curing methods

[southern smoker]

Hi i was just wondering what ppl think is the best curing method? I have read about so many different ways.

[white_cluster]

I usually use paper bags, hang em as branches for a while until the leaves on the outside are a bit crispy, then take the buds of the stem manicure them and leave them in my drawer to dry a bit more. then pop them in paper bags when they are nice and dry on the outside. About 1/2 oz per bag. then check em everyday and when they seem reasonably dry all through, (but not crispy) i chuck em in a jar.

 

With say 1 smallish branch ,I will not hang it, but cut the buds straight off, and leave em in a shoebox to dry. with a couple on the window sill. These will be my test buds.

[wassily]

HAng em on their branches for about 8 - 10 days, depending on the temp.

They should be dry, not almost dry. They will feel too dry, but dont worry. Trim them down to just the buds, and place them in airtight preserving jars. Good ones are a bit dearer and usually have orange seals. You can get cheap ones, but they are not airtight and will not work as well. From here you can just put them somewhere cool and dark and wait. It will be about 6 weeks before you are starting to get a decent cure, but a really good cure takes about 10 - 12 weeks. Few make it this far. You can smoke it after about 3 weeks, but it's still pretty rough compared to a finished cure. If you're really keen, do the curing in the dark in the bottom of a fridge. The cold seems to imprpove the cure. But remember there is no substitue for time. This method seems to work the best.

CHeers,

Vaz

[Gruntus]

I always thought there was a distinction between drying and curing. I though curing involved seasoning the flavour somehow .. I've heard of people adding orange peel and the like to drying crops. What's the story .. am I the only person who's heard of this ?

 

white_cluster, I have been using your method almost exactly if only because it's simple.

 

wassily, I've been using those Moccona coffee jars .. are they airtight enough ?

[wassily]

Yo Gruntus - The goodvibes avatar - I almost get a tear in my eye thinkin back to my schooldays, with goodvibes and his chateau krakatoa. Remember when tracks was a full on read - dr geoff, the letters section that went on and on. I picked one up the other day in a newsagent and bugger me it looked like a girly mag, just a bunch of ads and the odd photo. Anyway.....

Your post brings up a few points. The orange peel - 2 answers -

 

1 - Old farmy type dudes (like my girls grandad) will tell you how they keep a bit of orange peel in their tobaccy pouch, cause it keeps it from drying out too much.

This does work, so some of what you heard may be for this reason.

 

2 - Purposely flavouring buds. You can put a bit of peel in with a small amount of buds, but I'm not sure of the ratio. The oils in the peel would pass some flavour into it, like orange, lemon. I've heard of it but not done it. I have however used orange oil, as well as vanilla. I put a few drops, not too many onto cotton wool, put this into a matchbox with lots of hole poked in it. Pack it in the middle of about a quater oz for a few weeks. It's a novelty, but I still prefer the individual taste of different strains. If you've got 3 or 4 different types you can really taste the difference by itself.

 

Drying and curing are seperate processes, but the main purpose of curing is to allow the buds to use up the stored clorophyll that gives pot that green rough taste. Any water molecules will also further evaporate, while the smoky wastey molecules (thc, cbdn's) undergo a change during this process, generally improving potency. Think of it like wine. Just more fun.

 

As for the Moccona jars, my little bro ran into the guy from the moccona ad the other day - ya know "Oh Thwapshire, how wonderful" - but that's not important right now. If you mean the ones with the pushdown lid, I'd be a bit suss.

They will seep air overtime, so a clamp seal jar would be better, and only use glass -plastic sweats and will cause mould. And that isUggggly.

 

Good curing

Edited June 11, 2003 by wassily

[Buster]

Damn, I was hoping to use moccona jars too, I'm a coffee addict and have about 15 of the large jars, lets hope the GF doesn't notice that I've pinched the sugar jar (it has the seal and clip thingy)

[boulder]

I vacuum seal freshly harvested or freshly cured buds, wrap in newspaper, then store in freezer , also have found that adding orange/lemon peels and spices enhances the aroma.

[Gruntus]

Thanks for sharing your knowledge and annecdotes Wassily .. now what do I do with those coffee jars full of bud ?

[southern smoker]

thanks ppl for sharing your methods.sounds like my drying method is about right, but unfortuntly they never seem to last long enough for the full cure

i have heard about ppl putting lemon or orange peel in their pot and it is suppose to impart some flavour to the buds, but i have not had any personally , when my weed gets a bit dry i put a couple drops of water in it and then seal for a little while (ounce bag full, a couple drops of water) and this puts moisture back in without altering the taste .

regarding what containers to use for airtight seal, you cant go by anything by tupperware (thanks mum ) for seal and sizes available as long as you push down the centre when sealing to form a vac and with the added bonus that they are light proof as well

[wassily]

Aw jeez gruntus, I dunno..maybe you could send em to buster so his woman could put sugar in em. I'm sure they'd be ok for a while, but you do need something airtight for long term. Think of it this way - would you put the sealed jars on the bottom of a pool and be confident the buds wouldn't get wet?

I think this is a good test when looking for a curing jar.

 

And Buster....if your girlfriend realises you need a good jar like this and you act stupid enough, I'm sure she will not resist the natural female urge to display her shopping superiority - and will come home with one she has bought you that is "much better than anything you would have found".

 

V