Is this dude right

[JogaBonito521]

hxxp://boards.cannabis.com/grow-faqs/60954-drying-curing-your-buds.html

I don't this guy is correct. He tells you to dry in a dark, warm place. Isn't that perfect for mold?

Then he suggests its normal for buds to smell like ammonia.

That's def not right. or is it?

 

[Motor City Madman]

I cure in a dark cool place?

 

[UKgirl420]

DARK place with fan blowing in ,,,

my buds have never smelled of amonia tho ,,,not sure about anyone elses ,,maybe im curing wrong :giggle:

 

[OGKushman]

Ammonia is released from mold. This is usually due to spraying your buds with water, humid conditions, or bad area for growing. Buds should NEVER smell like ammonia.

 

[JogaBonito521]

I agree. I thought the ammonia smell is a sign of mold. That's terrible for someone to be giving wrong advice like that. "Hey, get your buds all moldy and ruin your crop."

 

[OGKushman]

Not just ruin your crop. I am allergic to penicillin. A fairly common green/black mold. Been real sick from some "windex bud" we called it.



*new sig!

 

[Hick]

I would think it would depend greatly on "your" rh. I can dry in the dark with relatively little air circulation, but.. my rh seldom runs over 20%. If you're down south, or midwest, where rh is commonly 50-90%, it is going to require more air movement and temp's.

 

[StoneyBud]

A proper drying requires a very good air flow around and in between each plant with no compacting of the buds.

This allows for the water content that is in the most outer portions of the buds to evaporate and leave the plant.

This continues until about 70-75% of the total wet weight is lost, however long it takes in your RH, temps and airflow.

Cured weight is generally around 1/8th wet weight, or 12.5% of the wet weight.

Some people stop drying at a 50% loss of wet weight and use a slower loss rate of curing to rid the plant material of the other 35-40% of moisture loss.

I'm one of the folks who don't really mind if the smoke is harsher, so I usually go for a 75% weight loss from wet before I throw the bud into one gallon baggies for a cure.

During the drying process, the 3 most important factors are: air flow, air flow and air flow. Temperature would be the second most important. Keeping below 80F is important to keep the THC from breaking down. RH, ideally, should be around 50-60%. Lower than 45% and the weed will dry too quickly and suffer by being harsh. Above 60% and you risk mold.

During the curing, again, allowing the moisture to escape at a determined rate of release is important, with a careful eye towards temps. Keeping the temps down during the cure is VERY IMPORTANT. This is where most people have problems with mold, because the temperature inside the curing container becomes that which is favorable to mold growth. Temperature of anywhere between 50 and 65F and an RH of between 40 and 60% is maintained for optimum results and the least possibility of mold.

The curing containers need to be "aired" at least once per/day and initially, 5 times a day is preferred.

On each airing, the very loosely packed weed should be very gently moved slightly to expose any parts that might be touching.

After the first week of curing, the "airing" can be reduced to once a day for the next two weeks.

Properly cured bud should weigh about 1/8th of it's wet weight, when still on the branches, hanging to dry.

This is for cured weed that has been trimmed to remove ALL the branches and stems. If stem weight is added, it of course depends on how much stem you leave in the bag... A bag of logs isn't a bag of weed.

Of course, if you ask 20 growers how they dry and cure their weed, you'll get 50 methods. What I've posted is a guideline, nothing more.