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Did I dry too long?

J

JayGee

New member
Got about 80% of the NCH trimmed and curing in it's bag.
Conditions inside are 22 celcius and 45% humidity. Is that humidity a sign it over dried? It still didnt pass the 'snap test ' on the smaller branches, but I started trimming anyway , given that it was day 10 of drying.
Should I get some Boveda packs? Or should i still cure for a couple weeks before adding them?
 
If the bag is airtight, then that sounds overdried. I dry in plastic bins that aren't air tight. The humidity can be lower than I like, but when I jar it, it goes higher because the core still has moisture. I would put it in something airtight and see what it reads. You can exhale into the airtight container to rehydrate it a little (this is probably more realistic for a small jar). You can wet a sponge, put it in a baggy, and put that in the airtight container (in such a way that the sponge won't touch any material an get it wet). I.e., you don't have to use Bovedas to make adjustments like this. You have to be on top of it so you don't rehydrate too much.
 
I don't go by the snap test. I've had stems laying on the ground for 2 weeks and they still bent without snapping.

I hang my buds and feel them as they are drying in the closet. I have a fan circulating air in the room when humidity is upwards of 100%. After about 4 or 5 days when they are crispy to the touch then in the jars they go - for 12 hours - then they are feeling moist again - so on to screens for 12 or 24 hours - and back into the jars for 24 - probably do this 1 or 2 more times.

Jaygee - got any of your trim in the freezer? If so add some of it to rehydrate your buds.
 
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Yeah, doesn't seem reliable lol. I got some Boveda packs en route so hopefully thatll even it out.

I have the rest still hanging, no fans on, but the exhaust is on low speed. Worth shutting it off until i trim now?
 
Its pretty air tight ( not perfectly, but good). I have Boveda packs en route so Ill use that. Hopefully I didnt mess em up too much.

3-7 days is probably a better range to dry given my conditions it seems. Lesson learned for next crop. Hopefully the rest isnt too dry.
 
@jaygee: be aware that the Bovedas will dehydrate quickly if the material is dry and accepts the moisture Bovedas make available. You can replenish the Bovedas in a large mason jar using a wet sponge (protected by a plastic baggie left open at the top). It's basically doing the same thing I suggested. But, you'll use the Bovedas as the carrier of moisture. That's better because the bovedas won't over-moisturize.
 
JayGee, I would turn the exahust off if I were you. Even cut lay them in plastic storage bins to slow the evap. The problem with giving advice for drying is that it's all dependent upon geographic location, time of year, etc. I live in the desert and can't hang to dry for more than 2 days in the winter (when RH is 10%). The outside of the buds become crisp while the core is wet. I have to use plastic totes and open every 3-4 hours, fan the lid over it, close it again. Or, paper bags to moderate the moisture exchange. (But, someone in Florida would have mold doing that.). So... it's a treacherous topic. You can buy an humidity-controlled switch, and have a drying space that is humidity-controlled. You can have the exhaust fan come on when RH reaches a certain point. Turn off at a certain point. I played with one of those. But, it seemed more tedious than my manual process I've become accustomed to.
 
az2000 . Yeah, its quite variable. ive been lucky to have pretty optimal numbers. Still ended up being too much lol. I too have honed a bit of a manual process, having to alternate between humidifier or humidifier. Heat has generally been a non issue as well. I turned off the exhaust fan for now and ill try and get the rest done tonight. Going to be a late one. Wonder if it's worth turning on the humidifier in the room to bring up to the low 50s?
 
I didn't freeze any trim, but kept the larfy buds in a separate bag. I havent gotten the hash making supplies yet either
 
Its up to 50% in the bag. Am I in the min safe zone? I still have 2 plants to trim and cure. They were also chopped a day later, hopefully they arent too dry. Hoping to get both done today, but it may take one more. I turned off the exhaust fan. Room humidity is 52%. Will they be ok for another day if necessary?
 
I try to dry down to about 70%, then begin curing with frequent burping to get to 62/65%. I have gone below 62% when drying. I don't recall how low. But, it's not an exact process. The outsides of the buds can contain moisture equivalent to 40%, while the centers remain 80%. So, I think they can go too far and be rehydrated within a short period of time (a day or two?). They're still living things, and that's part of the curing: to allow a certain kind of "death" (I guess it might be called, as the chemicals change, reactions occur).

You said you were waiting for Boveda packs. But, you do the wet sponge in a baggie. And/or exhale in the bag (if it's a relatively small amount). The sponge might cause the RH to go to 80%, but that doesn't mean the mateial has absorbed that much. So, you have to remove it occasionally to see where the buds are by themselves. (That's a good time to exhale into the bag, to replenish the humidity lost when you opened it.).

I don't know what kind of bags you're using. Plastic bags are not airtight. If you're in the phase where you're trying to hold the humidity (it sounds as if you are), I would use 2-quart mason jars. (Be sure to wash them before using. I think they're washed at the factory but the water might not be clean. They always smell funny to me when new.). Mason (or Ball) makes a 1gal jar. But, it's not a real canning jar. It's more for decoration. I've seen them at Target & Walmart. I use those for initial curing (when I'm trying to get it to 62/65 relatively quickly). Fewer jars to work with. The non-airtight lid helps. If I want to slow it down, I can put plastic wrap over the top so the lid seals better.
 
Should I at least raise the humidity in the tent to 60-65% while they await trim?

Also, Im using poultry bags. Theyre designed to hold herbs etc they're pretty air tight when tied up.

From Advanced Nutrients curing tutorial (where i got the idea)

"Turkey oven bags (or 1 quart-size Mason jars). While many growers utilize Mason jars for curing, the best method we’ve found is to use turkey-sized oven bags. These are the best for curing for a few reasons. They’re cheaper than Mason jars. They hold more buds (over a pound!). And because they’re not 100 percent airtight, they breathe a little better, making it easier to get a proper cure. That said, Mason jars are what many dispensaries use on their shelves to display finished product, so you can go that route, but using such jars makes it a little trickier to get a proper cure because they tend to be too airtight. "

https://www.advancednutrients.com/articles/drying-curing-buds/
 
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"And because they’re not 100 percent airtight, they breathe a little better," That's the same principle of my use of 1gal (decorative) Mason jars. In my dry climate, I couldn't cure for long with something that's not airtight. My ambient air sucks moisture out of anything very fast. If you're already dealing with your drying phase going too dry... You probably want more air-tightness. It's all a balancing act. There's no absolute answers. If you put a wet sponge in the bag, then maybe the non-air-tightness would be a benefit, to regulate how humid the inside of the bag is.
 
JayGee I have done this for years this way and it's similar to Canuks way. I separate the branches hang for 3-5 days feel the bud my branchs bend and don't snap off thay are ready to brown bag them. Resin will be moist so I take buds larger than a man's thumb cut in half put my buds in brown bag for couple days roll it closed. Put in jars, open them 2x day lay on side. When you feel the buds are not holding moister in jars then seal them up and check them every other day. I do this with 30+ quart jars every fall. It's what we do and honestly I still have 1/2 gallon jar with last years bud in it and it's gotten old looking bud still sticky. Great smoke still. If it ever got to dry I put a fresh bud in the jar or a couple snips of sage or lavender flower. But that's just me on the last part. Don't fill to top of jar. Have fun :)
 
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