Curing when on vacation

[Mr Pot]

Hello fellows from gwe,
I'm running some plants and vacation sudden hitted me. I'm out of town for a week late december and it'll be right after drying my whole batch for a week or so. I'll babysit my drying area as most as I can and unfortunately I don't have a trustable person to burp the jars everyday for me at the first week of curing. Went online and saw a bunch of information; people drying for a day-week on paper bags after a standard drying (that seemed like a bad option), others are curing while away by putting the jars in their refrigerators (they're too humid...) and there's always the boveda 62 guy that simply leave it there for a week and come back like nothing happened.

The thing is, curing for the first week when you're not in town it's really worst than when you're not but it can be done and my goal is damage control. I'll make the trip and I'm trying to find a trustable person but I need to have a backup plan.. I'm getting 62 Boveda's for the jars and prep everything for the worst case scenario. Read a review about a guy who has got in touch with Boveda and they told him that the packs are way better putting moisture into the jars than getting it off (this can be bad for me because high humidity here is an issue), drying properly will reduce chances of mold when jaring and that's a reason to babysit this process. I truly don't know what I'm going to do. I'll get some small hygrometer to keep an eye on humidity inside the jars days before making the decision but I'm wondering if leaving the jars close is the better option in this case because of the high rh here. Also wondering about vacuum sealing and freezing the batch but I'm not certain if the humidity won't explode and fuck up everything.

I'm really mad at myself that I didn't planned this with time because I'm really busy. Surely someone here have been through the same. If I do this I'll update this post with pictures and information for others to inspire.
Any tips and thoughts are welcome,
let the games begin,
Mr Pot.

[Dutchman1]

I'll come over and burp Em for ya, I'm trustworthy ha 😉.

[Dutchman1]

Actually it you have a week to dry that's enough time to do a quick dry on a rack with a fan then boveda them when you leave. Burp every few days when you get back.

[Mr Pot]

Dunno if it could turn out like this if I don't burp and this is why I want some reviews though

[Dutchman1]

You said you had a week before you left in your original post. A week is enough barely to get Em pretty dry and in a jar with a boveda.

[Mr Pot]

Yea it's enough to get them dry but you never know for sure. Don't you think that without burping a week they won't be prone to develop mold?

[alltatup]

Mr. Pot, I'd put the bud in sturdy paper bags while you're gone--not in glass jars with Bovedas. They still have too much moisture in them mostlikely.

[Dutchman1]

The jars in option two would need to be pretty stabilized before you left, humidity wise. So they would need to be fan dried for 4-5 days then checked in the jars for two more days to see that they are stable between 60-65 percent. I wasn't saying put them in the jars wet with bovedas. Then you would finish curing (burping) when you got back. Paper bags are great but the material should be moved regularly or it does form a wet spot on the bag under the herb. Either way can form mold. Getting most of the moisture out of the material before you leave is the best bet and in my opinion in high humidity the only way to do that is with a fan. That said if the humidity is 80 percent a fan is still only going to reduce the moisture level in the plant to 80 percent. If its in a bag same thing .The paper bag can't magically reduce the moisture level if the air is saturated. The bag will absorb the moisture from the atmosphere and the material will still not Dry further.

[alltatup]

What's the temp gonna be inside the tent? Don't delay harvest if your plants are in the zone!!!

[Mr Pot]

Fuck, nature isn't helping. Temps near 85F throughout the day and with the lights off it should reduce a bit at night.
ATP I have a journal for this run but I wasn't able to put it in my signature (don't know how to).
I'm really concerned but there are a lot of great ideas here though.

[oldjarhead100]

Mr. Pot I think what people are trying to say is if you leave your pot drying for the week instead of a couple of days and really dry it out so there is no danger of mold then throw the bovedas in before you leave and come back and start burping like you never left . You can always put moister back into pot if its to dry

[Dutchman1]

Exactly OJH, that's why I mentioned a fan. A week would be plenty of time. Not that fan drying is usually recommended but it should get it down to where a boveda
would be effective to hold it until he comes back. Then start with normal burping again.

