed.
Step 3: To finish the curing process, place the sealed containers in a cool, dry, dark location. As moisture from within the flowers rehydrates the buds' outer portions, the buds will no longer be crunchy and dry.
Step 4: It would help if you made sure that the containers are opened several times a day during the first week to allow the cannabis buds to breathe.
By doing so, the oxygen inside the container is replenished, and moisture can escape. If you encounter an Ammonia smell, it is an indication that the cannabis you picked isn't dry enough. It also means that anaerobic bacteria have likely taken up residence. This will mean that the cannabis will become moldy and rotten.
After the first week, opening the containers will only be necessary once or twice a week. A cannabis plant will be sufficiently cured after two to three weeks in containers, but 4 to eight weeks of curing may improve its quality even more and is considered the optimal amount of time.
Conclusion
Whether you're a grower looking to improve your grow game or a consumer looking to ensure you're getting the highest quality bud possible, one of the most important steps you can take is giving your cannabis the time it needs to dry and cure.
This process helps you remove moisture from the plant to preserve it and remove chlorophyll from the buds. The method also enables you to increase THC levels, as well as bring out terpenes.
More than a few cultivators overlook this process, and they end up with a moldy batch of pot. However, if you dry and cure your cannabis correctly, you'll be left with a potent, quality batch of weed.
