i chopped some buds due to worms like 2 weeks ago hung to dry for about 5 days, then put into jars after some of the stems were breaking
the buds were dry like a week ago now they are kind of spongy not as dry taste@smell like hay how long is the cure???/
before i tried to dry these ladies smelled very frutie
people.. people.. people..... no no no no! Listen.. you need to be careful with what information you chose to read and follow. Why? Because the internet is filled with all kinds of information.. good and bad.. not only good and bad.. but some of it is correct.. but.. some of it is also incorrect. In fact, 70% of the material you read on the internet about growing cannabis.. is actually incorrect. Why so much incorrect info? Well, its sad to say.. but 70% of the information (articles) you read about growing cannabis.. is incorrect because its mostly written by young immature teenagers that "think" they know it all.. but in fact they don't know what they're talking about. It's true! If you want some correct and GOOD information on growing.. check out hightimes magazine or just simply go and buy yourself a few books on growing... that way you know the information is at least %99 if not %100 correct because its generally written by experts (people that actually
KNOW what the hell they're talking about).
Take zmansmoke and his post.. for example: (not picking on ya buddy.. just using you as an example) you said you waited until the stems on the buds broke.. when bent.. before you started the cure.
Well, that's where you made you mistake. You don't want to wait until the stem breaks. Why? well, because by this time.. you have waited too long.. and the buds water content has dropped way to low in percentage by this time. When air drying.. you want to wait until the outer part of the bud feels dry.. and the stem bends.. but doesn't break. Then you can start your curing.
Why? Because.. IMO people make growing WAY too hard than it really is. Growing is actually the easy part.. the hard part is drying and curing the harvest correctly. All curing is.. is slowing down the drying process.. also it lets the rest of what chlorophyll might be left evaporate. But again, all curing is.. is
slowing down the drying process. Also, curing also helps trap in that dank goodness that everyone loves to have.
The curing process runs on the same principles as your plants light cycles. You cure in cycles.. once the outer edges of the bud is dry.. and the stem bends but doesn't break.. and you have put your buds into your jars and have the lids on.. wait 12 hours until you open the lids of the jars. During this 12 hours.. the moisture from inside the middle of the buds has slowly made its way (evaporated) out of the bud.. but has no way to escape because the lids are still on the jars thus trapping in all that moisture. The evaporating moisture also makes a rise in the humidity inside the jars.. and since its still trapped inside the jars.. it rehydrates the buds to a certain point. Finally, after the first 12 hours of having the lids on.. take the lids off. The buds should feel a little damp again
(but not too wet.. if they feel like a fresh harvested bud.. then you need to air dry them for a few more days.. also if they didn't re-hydrate then you've let them air dry too long.) After inspecting the buds to make sure they got a little re-hydrated from being in the jar for 12 hours.. just leave the lid(s) off of your jar(s) for a good 2 to 4 hours to let the fresh moisture on the buds evaporate.. then put the lids back on.. and repeat the cycle. See how its kinda like the light cycle? Like that one would be 12hrs/2hrs or 12hrs/4hrs. See how that works now?
Each time you put the lid on.. the humidity inside the jar(s) will slowly evaporate the moisture from inside the middle of the bud as well as the stem thats inside the middle of the bud... thus raising the humidity level inside the jar like I said before... then each time you take the lid off.. your letting that new evaporated moisture from the middle of the bud.. and the stem thats in the middle of the bud.. evaporate. So, see.. each cycle of lid on/lid off which is one complete cycle.. your taking out the moisture bit by bit.. from inside the middle of the bud (and the stem thats inside the middle of the bud).
Now.. you don't want to just keep on repeating cycles until the buds are 100% dry. You want to leave around 10% to 15% water content inside the middle of the buds.. once they get to around that level of water content.. you can then put them back into their jar(s) and store them without having to worry about "burping" the jars. Also, at this point.. the buds are not only smokable.. but they will smell and taste like they should!
There ya go.. hopefully I have broken this down so that the ones that don't understand.. now understand.
peace..
written and edited by: ganjaluvr 9/29/2010
TYVM... 
1 very newbie question....How do you tell the 10-15%? Just by feel? Seems the easiest way to me.....or do you use a meter/gauge?