I’m ready to pull my hair out

[FarmerPalmersNT]

The thing with the wine cooler is you can dry as fast or slow as you like as temp and humidity are both controllable. Always going to be better off in a curer steeping the nugs in their own smells than exchanging tons of air, as long as you do manage damp.

 

Moving nugs from one place to another will always lose a tiny amount of terps, obviously. So will burping jars or skinning up. It's unavoidable with any method but stupidly negligible as long as you're not doing it constantly.

 

Water solubility of terps doesn't have anything to do with it. They don't 'evaporate with the water'. The molecular weight doesn't allow for it, and things are held in solution with water because of its polar nature which requires surrounding with water molecules. That can't happen when it evaporates as they are no longer loosely held together by those same intermolecular forces. A single water molecule can't carry a terpene with it. And if it did it wouldn't be water vapour. Some will dissolve in liquid water but that's irrelevant. The drip tray water coming out of my curer/cooler smells of precisely fuck all. Because it's just condensed water vapour. The nugs and cupboard inside stink.

 

Terpenes will evaporate themselves to a limited extent but moreso a lot of the other compounds such as esters and so on that are not mentioned much but really do contribute to the more volatile and noticeable smells of decent cured weed. These are present in the plant when alive but also form and change during the cure.

 

Provided the weed you put in is decent to begin with there are really simple things that will fuck it up. 

 

- Excessive air movement, and/or excessive temps causing too much loss

- Microbial (and to some extent cellular enzyme as vesicles break down) action knackering terps and creating compounds that cause a damp musty smell. Exacerbated by too low temps and/or too little air movement.

 

If you are drying out in a big space with air exchange you need to walk a tightrope between those two things. Too hot or windy and it'll fuck it. Too wet and still and it'll go damp and fuck it.

 

Curers make it easier by actively dehumidifying the same air without having to exchange it. But you'd need a lot of them for that size crop so you're probably best trying to hone your tightrope skills and maybe getting a curer built for personal best.

Edited December 14, 2022 by FarmerPalmersNT

[FarmerPalmersNT]

Adding to the above, one thing I was trying to point out us that contrary to popular 'wisdom' terpenes aren't actually that influential in terms of the smell. It's a misconception based on the relative quantity of those compounds. Which isn't the full picture when it comes to perceived smell.

 

Interesting study here:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4684335/

 

If you CBA to read it all:

 

The compounds found to be responsible for the overall aroma of dry marijuana investigated in this research, both loose and emitted through a plastic zip-top bag over 68 h are 1) Benzaldehyde, 2) Myrcene, 3) Decanal, 4) Heptanal, 5) Methyl anthranilate, 6) Octanal, 7) Hexanal, 8) Methylisohexenyl ketone, 9) Linalool, 10) β-Caryophyllene, 11) α-Humelene, and 12) Acetic acid. Highly odorous compounds with published ODT emitted from fresh marijuana through a duffel bag over 68 h are A) Nonanal, B) Decanol, C) o-Cymene, D) Isobutyraldehyde, E) 1-Chloroacetophenone, F) Nerol, G) Propylamine, H) o-Guaiacol, I) Linalyl acetate, J) Methyl anthranilate, K) Benzaldehyde, L) Limonene. Top ranked volatiles (by OAV) do not agree with what is currently known as key odorous compounds responsible for the smell of marijuana [1–6]. Also, results of this research indicate the key odorous compounds responsible for the smell of marijuana are different between old, desiccated marijuana and fresh marijuana.

 

[twigs]

 it’s all just another angle to sell you shit you ‘basically’ don’t need

 

people have loved weed dried in all conditions from all over the world for decades, there’s something up if just now we’re losing the smells and positive influentials (the outstanding highs)

 

the basic positive active parts of weed that people remember are being bread out it seems? 

 

[FarmerPalmersNT]

37 minutes ago, twigs said:

 it’s all just another angle to sell you shit you ‘basically’ don’t need

 

people have loved weed dried in all conditions from all over the world for decades, there’s something up if just now we’re losing the smells and positive influentials (the outstanding highs)

 

the basic positive active parts of weed that people remember are being bread out it seems? 

 

 

Sell you what?

[twigs]

selling the idea we all ‘need’ special drying and curing equipment 

 

you see loads of it in the states, repurposed equipment sold at higher prices because there’s a weed sticker on a plastic box etc

 

its not a dig at you dude, its an observation 

 

how longs weed been around again? 

 

 

[MindSoup]

It's all relative though isn't it. Most people wouldn't think twice about buying a nice light or an expensive hydro set up, but if like me, you're weakest link is the drying/curing phase then a curer (built not bought I might add) might be more crucial to getting a good end product. Of course not everyone needs one, but most people would probably benefit from one. Spending shit loads on getting a tent set up and footing the electric bill only to dry your bud in a cardboard box or a tent in sub par conditions isn't all that uncommon which seems odd as most people will agree that the final phase is as crucial as any other. It's not to say that the curer is the only way, but it sure takes a lot the stress/work/risk out of it. 