[Mr Pot]

The environment in which the jars are storaged has a RH around 75%. Would it be a problem for the humidity inside the jars? There isn't any exchange of moisture from the room to the jars once they're sealed? Could be a dumb question but I truly don't know this for sure.
If there isn't then it shouldn't be a problem to leave the jars untouched for a week once they've been properly dried.

[D.A.A.S.69]

Morning Mr Pot, if it's as humid as you say, big brown paper bags ,like Alltatup said is most definitely your best way.
My plants are in brown bags right now, I have always hung mine a few days 2-3, then paper bags, then boveda jars, but they don't really need the bovedas, cause they are already 58-64 humidity after the brown bags, your not gonna beat the brown bags, for drying. Good luck, and you an yours happy Holidays. Happy Growing

[Weed Pharma]

I agree, that the brown bag is a vialble option- it's how I routinely treat my trim after a couple of days drying.

[Mr Pot]

Mmmmm, do you dry for 2-3 days with +-55%RH and then you store them into brown bags for how long? It's a faster way to dry?
I really think that if I dry them for a week and store into the bags for another week without even touching it this could ruin it all.

[Weed Pharma]

Why not dry the plant while you are gone and cure when you get back?

I've hung a whole plant- not wet trimmed before, for 12 days and it was perfect when I returned.

Just cut at the base/soil line and leave in a cool space with plenty of fresh air, but not a fan.
If I was going to be longer I would have left the root ball intact as well.

[Mr Pot]

I don't have a basement, I live in an apartment. My dehumidifier don't have this connection, I'd have to cut a hole to connect a hose (bad call) and dump the water into a toilet that's right next to it (adjacent). This could work but is such a bold move and it'd be my last option.. The dehumidifier is borrowed from a friend also, so it would be really bad to cut a hole in the bottom of the reservoir.

[Weed Pharma]

In that case, you would do a full wet trim and remove the buds from the branches and spread them out to dry. It should take a week plus to dry in that environement anyways.

[PuravidaC]

You mention a toilet, could you put it in the bathtub and just let it drain?

[D.A.A.S.69]

Yeah you don't want no fan blowing directly on it, you'll never get the moisture back in them.

[Dutchman1]

Indirect flow not right on it. I had an issue where my area was running 70-75 percent humidity for the first week of my drying. I was worried about mold because the nugs were hugh and dense. I pointed a fan at a wall so it goes around the room in a circular fashion and it managed to get the moisture level down within a couple of days. It was still a little high when I jarred it but with the boveda in there it held it till the humidity dropped in my area. Then I just left the jars open longer.

[D.A.A.S.69]

Yeah Dutch, that's why I said not directly on em, you most always need a fan blowing on the walls or something, but not directly on the nugs.

[PRIMO]

What W.P. says or water em good on the way out the door enjoy your vac. and pluck em when you get home.

[PuravidaC]

I had the same issue last grow but timing was harvesting and drying for 6 days unattended, not curing. I dried while gone but in hindsite should have waited to harvest when I returned but that was a photo. Crop was a little on the dry side when I returned but boveda packs brought it back. Alot of folks here use paper bags and that sounds like a good option if you can't delay harvest. Are you growing photos or autos? Good luck, I know it is driving you crazy!!!

[Mr Pot]

It really is mate and I'm sooo busy right now but things will get better this week and I hope to have some time to make better decisions. They're all photos - 3 mothers and 5 clones.

[Mr Pot]

I'm not harvesting after I come back because my grow area needs an everyday procedure to keep things running, I have big and small containers and would be tricky to leave the small ones because they'd dry in one or two days. I'm def harvesting before, I'm just wondering if I should quick dry the buds (and even if I'm able to do so becuase the high humidity around here), then put it inside brown bags or if I do a standard dry and hope for the best once they're inside the jars with bovedas.

[D.A.A.S.69]

Put them in a bunch of brown paper bags, fold over the top real good, paper clip to keep it closed, place them in a cool or cooler dark room, then go on vacation, they will be fine for over a month ,just doing that. It's damn,near just like curing in jars, we have been doing it since the 60s this way, Never any mold, if you can hang them a day or two before even better. That's how people used to cure their buds, before some genius suggested jars, which you ain't got to have in the first place. Read some old HighTimes magizines, them old hippies weren't idiots.

[Sockfilter]

What DAAS said..

