When to jar?

[Aloner]

With my first plant, I checked the hanging buds at least twice a day and by the time the small branches would snap vs bend, they were over-dry. Jarred up they were about 42% RH. My second plant was harvested on Sunday and I definitely don't want to wait too long this time.

As of right now, the smallest branches are still bending but the buds don't feel damp. Not crunchy but not moist. Do I wait until the small branches snap off when bent or should I jar them up before that? The current crop is hanging in the tent with just the exhaust fan running. The ambient RH is around 40-45%.


edit:
nm going to jar it now so I can bring in my next plant for two days of darkness before harvesting it this weekend.

[Flockshot]

Get yourself a couple humidity indicators that will fit in the jar and some Bovida 62 packs to get the numbers right. Guessing and snapping stems is all well and good once you have done it a few times, but to understand what is going on and to learn to recognize what the correct numbers look like does require instruments.

[Aloner]

I do have a hygrometer for the jars--that's how I know the first batch was too dry when I jarred it. And there are Bovedas in those jars -- they're up in the 50s now and still climbing. We'll see how the current batch does. Only closed for a few minutes and already reading 56%.

[St.buds]

I hang dry for 4 or 5 days ( this always verys) then I trim and put nuggs into paper bags and shake evey once in a while tell the outside fill dry kinda crunchy then I jar help to avoid a grassy smell and nuggs get to breath in the bags to dry evenly I leave the top of paper bags open it's a lot of trial tell u get it right it's really something u learn by doing

[St.buds]

It helps me to think of it like this while leaven nuggs out to dry in the open the outside drys out but the moisture is still inside so if u hang dry then jar the outside of nuggs they suck the moisture from the inside then u need to take out of jars to dry more and repeat u want them even dryd threw out hope this makes since help it helps

[Potted]

Agreed u have to get a feel for it lol

[GanjaGed]

I like to let them dry for just a few days, may be 3-5 depending on humidity and such.

Then I jar and check the jar humidity the next day. 70% or more I set them out for the day and rejar at night.

I do this until I get them below 70%

Then I breath the jars a few times a day for an hour or so each until I get down to between 60-64%,

From there it's a matter of burping once a day until the humidity holds constantly, from there I consider the cure to start.

Up until "cure" I keep my jars only about half full to I can gently tumble them to keep everything loose and breathing. Once I'm at cure I'll pack the jars at 28-30g ea.



Obviously those numbers can be played with to suit your preference. If you only have one meter I'd monitor a different jar each night, just to make sure things are going evenly. Once or twice before the cure I'll often repile the buds and rejar, just to keep the moisture even throughout the harvest.

For myself and my condition there's just to many days where my "feel" can be very far off.

[Doubledealing72]

Congrats on harvest time alone! Mine has been treating me fantastic! I waited until the majority of the buds felt dry, even though the small stems didn't snap. I checked it about 10 hours later and I had to let them air out for another 12 hours or so. Then back into the jar. I don't have any boveda packs, but I know what really good weed feels like. The room mine were hanging in was at 48-50% humidity, and mine hung to dry for about 3 days.

I'm sure your stuff will turn out great!

[D.A.A.S.69]

I'm just like Ganj on drying and cureing cept I fill my jars more full . The main thing to me is drying the curing is easy. If you over dry you done messed up, end up with light ass, buds. You want to be very careful when drying. You have to be steadily watching when drying or they will over dry. I try to dry mine in 5 or 6 days slowly. How many days did you hang yours Aloner? Did you use brown paper bags to ? What about the bud rot you were worried about ?? Have you smoked any yet? I'm sure proud you made it to harvest, Great job Aloner. PS I got a 26 day old Afghan Kush Ryder auto growing in SmartPot using nothing but Mississippi Delta soil with just perlite added, sure is healthy an green looking. I ain't giving her nothing but PHed water ,no nutrients at all.

[Aloner]

Shoot! I never replied to this--many apologies! I dried in my tent with just the exhaust fan running. It seems to have turned out pretty good, not really a weed connoisseur so I can't really rate it. Definitely does the job. Been watching your current grow--looking good!

[D.A.A.S.69]

Well good, just glad you made it. The AKR, is doing ok, but she sure ain't gonna be know where near as large as that NLauto.
How does yours compare to what you normally would be smoking ? I bet its lots better isn't it ?
Oh sh-t the WS is just starting, man this has been a great WorldSeries, I'm pulling for the Astros. Later

[Aloner]

Definitely better, even disregarding the extra satisfaction of having produced it myself!

[DrPhoton]

How much you fill your jars up can have an impact on the curing process. If little air space is left, less moisture is allowed to evaporate and more frequent venting is required. This slows down curing unless you can accomodate the venting demands. If more space is allowed, moisture has more air volume to use, allowing longer durations between venting. It also reduces the risk of under venting, where humidity in the jar climbs too high and starts moving moisture back to the flowers through osmosis. You start seeing this as green leaf tips.

[GanjaGed]

Yep, another reason I wait for stable humidity before packing them

[DrPhoton]

Yea i dehumidify the room if the humidity is not stable during packing or venting.