Edited December 14, 2022 by MindSoup

[twigs]

I guess as long as people understand that things like a drying fridge are luxury type items rather than an essentials is what i’m trying to get across

 

case in point with this dudes issue were a better result/solution was made by simply upping heat and extraction a tad 

 

i feel the same about led’s   they’re not essential or it’s not essential to spend £500-£900 on a led to grow a few plants a year compared to hps equivalent watt price £150? with shade etc will grow the same number of plants 

 

they’re luxuries, not essentials 

 

[AnonyMice]

On 08/12/2022 at 8:49 PM, Wallo said:

Thanks to all , one more question , is taking too long to dry a thing ? I mean providing no mould ect . 

 

Look up the ‘Low n Slow’ drying method. There are many people that dry at low temps/RH (5c/40%).

The low temps & the slow dry are said to retain more terpenes/flavour. And it can take 6 weeks+.

I don’t think taking too long to dry is a thing. 

 

[KC]

I've never had much problem drying in my current location bar the odd stupidly hot summer. My house is freezing most of the year, makes growing a pita but drying is a piece of piss. 

It does take awhile but if you grow perpetual it makes little odds. It's not like I ever need any weed. 

 

I did have a strange one once though, I had some lovely critical sour which I bagged up, a few months later it had reverted to the green/hay smell. Maybe it wasn't dry enough when I bagged it. Only time its ever happened though. 

[MindSoup]

49 minutes ago, twigs said:

fridge are luxury type items rather than an essentials

For me at least it's completely essential. without one I'd be doomed to a life of fast dried hay in the summer and mouldy mush in winter, but I get your point, for the most part they're no 100% necessary. 

 

I agree with you for the most part on LEDs though. In my tiny tent an HID would completely cook my plants but if/when I get a bigger one I'll definitely be running CMH, at least in the colder months. The amount of run time an LED fixture takes to pay for itself is actually quite a lot and when you need to add heat it's even longer, long enough that you might never see the ROI even if you grow perpetual, it's all too often that people have to ditch all their gear at a moments notice and it's got to sting even more when you've spent so much on fancy kit.

[MindSoup]

@AnonyMice I've seen that idea pop up a few times, I did nearly try it out but I was too worried about losing the bud, hence building my curing fridge. It definitely seems to work for the people who've tried it though so I guess there's something too it. Have you had success with it? 

[FarmerPalmersNT]

2 hours ago, twigs said:

 

its not a dig at you dude, its an observation 

 

Nah. Didn't think it was, just curious. I agree with you in principle. What I will say is that whilst weed has been dried in many very simple ways as you say, and enjoyed to boot, there has also been a LOT of fucking shit brick weed dried in the sun. Most stuff that's decent has had at least a careful, if not highly elaborate approach to drying and curing.

 

Not saying you can't get good results being slapdash, it's just hit and miss.

 

Also LED, I spent £300 on my carefully selected 720W Chinese panels. Less than 50p a watt. It's saved me a LOT of money in bulbs alone. Electrical costs are debatable given that I grow in a shed so heat it in winter. Wouldn't need to as much with HPS. LED is a better option for some, but not all.

[MindSoup]

@FarmerPalmersNT I've been looking into those Chinese LEDs, does seem to be a good option if you pick the right brands. I've had a few people tell me know that their kingbrite is as good if not better as the HLG equivalent when run side by side. Seems a lot of popular brands are made in the same factories with the same components but just have a different logo and a higher price tag, I guess you're paying the premium for warranty and CS. 

[twigs]

1 hour ago, FarmerPalmersNT said:

there has also been a LOT of fucking shit brick weed dried in the sun.

 

   decades ago me and a buddy used to buy blocks of the import compressed stuff and when breaking it apart their would be squashed/broken insects and beetles   

 

ignore me guys im probably just jealous I haven’t got the space, time and money for a dedicated drying fridge  

 

 

[AnonyMice]

@MindSoup Yeah I successfully dried mine that way. My RH was too low and the stuff that dried quicker lost some smell.

I had other stuff in a jar for 5+ weeks without opening (instructions are to air out for an hour once a week but I left it unopened), RH after 5 weeks 84% but 0 mould, and none when I finished drying on a rack or  the weeks they were in jars at room temp afterwards. Oh and the stuff smelled strong like it did at harvest

I’ll be giving it another go next year, controlling the temp/rh a lot better in a dedicated ‘weed fridge’

 

Although ruined it by trying to dry sift on a random (too big) screen. Ended up smoking dusty plant matter 

Edited December 14, 2022 by AnonyMice