[Canyon Grower]

What DAAS and SOCK said (about old hippies) Actually, I hang mine for several days while im gone with no ill effects. Never tried the paper sack but it could be even better by regulating the loss if moisture better.

[Potted]

I came up with a way to cure my buds for a six day stay in the hospital with out the use of jars,picked up some cigar boxes at the local smoke shop. Made of cardboard placed buds in boxes with Boveda packs closed boxes but put a folded playing card between box and lid when I returned I switched to jars,and burped as normal.

[Mr Pot]

I'm tempted. There's a lot of good info here and what I do know is that I'm not able to say which method is better for my type ov situation.

6-7 days inside of paper bags that would stay inside my closed room after a 3-4 days fast dry could be a good idea but I'm just not sure about mold from wet spots on the bags (because RH here it's near 70-75%) as well if 3-4 days should do for a proper fast drying method since the temperature here is near 85F during the day. My buds won't probably dry with the lowest rates of humidity inside of it (as they were if my temps and RH were controlled) and it could be a bad idea since they could feel dry from touch but wet inside - it's fastest with higher temps and humidity slows it down kinda tricky. Maybe keeping one layer inside each paper bag with a well ventilated area and try to keep it going.

Could start a 7 day standard drying by controlling my RH as good as I can with the dehumidifier trying to slowly dry it and bring it to 55% or so for a few days and then put inside the jars on a cold and dark place while I'm outta town but this is risky as well. I'm trying to stabilize the humidity of the jars, already have bovedas inside of each one.

I could also do a personal each strain drying process and try to leave the plant that's not mature yet to chop January 2nd or 3rd and leave the other plants drying while I'm away but as my setup requires my presence it can turn into friendly fire.

I'd say option one is the easiest. Option two is the goal but not burping could ruin everything and I'd have to babysit drying nugs. Three prob won't happen.

Check it out:
https://forum.growweedeasy.com/forum...-a-closer-look
Thanks for the reviews,
Peace

[Sockfilter]

Agreed DM1.. He wont have time to even get a proper initial dry in before he leaves, so not sure why jarring up for cure is even a consideration. However I like to try and understand where the question is coming from and make rational suggestions on that basis..

[Mr Pot]

I've got time to do proper drying. It'd be a week long while I'm still here. Dunno if I mislead you but option two is this one.

[Mr Pot]

I won't do this though..

[Mr Pot]

I think I'm not expressing myself well. I have a dehumidifier but it requires daily emptying and that's why while I'm away humidity can be a problem. While I'm here it's okay because I never let it stay full for too long. And my bill is def showing this. Need to get an AC asap. Same price for bills but my dehum. actually get my place even hotter

[Sockfilter]

MP, so you feel that you CAN get a proper initial dry completed before vacay.. However jarring up and leaving jarred up is still NO BUENO as there will still be moisture content trying to stabilize throughout the flower. Back in my very early days (many moons ago), I thought I had a perfect initial dry, felt dry, little crispy on edges (maybe even over dry). I jarred up, life happened and was unable to burp and stir for a few days, when I did get to it. wet funk...

That is all ANY of us are trying to keep from happening to you..

We get that you have high humidity and worried about leaving them out, however I believe that several have commented on that and the answer was to leave them in paper bag with some air movement (not directly on them, but around them) and you will be fine(even in high RH).

What can you change? Well it appears that you can NOT change the humidity while away. So the backup plan for me would be to brown bag it, hung up, small ventilation holes in paper bag with fan moving air around the bag. I would leave buds on branches to help mitigate drying out too fast. I would be comfortable with that.

I have no CLUE however a light bulb lit up, any information out on the web about any type of cold storage, freezing?
Hack it all down, low heat oven decarb, and dump it all in 1/2 gallon mason jars with everclear, put in freezer and you have the start of heaps of tincture.
not ideal, however just trying to think of ways so you dont loose 100%..

Now to just find something that you are comfortable with..

[Mr Pot]

I've bought a rack but probably won't use it this run. I'm not thinking about jarring anymore after all reviews and your method of hanging bags w/ a hanger it's probably my goal. Either I do this or I'll just chop em a day before leaving town (wet trimmed) and leave the stems for a slower dry.
Just not sure what's best and maybe I'll try both to diversify my risk.