A perfect cure every time

Pcinla

Well-Known Member
Is the hygrometer caliber IV the new recommended. One? Or should I look for the 3?
Hey Johnxny, the Caliber IV is just the original manufacturer's latest model. I don't know how true it is, but I read somewhere that you run the risk of getting a less than reliable unit if you order a Calibre III because instead of being the real deal, it could be a Chinese-made knockoff.
 

BWG707

Well-Known Member
You should try to keep your humidity somewhere between 40% and 60%. 60% might to be too high for some. I'd say 50% is ideal.
 

fatboyOGOF

Well-Known Member
and remember to change the batteries in your hygrometers once in awhile. i was annoyed that they all read differently then the light bulb went off.



i'm curing my latest batch right now.

boveda packs and hygrometers. we've come a long way. :)
 

GrowBrooklyn

Well-Known Member
I have a few of the model IV and they work as well as the III. Plus, you can calibrate them, so get a boveda calibration pack too.
 
We use the old hang and dry method, but this may be worth a go.:) That is the great thing about growing i think, sharing experiences that have worked for you and developing an individual grow style! Thank you Simon.
 

hermex

Active Member
Great post. I had some trainwreck ready to jar tonight so I was hoping to find a hygrometer at Meijer or Walmart that was jar-sized. No luck in the lawn and garden sections, but Meijer had a circular, analog meter in the water treatment section. The 8 in stock ranged from of 30-40%, but I bought two that were at 35% for $4.99 each. I don't think these will be sufficient long term, but I have one next to my weather station and it's within 5%, so they will help me for this harvest and I'll have three weeks to shop for an alternative. Tomorrow I will check a cigar shop for small digital meters before ordering from Ebay.

Thanks again for the great post. I've had some tried and true pinch and sniff cures, but this thread convinced me to go with a numbers based approach. I was just operating off of what I had been told to do based on cues from the plant and although successful, did not fully understand my curing process. Last harvest though I had some difficulty getting some jorge's diamonds to my snapping point with the smell and texture I was used to. It's all well and good until something goes wrong and then it helps to understand the process. That is what brought me here and I your post was very helpful.
 

Dr.J20

Well-Known Member
Simon, i hope you're getting a cut of the profits on this hygrolid (<-link) for widemouth mason jars. I need 6 but damn, 90 bones for 6 mason jar lids? that's a hard one to explain to the old lady....
be easy friends
:peace:
 

AFROBIN77

Active Member


This method is particularly effective for folks who are starting out, those looking to maximize quality in a shorter period of time, and folks who's like to produce a connoisseur-quality product each and every time with no guesswork involved.

It's a very simple and effective process:

Cut the product, trim it per your preference, but don't dry it until the stems snap. Take it down while the stems still have some flex, but the product feel dry on the outside. This is a perfect opportunity to drop the dry-feeling flowers onto a screen and collect prime-quality kief that would otherwise get lost in the jar.

Jar the product, along with a Caliber III hygrometer. One can be had on Ebay for ~$20. Having tested a number of hygrometers - digital and analog - this model in particular produced consistent, accurate results. The Hydroset/Xikar hygrometers are also recommend after calibration. Then, watch the readings:

+70% RH - too wet, needs to sit outside the jar to dry for 12-24 hours, depending.

65-70% RH - the product is almost in the cure zone, if you will. It can be slowly brought to optimum RH by opening the lid for 2-4 hours.

60-65% RH - the stems snap, the product feels a bit sticky, and it is curing.

55-60% RH - at this point it can be stored for an extended period (3 months or more) without worrying about mold. The product will continue to cure.

Below 55% RH - the RH is too low for the curing process to take place. The product starts to feel brittle. Once you've hit this point, nothing will make it better. Adding moisture won't restart the curing process; it will just make the product wet. If you measure a RH below 55% don't panic. Read below:

Obviously, the product need time to sweat in the jar. As such, accurate readings won't be seen for ~24 hours, assuming the flowers are in the optimal cure zone. If you're curing the product for long-term storage, give the flowers 4-5 days for an accurate reading. If the product is sill very wet, a +70% RH reading will show within hours. If you see the RH rising ~1% per hour, keep a close eye on the product, as it's likely too moist.


HTH,
Simon
 

Ray black

Well-Known Member
I cut the limbs off and dry them on large air filters. Not with air running through them. Just air filters on the counter. Seems to provide airflow under the buds when they are sitting there. I chop the fans off and that's about it. Takes 4 days until you can smoke it. I've hung dried them for years and this seems to be way faster and I don't lose any taste...

My 2 cents.
 

NyQuilkush318

Well-Known Member
wait till the pot hanging starts to almost dry fully (between 5 and 7 days)and stems almost snap. place nuggs in grocery bags about 3/4 full for like 2 days and leave open some where dark and kool with air flow. fluff consistently. place in air/light tight jars or tobacco jars with lid unclosed but on top of jar for another day or so then stuff into jars dont be afraid to pack down nuggs not too mutch tho then open up the jars every other day for like a week then start the long seal for a couple weeks in total darkness... some strains can even be cured for like a month.
So leve the bag open for 2days in the dark
 

theone718

Member


This method is particularly effective for folks who are starting out, those looking to maximize quality in a shorter period of time, and folks who's like to produce a connoisseur-quality product each and every time with no guesswork involved.

