Why has my newly harvested weed gone bad?

[Lancaster8]

I have been growing for 12 years now, and I think I know what I should be doing by now. I just had four very small harvests from four small autos.  I did the usual drying with them hanging upside down for a few days before trimming and putting into the usual Kilner jars.  I checked the moisture

levels in the way I always do, and one batch was actually now too dry.  I know people say various things about reversing this, like using a slice of apple etc., but I have personally found that once the weed gets over-dry it can't really be reversed. You may or may not agree with me. 

 

The other three harvests were different. Two were absolutely perfect and the last one was a little too wet still.  I used the digital moisture meters in the jars and kept an eye on things for a few days until they were settled down in the right band of moisture.  I then added Boveda sachets to the jars. 

I have been burping the jars too.  Last night I was looking for some weed to vape and 3 out of 4 of these jars had all gone really BAD.  It truly stunk.  I have found in the past, that if weed smells bad, when ground, it can brighten it up a bit.  Not last night.  When I tried smoking some it was RANK. 

So 3 jars are now scheduled to be used for edible extractions or similar.  Fortunately, I still have plenty of other jars in reserve, but I have never encountered newly harvested weed going bad in this way - especially when I have taken the usual care to make sure the moisture levels are ok. 

 

Any ideas Guys?  

 

Thanks

[monkeypig]

I'd be very surprised if "a few days" was enough to dry properly.

[Crow River]

Maybe a temperature issue? Bacteria?

[Lancaster8]

Just now, monkeypig said:

I'd be very surprised if "a few days" was enough to dry properly.

Hmmm....as it was when I tested after this time...one was too wet, one was too dry and 2 were in the Goldilocks zone. 

[Lancaster8]

Just now, Crow River said:

Maybe a temperature issue? Bacteria?

 

Yes, maybe bacteria of some kind could be possible.  Whenever you're jogging along nicely, there is always something new to deal with that causes confusion.  I ask the questions to try and learn, but have plenty more in the pipeline so not too much of an issue to lose a bit.

[ratdog]

Just now, Lancaster8 said:

one was too dry

 

 

after a few days? where were you drying them, on venus?

[Lancaster8]

Just now, ratdog said:

after a few days? where were you drying them, on venus?

In a very warm upstairs bedroom.

[ratdog]

Just now, Lancaster8 said:

In a very warm upstairs bedroom.

 

 

no way they were dry throughout, sounds like you promoted bud rot by sticking it in jars wet inside, adding boveda probably made it worse.

 

another lesson learned mate

 

 

[Degsy]

Just now, Lancaster8 said:

In a very warm upstairs bedroom.

 

You should aim to dry them slowly , very warm sounds too warm if you know what I mean

[Lancaster8]

Just now, ratdog said:

 

no way they were dry throughout, sounds like you promoted bud rot by sticking it in jars wet inside, adding boveda probably made it worse.

 

Thanks for that!  The room they were drying in was very hot so maybe they dried too rapidly on the outside but not on the inside.  Slow but sure next time. 

[ratdog]

Just now, Lancaster8 said:

The room they were drying in was very hot so maybe they dried too rapidly on the outside

 

 

in the past when i have dried weed fast i have put it in the jar overnight when it felt crispy on the outside, checked the next day, and it equals its self out so feels damp again, so back in to dry, repeat until the centre of the colas snap with a crack

Edited May 16, 2022 by ratdog

[blackpoolbouncer]

Sounds like an awful drying technique

Drying is the single easiest way to ruin good weed 

[Lancaster8]

54 minutes ago, blackpoolbouncer said:

Sounds like an awful drying technique

Drying is the single easiest way to ruin good weed 

 

Lucky it wasn't good weed!  - only mediocre stuff - so not too bothered.  Just wanted to learn what I did wrong. 

[Guest]

If you can you want to take at least 10 days to dry.  Chlorophyll tastes rank and when you dry too fast it gets trapped. 

[theherbalcolonel]

2 hours ago, Lancaster8 said:

I have been growing for 12 years now, and I think I know what I should be doing by now. I just had four very small harvests from four small autos.  I did the usual drying with them hanging upside down for a few days before trimming and putting into the usual Kilner jars.  I checked the moisture

levels in the way I always do, and one batch was actually now too dry.  I know people say various things about reversing this, like using a slice of apple etc., but I have personally found that once the weed gets over-dry it can't really be reversed. You may or may not agree with me. 

 

The other three harvests were different. Two were absolutely perfect and the last one was a little too wet still.  I used the digital moisture meters in the jars and kept an eye on things for a few days until they were settled down in the right band of moisture.  I then added Boveda sachets to the jars. 

I have been burping the jars too.  Last night I was looking for some weed to vape and 3 out of 4 of these jars had all gone really BAD.  It truly stunk.  I have found in the past, that if weed smells bad, when ground, it can brighten it up a bit.  Not last night.  When I tried smoking some it was RANK. 

So 3 jars are now scheduled to be used for edible extractions or similar.  Fortunately, I still have plenty of other jars in reserve, but I have never encountered newly harvested weed going bad in this way - especially when I have taken the usual care to make sure the moisture levels are ok. 

 

Any ideas Guys?  

 

Thanks

 

12-14 days drying is the sweet spot. Anything less than that is too short to be honest, in my opinion. 

60% Humidity, 60 Farenheit. (15.5556 Celcius)

No direct air from fan (you really don't need a fan at all, open the windows in the room once a day and replace the air) if carbon filter is needed place it as far away from the plants as possible and don't have it up full whack.

Keep room as dark as you possibly can. No light at all is optimal.

 

In terms of the smell, If it smelt like Ammonia or bread or beer you have began fermentation. Most likely due to the inside still being wet (too short of a drying period), and the outside dry. 

But you said you could grind it. Was it wet in the grinder?

The flip side is too dry and no smell or taste apart from chlorophyll. This is would be due to too high of a temperature resulting in too fast a dry.

 

Plants don't die when you cut them down. There are still enzymatic processes happening in the bud, one of which is the breakdown of chlorophyll. This also continues into the curing period.

If you dry it too quickly at too high a temp you pretty much kill all activity (you will also flair off any most mono and probably most sesquiterpenes as they are very volatile) and you are left with the residual chlorophyll and no terps in sight. 

 

Hope this is of use  

 

GL with future harvest's brother.