It's a very simple and effective process:

Cut the product, trim it per your preference, but don't dry it until the stems snap. Take it down while the stems still have some flex, but the product feel dry on the outside. This is a perfect opportunity to drop the dry-feeling flowers onto a screen and collect prime-quality kief that would otherwise get lost in the jar.

Jar the product, along with a Caliber III hygrometer. One can be had on Ebay for ~$20. Having tested a number of hygrometers - digital and analog - this model in particular produced consistent, accurate results. The Hydroset/Xikar hygrometers are also recommend after calibration. Then, watch the readings:

+70% RH - too wet, needs to sit outside the jar to dry for 12-24 hours, depending.

65-70% RH - the product is almost in the cure zone, if you will. It can be slowly brought to optimum RH by opening the lid for 2-4 hours.

60-65% RH - the stems snap, the product feels a bit sticky, and it is curing.

55-60% RH - at this point it can be stored for an extended period (3 months or more) without worrying about mold. The product will continue to cure.

Below 55% RH - the RH is too low for the curing process to take place. The product starts to feel brittle. Once you've hit this point, nothing will make it better. Adding moisture won't restart the curing process; it will just make the product wet. If you measure a RH below 55% don't panic. Read below:

Obviously, the product need time to sweat in the jar. As such, accurate readings won't be seen for ~24 hours, assuming the flowers are in the optimal cure zone. If you're curing the product for long-term storage, give the flowers 4-5 days for an accurate reading. If the product is sill very wet, a +70% RH reading will show within hours. If you see the RH rising ~1% per hour, keep a close eye on the product, as it's likely too moist.


HTH,
Simon
THIS FOR A NEWBIE IS WACK AND COST MONEY IF U WANT THE REEMDIE MESSAGE ME
 

NyQuilkush318

Well-Known Member
How long u leve them in the jars for after u take them out bagQUOTE="Malacath, post: 8110941, member: 489714"]wait till the pot hanging starts to almost dry fully (between 5 and 7 days)and stems almost snap. place nuggs in grocery bags about 3/4 full for like 2 days and leave open some where dark and kool with air flow. fluff consistently. place in air/light tight jars or tobacco jars with lid unclosed but on top of jar for another day or so then stuff into jars dont be afraid to pack down nuggs not too mutch tho then open up the jars every other day for like a week then start the long seal for a couple weeks in total darkness... some strains can even be cured for like a month.[/QUOTE]
H
 

Daub Marley

Active Member
What are some recommendations for airtight containers for curing a pound roughly? I bought some plastic bins from walmart and they were not airtight so my stuff dried out too much. Something that is under 8" tall preferably.
 

bullwinkle60

Well-Known Member
What are some recommendations for airtight containers for curing a pound roughly? I bought some plastic bins from walmart and they were not airtight so my stuff dried out too much. Something that is under 8" tall preferably.
I use old fashion glass candy jars.I bought two of them at Goodwill which is probably where you'll find them or else try searching on line. They have wooden tops that seal very well.
 

Sparkticus

Well-Known Member
I don't understand why there is so much extracurricular activity on this thread. If you have a method of curing and it works for you, there's no need to read any of this info... or bash Simon for trying to help noobs. This curing method is proven and works if done properly. In fact, it is the SAME cure that most are doing except it adds a hygrometer to take the guess-work out of it for those who DON'T KNOW by FEEL, if the bud is dried enough and ready for curing. The hygrometer is like training wheels. If you don't need the hygrometer, great. But some may have no idea what they're doing, so they are completely unfamiliar with the feel of the stems/bud etc.

It's inevitable that most new growers will put buds in jars too early, or too late, on their first grow (unless they're being helped by someone knowledgeable). Some experienced growers (even if they know by look and feel) prefer to know exactly (with use of a hygrometer) when the bud is ready for cure because we're just that compulsive, lol. Also variations like size/density can lead to differences, so saying a general statement like "I hang for 4 days" can lead to someone else putting their bud in jars too late or early. I use this method, but after the first run or two, I could tell you by looking and feeling when my bud is between 58-60%, so I highly recommend this method for first-timers.

This is the same thing as harvesting, trimming, hanging, checking stems/buds by hand, final trimming and putting into jars for cure. Burp for a few days and close for long term. Done. The only difference is that instead of waiting for the buds to be ready by "feel" only, you use a hygrometer to tell you the moisture content inside the jar (which is the moisture content of the BUDS). Not the room, or the air in the closet. It is telling you that the buds are at 55-60% moisture content and in the proper zone for curing (so close up the jar and wait). Why guess when such a simple procedure allows you to know exactly what's happening?

The misinterpretations are leading to misconceptions about the post. I had someone tell me this method was somehow too precise, and that I was a "badass", then proceed to tell me theirs which was EXACTLY THE SAME (chop, trim, hang for a few days, check stems/buds, final trim when ready, put in jars, burp for a few days/week, close for 2-8 weeks). The ONLY difference was he didn't use a hygrometer yet, my cure was somehow more complicated.

If you have other methods that you prefer, post them. There's no need to turn someone's helpful thread into a pissing contest. I'm always eager to learn and perfect because, even being an avid grower of all sorts of things, I realize I know very little. Paper bags, drying racks, cardboard boxes, cabinets etc.etc.etc...There's a million and one ways to do everything. Bottom line, Simon's method will work when done properly as I'm sure others will, too. Thanks for the info.
 
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